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Hacker News Show HN: I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork

An open-source alternative to OpenClaw/Claude Cowork, designed for AI agents to securely perform actual work tasks by integrating with over 100 apps and services, prioritizing security.

35
Traction Score
8
Discussions
Jul 2, 2026
Launch Date
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Product Positioning & Context

AI Executive Synthesis
An open-source alternative to OpenClaw/Claude Cowork, designed for AI agents to securely perform actual work tasks by integrating with over 100 apps and services, prioritizing security.
Valmis directly addresses the critical security and integration challenges hindering enterprise adoption of AI agents for operational tasks. Current AI agents often lack secure mechanisms for interacting with third-party APIs. Valmis's proxy system, isolating agent runtime from direct credential access, provides a robust solution for secure integration with over 100 business applications. This directly mitigates a major enterprise barrier: data security and compliance when leveraging AI for critical workflows. The inclusion of a comprehensive workflow builder, supporting triggers, conditions, and loops, further positions Valmis as a platform for building sophisticated, multi-step AI-driven automation. This product targets organizations seeking to deploy AI agents for tangible business value without compromising security or control.
Hey HN,A few months ago, I tried to automate some of my work with the popular AI agent OpenClaw, and then I quickly realized how difficult it is to get it to work with APIs and third-party services securely, which is essential for a lot of work-related tasks.Then I realized OpenClaw is more of a personal assistant and it was not designed to get actual work done as a coworker. So I started to build Valmis, an alternative to OpenClaw that works with more than 100 apps and services, with security being the priority.Valmis addresses the security issue by designing a proxy system: dockerized agent runtime can only request the host machine to make API requests by providing the relevant credential ID. The host then makes the actual request and returns the JSON data to the agent runtime. With this design, you can even turn off the internet access of the agent container while making it work.Our proxy system now supports 100+ business and productivity integrations, including all Google Workspace apps, Slack, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Figma.One of the coolest features of Valmis is the automated workflow. You can automate multi-step workflows using our workflow builder. Each workflow can be triggered by cron, webhooks, app events, and it supports conditions and loops.I'd be happy to answer any questions in the comment section.
AI agent APIs and third-party services securely proxy system dockerized agent runtime credential ID host machine JSON data internet access of the agent container

Related Ecosystem & Alternatives

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Deep-Dive FAQs

What is I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork?
I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork is analyzed by our AI as: An open-source alternative to OpenClaw/Claude Cowork, designed for AI agents to securely perform actual work tasks by integrating with over 100 apps and services, prioritizing security.. It focuses on Valmis directly addresses the critical security and integration challenges hindering enterprise adoption of AI agents for operational tasks. Curren...
Where did I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork originate?
Data for I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork was aggregated directly from the Hacker News community ecosystem, representing raw developer and early-adopter sentiment.
When was I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork publicly launched?
The initial public indexing or launch date for I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork within our tracked developer communities was recorded on July 2, 2026.
How popular is I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork?
I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork has achieved measurable traction, logging over 35 traction score and facilitating 8 recorded discussions or engagements.
Which technical categories define I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork?
Based on metadata extraction, I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork is categorized under topics such as: AI agent, APIs and third-party services securely, proxy system, dockerized agent runtime.
How does the creator describe I built an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork?
The original author or development team describes the product as follows: "Hey HN,A few months ago, I tried to automate some of my work with the popular AI agent OpenClaw, and then I quickly realized how difficult it is to get it to work with APIs and third-party services..."

Community Voice & Feedback

Abenezer0923 • Jul 3, 2026
[flagged]
cunjieliu • Jul 3, 2026
What's the difference between this and n8n
daanlo • Jul 2, 2026
Looks cool. Will check it out :)
wayneshng • Jul 2, 2026
Other cool features:- Agents have cross-session memory: Your agents are able to automatically write memory when you tell them anything worth remembering or when it discovers something that might be useful in the future.- Browser automation: Agents can operate a headless browser, navigate, fill forms, click, read pages, and take screenshots. Browsers are also managed by the host machine, so agents interact with them using proxy.- Human in the loop: Whenever there is a critical decision to make, the agent pauses and asks the human for a set of options.- Team knowledge base and skill system.Overall, Valmis is designed to run on the cloud and collaborate with humans to get work done (Valmis means "done" and "completed" in Estonian). If you have any questions about the project, please leave a comment, and I'll reply to all questions.
henryagi • Jul 2, 2026
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