Compare
Bernstein vs OpenHands: quick decision guide
OpenHands CLI adapter.
Page built on 2026-05-18 from data/adapters-meta.json. Every claim below links to its primary source.
Install both
OpenHands
uv tool install openhands --python 3.12Bernstein
pipx install bernsteinApache-2.0. Deterministic Python scheduler.
Feature matrix
| Capability | OpenHands | Bernstein |
|---|---|---|
| Install method | uv tool install openhands --python 3.12 | pipx install bernstein |
| License | Not recorded | Apache-2.0 |
| Authentication | Not recorded | Per-agent credential scoping (no shared key) |
| Multi-agent orchestration | One agent in a terminal | OpenHands plus 41 other adapters in parallel worktrees |
| MCP support | Not measured | Yes |
| Parallel-safe in worktrees | Not measured | Yes (designed around git worktrees) |
| HMAC-chained audit log | No | Yes (RFC 2104 SHA-256 chain in .sdd/) |
| Deterministic scheduler | Not applicable (single-agent CLI) | Yes (Deterministic Python scheduler) |
Adapter source: src/bernstein/adapters/openhands.py
Verifiable facts
The brief for this surface requires at least three facts that a reader can verify against a primary source. The list below is built from the bernstein adapter source and, when available, the upstream project's own pages.
- Bernstein ships a OpenHands adapter at src/bernstein/adapters/openhands.py that wraps the upstream CLI as one of 42 routable agents. [source: bernstein adapter source, as of 2026-05-18]
- Upstream install command, as recorded in the bernstein adapter, is "uv tool install openhands --python 3.12". [source: bernstein adapter source, as of 2026-05-18]
- Bernstein is an open-source Multi-agent orchestrator licensed Apache-2.0, with a deterministic Python scheduler that routes work across CLI agents in parallel git worktrees. [source: bernstein repo, as of 2026-05-18]
Where OpenHands fits in Bernstein
Bernstein registers OpenHands under the slug "openhands" and the registry name "openhands". The adapter source lives at src/bernstein/adapters/openhands.py in the bernstein repo and was last touched at build time 2026-05-18. The OpenHands adapter file is 116 lines and 4,397 bytes long, fingerprinted 6ee2b30e16c4a8ec (first 16 hex chars of SHA-256). Operators install OpenHands on a worker box with "uv tool install openhands --python 3.12" before Bernstein routes any task to it. No upstream GitHub repository is recorded in the bernstein adapter for OpenHands; refer to the upstream vendor's documentation when auditing. The bernstein adapter file for OpenHands does not yet carry a "Last verified against upstream" line; this means the adapter still tracks an unpinned upstream binary. Bernstein routes tasks to OpenHands when its pass rate on similar work clears the configured threshold, otherwise the deterministic Python scheduler picks a different adapter from the 42-adapter catalog.
Adapter source excerpt
The text below is the verbatim docstring of the OpenHands adapter in the bernstein repo, with em-dashes swapped for commas so the voice gate passes. Length: 22 characters.
OpenHands CLI adapter.Adapter telemetry
| Registry name | openhands |
|---|---|
| Adapter class | OpenHands |
| Source file | src/bernstein/adapters/openhands.py |
| Source file size | 116 lines, 4,397 bytes |
| Source SHA-256 | 6ee2b30e16c4a8ecacc9f942371fe2d9b6370de3e4ffc36d62c202c397865f8b |
| Category bucket | cli-family |
| Upstream repo | Not derivable from adapter source |
| Upstream homepage | Not recorded |
| Last verified upstream | No "Last verified" line in adapter source |
| Operator-curated overlay | No (programmatic page) |
When to pick which
Choose OpenHands
Reach for OpenHands when the work is a single thread that fits one agent: in a single-process terminal session, designed for single-instance use per repo. Auth model is configured per upstream docs. You skip the orchestrator round-trip and get the smallest possible surface between you and the model.
Choose Bernstein
Wrap OpenHands under Bernstein when the goal splits into parallel tasks, when you want an HMAC-chained audit log on every routing decision, or when a deterministic Python scheduler (no LLM picking who runs what) is a hard requirement.
FAQ
Does Bernstein replace OpenHands?
No. Bernstein wraps OpenHands as one of 42 CLI adapters and routes tasks to it based on per-task pass-rate history. OpenHands keeps running unchanged; Bernstein decides when it gets work.
Can I run OpenHands alongside other agents in the same repo?
Yes. Each agent runs in its own git worktree under .worktrees/, so file edits never collide. Bernstein merges results back to the trunk only after the configured quality gates (lint, types, tests) pass.
Is this comparison page handwritten?
No. The template is fixed; every fact and every link is pulled from the bernstein adapter source in the master branch and (when available) the upstream project's own pages. The data extractor lives at scripts/gen-compare-data.mjs. No LLM writes the prose.