A Runtime is an environment where the OpenHands agent can edit files and run commands.

By default, OpenHands uses a Docker-based runtime, running on your local computer. This means you only have to pay for the LLM you’re using, and your code is only ever sent to the LLM.

Additionally, we provide a Local Runtime that runs directly on your machine without Docker, which can be useful in controlled environments like CI pipelines.

Available Runtimes

OpenHands supports several different runtime environments:

  • Docker Runtime - The default runtime that uses Docker containers for isolation (recommended for most users).
  • OpenHands Remote Runtime - Cloud-based runtime for parallel execution (beta).
  • Local Runtime - Direct execution on your local machine without Docker.

Third-Party Runtimes

The following third-party runtimes are available when you install the third_party_runtimes extra:

pip install openhands-ai[third_party_runtimes]

Note: These third-party runtimes are supported by their respective developers, not by the OpenHands team. For issues specific to these runtimes, please refer to their documentation or contact their support teams.