Google ADK vs OpenHands
Google's open-source Agent Development Kit for building, evaluating and deploying AI agents and multi-agent systems. ADK offers a flexible, code-first framework that works with Gemini and other models — free, and integrated with Google Cloud.
🧠 Expert verdict
Our expert verdict: OpenHands is the stronger all-round choice, scoring 4.6/5 versus 4.5/5 for Google ADK, and it stands out for "70K+ GitHub stars". Choose OpenHands if you want the best agents tool overall, especially for autonomous coding tasks; pick Google ADK if "Build, evaluate & deploy agents" matters more for your workflow.
Google ADK
Google's open-source Agent Development Kit for building, evaluating and deploying AI agents and multi-agent systems. ADK offers a flexible, code-first framework that works with Gemini and other models — free, and integrated with Google Cloud.
OpenHands
A leading open-source autonomous coding agent (formerly OpenDevin) with 70K+ GitHub stars. OpenHands writes, tests and deploys code, navigates the web and runs commands to complete real dev tasks — free to self-host.
Google ADK
✅ Pros
- +Build, evaluate & deploy agents
- +Code-first and flexible
- +Works with Gemini and others
- +Free and open source
- +Google Cloud integration
❌ Cons
- −For developers
- −Best within Google ecosystem
- −Model/cloud usage billed
- −Newer framework
OpenHands
✅ Pros
- +70K+ GitHub stars
- +Writes, tests & deploys code
- +Browses web and runs commands
- +Free and open source
- +Works with many models
❌ Cons
- −For developers to self-host
- −Needs LLM API keys
- −Review all changes
- −Compute costs at scale
🎯 Best for — Google ADK
🎯 Best for — OpenHands
🏷️ Tags — Google ADK
🏷️ Tags — OpenHands
Our Verdict
After comparing ratings, pricing and features, OpenHands comes out ahead with a 4.6/5 rating. It is the better choice for most users.
Expert take on each tool
📌 Google ADK
Google ADK is a free, open-source agent framework for building, evaluating and deploying agents and multi-agent systems, with strong Gemini and Cloud integration. A solid pick for developers in the Google ecosystem building production agents.
📌 OpenHands
OpenHands (formerly OpenDevin) is the leading open-source autonomous coding agent, with 70K+ stars: it writes, tests and ships code and runs commands to finish real dev work, free to self-host. The top free alternative to Devin for engineering teams.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: Google ADK or OpenHands?
OpenHands has the higher user rating (4.6/5 vs 4.5/5), making it the stronger overall pick. That said, Google ADK can still be the better fit depending on your budget and specific needs — see the full comparison above.
Is Google ADK or OpenHands cheaper?
Google ADK (Free / Open Source) and OpenHands (Free / Open Source) sit at a similar price point. The best way to compare actual cost is to check each tool's plans for the specific features and usage limits you need.
Can I switch from Google ADK to OpenHands?
Yes — switching between Google ADK and OpenHands is usually straightforward since both are agents tools with similar core workflows. Most users can export their data and get started with OpenHands within a day; just check OpenHands's free plan before committing to a paid tier.