OpenDots Setup on Windows: Build Your Own Free AI Agent Team on Your PC
OpenDots turns your Windows PC into a home for specialist AI agents, each with its own browser, files, and terminal. We installed it live, connected a model, built a Dot called Scout, and watched it work three real tasks. Here is the full setup and what it honestly cannot do.
OpenDots is a free, open-source alternative to OpenAI's Dots. It lets you build a small team of specialist AI agents, called Dots, that live on your own Windows PC. Each Dot gets its own virtual computer with a browser, files, and a terminal, and nothing gets saved without your approval. We installed it from zero live on camera, connected a model, created a Dot named Scout, and put it to work on three real tasks. Below is every step we followed, plus the limits we found along the way.
Watch the full OpenDots setup video on YouTube
Prefer watching? The full install runs live in our video above, mistakes and all. The text below is the same setup as a copy-paste checklist.
What OpenDots actually is
At their DevDay, OpenAI showed Dots: always-on AI coworkers that keep working after you close the chat and bring finished work back to you. The catch is that Dots are closed, run only on OpenAI's models, and are limited to certain plans and regions.
OpenDots is the open-source answer. It is a template you host yourself, built on CopilotKit and AG-UI. You bring any agent and any OpenAI-compatible model, and you can change every part of it. Each Dot is a specialist coworker with its own name, role, instructions, and tools. The software itself costs nothing. The model behind it is a different story: you connect your own API key, and API usage is billed by your provider, so "free" refers to OpenDots, not necessarily to the model calls.
What you need before installing
Three things, all free: Node.js 24 (the LTS release) from nodejs.org, git, and a Windows PC. Open PowerShell in normal mode, not as administrator. You will also need an API key from an OpenAI-compatible provider. That can be OpenAI itself, or Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, Grok, or Qwen through a compatible endpoint. If you are still picking a model, our Claude vs ChatGPT 2026 breakdown compares the main options for everyday work, and our GPT-6 Astra free setup shows one tested way to get model access without paying.
Installing OpenDots, step by step
Clone the repo and move into it:
git clone https://github.com/CopilotKit/OpenDots
cd OpenDotsInstall dependencies. This takes a couple of minutes:
npm ciCreate your config file from the example:
cp .env.example .envOpen .env in a text editor and fill in your key and model:
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-key-here
OPENAI_MODEL=your-model-nameIf your provider uses its own address, add one more line:
OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://your-provider.com/v1Start the app:
npm run devThen open http://127.0.0.1:5173 in your browser. That is your OpenDots dashboard, running on your own machine.
Connecting your model and CopilotKit Intelligence
Two more commands connect CopilotKit Intelligence, which keeps your conversation history safe:
npx copilotkit@latest login
npx copilotkit@latest project selectSave .env, restart npm run dev, and reopen the dashboard. One honest note here: because history passes through CopilotKit's cloud, this setup is not fully offline. Your Dots run on your PC, but conversation history and your prompts also travel to CopilotKit and your model provider. If that matters to you, read the privacy section of the OpenDots repo before connecting anything sensitive.
Creating your first specialist Dot
The dashboard has sections for new chats, Dots, Spaces, scheduled activity, memories, and settings. To create a Dot, you give it a name, describe its role in plain language, assign it to a Space, and switch on the tools it may use, such as web research, saving memories, and automatic learning. Computer access is off by default, so a Dot only gets the access you hand it. That default is worth keeping until you trust a Dot's behavior.
Three real tasks, done live
We created a Dot called Scout and gave it three jobs on camera. First, it wrote an X post about a product launch. Then it opened email and found the latest invoice. Finally, it visited a website and summarized its pricing page. You watch it work in the real interface, and before anything is saved, it shows you a draft and waits. One click approves it, and the result lands in your Space. That approval step is the whole product in one gesture: the agent does the legwork, you keep the final say.
Spaces, Pages, voice, and Slack
Spaces are folders for your projects, and Pages are documents with a visual editor, slash commands, autosave, and version history. Every Page also has a Dot chat attached, so you can discuss the document with the agent that helped write it. You can call a Dot and talk in real time while it keeps working, with live captions on screen, though voice needs its own API key. You can also mention a Dot in Slack and it picks up the work right in the thread.
Two honest limits
First, there is no installer and no desktop shortcut. Every time you want to use OpenDots, you open PowerShell inside the OpenDots folder, run npm run dev, and open localhost:5173 in your browser. Your Spaces, pages, and Dots are saved automatically, but your PC must stay on while you use it.
Second, the Dot's browser needs extra setup before it can click around the web on its own. Out of the box, treat web abilities as assisted rather than autonomous, and check the repo docs before pointing a Dot at anything important.
Who should try this, and who should skip it
Try OpenDots if you want AI agents running on your own machine, you want to choose the model yourself, and you enjoy tinkering. Skip it if you want zero setup, if you need something fully offline, or if paying for a managed agent service is worth more to you than an afternoon of configuration.
Is OpenDots really free?
The software is free and open source. You supply the model through your own API key, and the provider bills you for usage, so your total cost depends on the model and how much you use it. CopilotKit Intelligence, which stores conversation history, has its own terms.
Does OpenDots work on Mac or Linux?
The walkthrough above is Windows-specific, but OpenDots is a Node.js app, so the same general flow (Node 24, git clone, npm ci, .env, npm run dev) applies on Mac and Linux with small path and shell differences.
Is my data private?
Your Dots and files live on your PC, which is the privacy win over cloud agent services. The trade-off is that conversation history passes through CopilotKit's cloud and your prompts go to your model provider. Do not connect private inboxes or documents until you are comfortable with that.
How is OpenDots different from OpenAI's Dots?
OpenAI's Dots are closed, tied to OpenAI models, plans, and regions. OpenDots is self-hosted and open source, works with any OpenAI-compatible model, and every component can be changed. The price of that freedom is doing the setup and maintenance yourself.
Sources
- OpenDots on GitHub (CopilotKit) — install steps, .env options, and docs
- Introducing OpenDots (CopilotKit blog) — what Dots, Spaces, and Pages are
- Node.js downloads — Node.js 24 LTS used in this setup
- Build Your Own AI Agent Team FREE on Your PC (OpenDots Setup) — our video walkthrough with the live install
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