Goose is an open-source AI agent that runs on your own machine as a desktop app, command line and API. It was created at Block and donated to the Agentic AI Foundation, linked to the Linux Foundation, separating governance from the original vendor.
What it’s for
- Running coding tasks and automations on your own computer
- Extending the agent with external tools through the MCP protocol
- Reusing flows as portable recipes, skills and subagents
- Using the agent as a server for compatible editors
How it works
- The agent runs locally and talks to several model providers
- You can use your own API key, existing subscriptions or locally executed models
- Capabilities come from extensions, many of them through MCP, including tools and context sources
- There are permission controls, a sandbox mode and detection of malicious instructions in external content
Where it runs
- Desktop application for macOS, Linux and Windows
- Command line in the terminal
- As a server for compatible editors
- API for integration with other flows
Availability and licensing
- Open source under the Apache-2.0 license
- Vendor-neutral foundation governance, with contributions from several companies
- No requirement to subscribe to a specific vendor to use the agent
How it differs
- It is local-first and also works outside a coding context, as a general-purpose agent
- Foundation governance avoids dependence on the vendor that created it
- The extension ecosystem is one of the project’s pillars
Things to note
- Local agents have access to files and commands; reviewing permissions is essential
- Quality depends on the chosen model provider
- Features may differ between desktop, terminal and embedded editor use