> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openhands.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Software Agent SDK > Build AI agents that write software. A clean, modular SDK with production-ready tools. The OpenHands Software Agent SDK is a set of Python and REST APIs for building **agents that work with code**. You can use the OpenHands Software Agent SDK for: * One-off tasks, like building a README for your repo * Routine maintenance tasks, like updating dependencies * Major tasks that involve multiple agents, like refactors and rewrites You can even use the SDK to build new developer experiences—it’s the engine behind the [OpenHands CLI](/openhands/usage/how-to/cli-mode) and [OpenHands Cloud](/openhands/usage/cloud/openhands-cloud). Get started with some examples or keep reading to learn more. ## Features A unified Python API that enables you to run agents locally or in the cloud, define custom agent behaviors, and create custom tools. Ready-to-use tools for executing Bash commands, editing files, browsing the web, integrating with MCP, and more. A production-ready server that runs agents anywhere, including Docker and Kubernetes, while connecting seamlessly to the Python API. ## Why OpenHands Software Agent SDK? ### Emphasis on coding While other agent SDKs (e.g. [LangChain](https://python.langchain.com/docs/tutorials/agents/)) are focused on more general use cases, like delivering chat-based support or automating back-office tasks, OpenHands is purpose-built for software engineering. While some folks do use OpenHands to solve more general tasks (code is a powerful tool!), most of us use OpenHands to work with code. ### State-of-the-Art Performance OpenHands is a top performer across a wide variety of benchmarks, including SWE-bench, SWT-bench, and multi-SWE-bench. The SDK includes a number of state-of-the-art agentic features developed by our research team, including: * Task planning and decomposition * Automatic context compression * Security analysis * Strong agent-computer interfaces OpenHands has attracted researchers from a wide variety of academic institutions, and is [becoming the preferred harness](https://x.com/Alibaba_Qwen/status/1947766835023335516) for evaluating LLMs on coding tasks. ### Free and Open Source OpenHands is also the leading open source framework for coding agents. It’s MIT-licensed, and can work with any LLM—including big proprietary LLMs like Claude and OpenAI, as well as open source LLMs like Qwen and Devstral. Other SDKs (e.g. [Claude Code](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-agent-sdk-python)) are proprietary and lock you into a particular model. Given how quickly models are evolving, it’s best to stay model-agnostic! ## Get Started Install the SDK, run your first agent, and explore the guides. ## Learn the SDK Understand the SDK's architecture: agents, tools, workspaces, and more. Explore the complete SDK API and source code. ## Build with Examples Build local agents with custom tools and capabilities. Run agents on remote servers with Docker sandboxing. Automate repository tasks with agent-powered workflows. ## Community Connect with the OpenHands community on Slack. Contribute to the SDK or report issues on GitHub.