# Open source vs Intelligence > Compare CopilotKit's open-source SDKs and runtime with Intelligence services for AG-UI Streams, User Memories, Automatic Learning, Product Analytics, and Channels. CopilotKit's **open-source SDKs and runtime** connect your frontend to your agent without requiring a CopilotKit service. **CopilotKit Intelligence** adds AG-UI Streams, User Memories, Automatic Learning, Product Analytics, and Channels to that application. Choose the services your application needs while keeping your frontend and agent framework. ## The 30-second version - **The open-source packages are enough for** building a working agentic application with framework-native APIs, prebuilt chat, frontend tools, gen-UI, and any AG-UI integration. The license is MIT. The packages run anywhere. - **Your own persistence remains an option.** LangGraph checkpointers, ADK session services, and application-owned storage can retain history without Intelligence. You own the storage and UI integration. - **CopilotKit Intelligence adds** conversation replay and continuity across devices, memory beyond one conversation, reviewed skills from real usage, usage data, and channel connections. - **CopilotKit Intelligence runs two ways** — [cloud-hosted](/intelligence/managed-intelligence-platform), or self-hosted on [Kubernetes](/intelligence/self-hosting) or [AWS ECS](/intelligence/self-hosting-ecs). Both deployments use the same app APIs. | | Open source only | Needs CopilotKit Intelligence | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------- | | Agent chat, frontend tools, agent state, gen-UI | Yes | | | Any AG-UI integration (LangGraph, Mastra, Built-in, custom) | Yes | | | Framework-native or application-owned persistence | You operate and integrate it | | | Local Inspector for live events, tools, state, and connection debugging | Yes | | | AG-UI Streams with saved UI, resumable runs, and realtime sync | | Yes | | User Memories and Automatic Learning | | Yes | | Product Analytics and cloud-hosted channel connections | | Yes | | Inspector's saved Rich Threads and Automatic Learning panes | | Yes | | Intelligence project administration and API keys | | Yes | ## What's in the open-source core Everything you need to build a working agentic app, with no external service from CopilotKit: - **Frontend SDK** — `@copilotkit/react-core`, exporting hooks and prebuilt components for chat, tools, state, threads, and generative UI. - **Runtime** — `@copilotkit/runtime`, the request handler that mounts in your application server. Framework-agnostic core plus thin adapters for Express, Hono, Bun, Deno, Cloudflare Workers. - **AG-UI protocol** — open standard for agent ↔ frontend communication. 16 standardized event types, transport-agnostic. - **Built-in Agent** — `BuiltInAgent` runs an in-process agent loop (OpenAI / Anthropic / Google / any AI-SDK model) without requiring an external framework. - **Integrations** — first-party adapters for LangGraph (Python / TypeScript / FastAPI), Mastra, CrewAI, Pydantic AI, Microsoft Agent Framework, AWS Strands, Google ADK, and others. - **Generative UI primitives** — tool rendering, state rendering, headless APIs, and framework-native theming. MIT licensed. Run it on any host, in any cloud, with any LLM provider. ## What's in CopilotKit Intelligence A **backend service** beside your runtime, with capabilities you can add as needed: - **[AG-UI Streams](/threads)** — save conversations, UI, and inputs; reopen them across devices and reconnect to active runs. - **[User Memories](/intelligence/memories)** — retain facts beyond a single conversation, with user and project scopes. - **[Automatic Learning](/learning)** — turn real usage into skills you review and publish; use [Skill delivery](/intelligence/learned-skills) to make published skills available to your agent. - **[Product Analytics](/intelligence/analytics)** — understand how people use your agent and its tools. - **[Channels](/intelligence/channels)** — connect your existing agent to Slack or Microsoft Teams through cloud-hosted Intelligence. Both are generally available. The open-source Channels SDK also lets you operate your own channel runner. - **Project administration** — manage organizations, projects, API keys, and plans in the [cloud-hosted web app](/intelligence/managed-intelligence-platform). ### Inspector with and without Intelligence [Inspector](/inspector) is available by default in development builds of React, Vue, and Angular browser apps. Use its local panes to debug your connection, live AG-UI events, tools, and state without Intelligence. Its **Rich Threads** and **Automatic Learning** panes require the corresponding Intelligence services to show saved conversations and learning data. ### Cloud-Hosted vs Self-Hosted Same CopilotKit Intelligence — you pick where it runs: - **[Cloud-hosted CopilotKit Intelligence](/intelligence/managed-intelligence-platform)** is the service CopilotKit operates. Sign up, get an API key, and point your runtime at it. Pick this when you want zero ops on the platform side. - **Self-hosted** runs in your infrastructure. Follow the [Kubernetes guide](/intelligence/self-hosting) for the Helm chart or the [AWS ECS guide](/intelligence/self-hosting-ecs) for the ECS bundle. You operate the services and their dependencies; use the deployment guide for the required infrastructure and credentials. Application code doesn't change between cloud-hosted and self-hosted — same frontend SDK and runtime APIs. Only the platform endpoint and credential set change. ## Licenses The open-source SDKs and runtime use MIT. CopilotKit Intelligence and Showcase have separate terms. ## Where to go next - **Existing agent framework** — start with your framework's overview and quickstart in the docs framework selector. - **Built-in Agent** — [Quickstart](/quickstart) starts an app when you want CopilotKit's built-in agent. No Intelligence credentials needed. - **CopilotKit Intelligence overview** — [CopilotKit Intelligence](/intelligence/overview) lists every platform capability and the per-feature setup. - **Cloud-hosted setup** — [Cloud-hosted CopilotKit Intelligence](/intelligence/managed-intelligence-platform) when CopilotKit operates the service. - **Self-hosted deployment** — [Kubernetes](/intelligence/self-hosting) or [AWS ECS](/intelligence/self-hosting-ecs) for your own infrastructure. - **Architecture deep-dive** — [CopilotKit Intelligence architecture](/intelligence/intelligence-platform) covers runtime/platform roles, project boundaries, threads, and realtime sync.