Product comparison
Open-source alternative to Instinct AI
Open Dots is a self-hosted, open-source AI workspace to consider if you are comparing Instinct with a project you can run and inspect yourself.
How Open Dots compares
Instinct describes a personal assistant that understands what you are working on and can use a phone and computer, with messaging and calls as interaction channels. Open Dots is a web workspace with configurable assistants, connectors, explicit approvals, and an optional computer runtime. It does not currently provide SMS or phone-call access, proactive personal context, or scheduled tasks.
Product information: Instinct official site.
Who Open Dots is for
People looking for a browser-based, self-hosted assistant workspace with visible approvals and an inspectable codebase.
Trade-offs to consider
Instinct emphasizes a personal assistant you can contact through messaging and calls. Open Dots does not have SMS, phone, or WhatsApp access and needs to be installed and configured by its operator.
Open Dots features
- Self-hostable web client and API; app state is stored in local SQLite.
- Assistant personas, model selection, conversation history, and image attachments.
- Composio connectors with narrow GitHub issue actions.
- Deny-by-default action gateway, approval prompts, and audit events for higher-risk actions.
- Optional bot-scoped Docker/Playwright computer runtime or compatible remote service.
Frequently asked questions
Is Open Dots an open-source Instinct alternative?
It is an open-source AI workspace that overlaps on assistant and computer-task use cases. It does not offer Instinct’s text or call based interface or personal context features.
Can I text Open Dots to do a task?
No. Open Dots currently provides a web client; SMS, phone calls, and messaging-app interfaces are not implemented.
Open Dots is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Instinct or its owners. Comparison reflects public product descriptions and the current Open Dots README; capabilities can change.