# bifrost vs cua
_Agent Infrastructure · independent comparison_

> bifrost and cua are both open-source agent infrastructure you can self-host for free. cua has wider GitHub adoption — 22k stars vs 7.5k. Neither is universally better — pick by fit.

## Side by side

**bifrost**
- Open source · Infrastructure · 7.5k★ · Go · Apache-2.0 · active 7 days ago
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/bifrost) · [official](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost)

**cua**
- Open source · Infrastructure · 22k★ · Python · MIT · active 7 days ago
- Best for: Background computer-use across macOS, Windows, and Linux without stealing focus.
- Avoid if: You need a runtime older than Python 3.11.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/cua) · [official](https://cua.ai)

## Key differences

- cua has wider GitHub adoption — 22k stars vs 7.5k.
- bifrost is written primarily in Go; cua in Python.
- Licensing differs: bifrost is Apache-2.0, cua is MIT.

## Which to choose

**Choose bifrost if:** your team works primarily in Go.

**Choose cua if:** Background computer-use across macOS, Windows, and Linux without stealing focus.

## FAQ

**What's the main difference between bifrost and cua?**
cua has wider GitHub adoption — 22k stars vs 7.5k.

**Is bifrost or cua better?**
Neither is universally better. bifrost is the stronger fit for teams working primarily in Go; cua for Background computer-use across macOS, Windows, and Linux without stealing focus. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.

**Is bifrost or cua free?**
bifrost is free to run and self-host; cua is free to run and self-host. Both are free to self-host — you only pay for the infrastructure and any model or API usage.

**Which is more popular, bifrost or cua?**
By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — cua is ahead (22k vs 7.5k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

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Source: [Agent Search Engine](https://agentsearchengine.app) — https://agentsearchengine.app/compare/bifrost-vs-cua