Is Perplexity Computer open source? Meet the open-source alternative
No, Perplexity Computer is closed and hosted. Its local variant runs the same closed runtime on hardware you buy. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System: read it, fork it, audit it, and self-host for free, with your agents, skills, memory, and connectors in one git repo you own.
Open source, side by side
The row that decides it is source availability.
| Criteria | Kortix | Perplexity Computer |
|---|---|---|
| 01Open source | Yes | No |
| 02Source availability | Open source. Read it, fork it, audit it. | Closed. Local or cloud, the code is not auditable. |
| 03Self-host | Self-host is free. | No. It runs in their cloud, or on your hardware. |
| 04Models and keys | Any model provider with your own keys. | Perplexity's managed lineup; the local build uses local models. |
| 05Where sessions run | One isolated sandbox per session, each on its own branch. | A managed Linux sandbox with preinstalled tools. |
| 06What you own | One git repo you own: agents, skills, memory, connectors. | A subscription; the product stays theirs. |
| 07Review gate | Session work reaches main through a change request. | The agent acts in your connected apps; no branch-and-review step. |
Why Perplexity Computer is not open source
Perplexity Computer is a closed, hosted product. Perplexity runs it in its own cloud sandbox, routes its own managed model lineup for you, and does not publish the code behind any of it. Coverage of the local variant says it plainly: the system is proprietary and closed, and you cannot audit the code (Vellum, checked October 2026).
The Portable Computer does not change that. Since August 25, 2026, it runs the full agent runtime on your own machine, an NVIDIA DGX Spark or a Linux box with an NVIDIA RTX GPU, but it ships as the same closed software on different hardware. You move where the work runs. You do not get to read what runs.
What open source actually buys a team
For this class of work, open source is a set of things you can do on day one. You can read the code before you run it, fork it when your needs diverge, and audit it when security asks how the agent layer handles your data. You can self-host it for free on infrastructure you control. You can point it at any model provider with your own keys. And your agents, skills, memory, and connectors stay as files in one git repo you own.
Kortix states these in its own words: open source, read it, fork it, audit it. Run it on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network, with self-host free. Any model provider with your own keys (Kortix on GitHub).
Where the open-source options live
Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System, and it is the one we recommend for this class of work. It keeps the same shape as the closed products: agents that do finished work on real cloud computers, landing changes a person reviews. The difference is the source and the ownership.
Open-source projects beside Kortix exist in this space, and the alternatives page compares the field. The Kortix vs Perplexity Computer breakdown goes head to head. If your team needs it on its own network, the self-hosting guide starts with one Docker Compose stack.
How to tell open source from a privacy claim
Running on your own hardware is a privacy claim. It is not proof that the software is open source. A product can keep its runtime on your machine and still decline to let you read it. The test is simple: can you obtain the source that runs, and check it yourself? The comparison table on this page puts the two answers next to each other.
The claim in Kortix's own words
Kortix is the one you own.It's an open-source AI Operating System: your agents, the skills they share, your company memory, and every connector live in one git repo.Any model, your own API keys, your own infrastructure or our managed cloud.Self-host for free, or use Kortix Cloud.Questions about Kortix and Perplexity Computer
- N01
Can I read the Kortix source before I run it?
Yes. Kortix is open source: read it, fork it, audit it. The code is at Kortix on GitHub.
- N02
Does Kortix require a subscription?
No. Self-host is free, or use Kortix Cloud. You can bring any model provider with your own keys. See the self-hosting guide to run the stack on your own infrastructure.
- N03
What is Perplexity Computer's local variant?
Portable Computer, launched August 25, 2026 with NVIDIA. It runs the whole agent runtime on an NVIDIA DGX Spark or a Linux RTX machine, and it still ships as closed software that needs a Perplexity subscription.
- N04
Where can I compare the two directly?
The Kortix vs Perplexity Computer breakdown, and the alternatives page for the wider open-source field.
Read the code, then run it.
Self-host for free, or start on Kortix Cloud.
Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem