The Cua Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Cua in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Cua
The Insider’s Guide
Shared desktops on your own computers for you and your AI agents
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI agents, read from Cua’s own pages.
Made by Cua AI, Inc. · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Cua’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Cua’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 81 of the 178 other AI agents we grade
Cua Spaces turns Macs, Linux machines and cloud VMs that you own or rent into desktops that AI agents can operate and people can watch or share. Cua does not host the computers; it supplies the app, sharing and a relay for reaching them. The open-source Cua Driver lets agents use native desktop apps on macOS, Windows and Linux.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Cua, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for sandboxed computers for AI agents
Cua gives AI agents their own computers, called Spaces, and lets you hand control back and forth.
- 2
Paid plans start at $15 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $15 per month, billed annually ($18 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free: Spaces on every computer you connect, Teleport, sharing with named people, and the relay for up to 2 computers at once and 20 remote hours a month.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
macOS, Windows and Linux.
- 5
Spaces
A Space is a full desktop, a virtual machine or container, that agents can use and people can watch, running on your Mac, your own computers or your own cloud.
- 6
Teleport
Packs an app's session (open tabs, profile, sign-ins) into a bundle and moves it into a Space after the user approves it on a consent screen.
- 7
Shared control
Share a Space with named people as viewer or editor. Each person and each agent gets its own cursor, so someone can step in and hand the desktop back.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 81 of 178
That is against the other AI agents we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Cua you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Cua at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $15 per month, billed annually ($18 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- Cua AI, Inc.
- Category
- AI Agents
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for sandboxed computers for AI agents
Cua gives AI agents their own computers, called Spaces, and lets you hand control back and forth. Pro is $15 a month on yearly billing and Free covers 2 computers and 20 remote hours. It does not rent the machines, a Mac Space needs macOS 26, and several security features are still marked as coming.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | $15 a month billed yearly ($18 monthly) is under the category's cheaper quarter of $19. Your cloud provider bills the VMs on top, because Cua does not rent computers. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The free plan has Spaces, Teleport and sharing, for up to 2 computers at once and 20 remote hours a month. No trial, but a person can live on it. |
| Features | C | Spaces, Teleport, shared control and a driver for agents. The listing shows gaps: expiring share links and audit history are coming soon, and SSO and audit export are not included. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record. It is a developer tool with a driver, agent connections and your own machines to set up; Mac Spaces need macOS 26 on Apple silicon. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Mac, Windows (a preview) and Linux only, with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and Docker connections. Nothing for phones. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Cua is for
- Fits if you want to watch and take over what a coding agent does on a computer
- Works for developers who already own or rent the machines to run it on
Who it is not for
- Watch out: Cua does not rent computers, so the VMs are billed by your cloud provider
- Skip it if you are not on Apple silicon with macOS 26 and want a Mac Space
- Not for you if you need audit history or SSO today, which are listed as coming soon or not included
- Too light for phones, as there is no mobile app
- Watch out: anonymous usage data is collected by default, per the vendor's FAQ
Good to know
Good for
- Developers who want coding agents to work on a separate desktop, not their own
- Teams that already own spare Macs or Linux machines and want to share them
- People who need an open-source driver for computer-use agents
Worth knowing
- Cua does not rent computers: Spaces run on machines you own or rent, and your cloud provider bills those VMs.
- Running a Mac Space needs macOS 26 or later on Apple silicon; the Windows app is a preview.
- Share links that expire and 90-day audit history are listed as coming soon, and SSO and audit export as not yet included.
- There is no trial. Anonymous usage data is collected by default, per the vendor's FAQ.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$15
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Cua has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per month, billed annually ($18 billed monthly).
Your cloud provider bills the VMs on top, because Cua does not rent computers.
Free
$0
No account needed to start. Up to 2 computers in use at once and 20 remote hours a month through the relay.
Pro
$15
per month, billed annually ($18 billed monthly)
For one person: up to 5 computers in use at once and 200 remote hours a month. Billed $180 a year.
Teams
$25
per seat / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
1 to 100 seats. Each seat adds 5 computers at once and 200 remote hours to a shared pool, plus shared team computers, roles and device approval.
The free plan
Free: Spaces on every computer you connect, Teleport, sharing with named people, and the relay for up to 2 computers at once and 20 remote hours a month.
Read from cua.ai on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Two months free on yearly billing
Pro is $180 a year ($15 a month) against $18 a month; Teams is $300 per seat a year against $30 per seat a month.
Stated on cua.ai
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: macOS, Windows and Linux
Shared desktops on your own computers for you and your AI agents. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, AI agents, remote desktop.
Spaces, Teleport, shared control and a driver for agents.
- Spaces
- A Space is a full desktop, a virtual machine or container, that agents can use and people can watch, running on your Mac, your own computers or your own cloud.
- Teleport
- Packs an app's session (open tabs, profile, sign-ins) into a bundle and moves it into a Space after the user approves it on a consent screen.
- Shared control
- Share a Space with named people as viewer or editor. Each person and each agent gets its own cursor, so someone can step in and hand the desktop back.
- Cua Driver
- An MIT-licensed driver that lets an agent operate native apps on macOS, Windows and Linux without taking over the user's cursor or keyboard.
- Agent connections
- Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Cline, Kiro and OpenClaw connect through the Cua MCP server.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- Claude Code
- Codex
- Cursor
- Gemini CLI
- Cline
- Kiro
- OpenClaw
- Docker
Cua is made by Cua AI, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
81/178
Other AI agents it is graded above
Cua's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 81 of the 178 other AI agents we grade, and level with 41.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 144 of 178) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $25 for the category: 6 of the 98 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. 13 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 179 AI agents we grade, cut by the letter each got. Cua’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 135 of 178
- BFree plan and trialAbove 144 of 178
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 178
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 178
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 178
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 109 AI agents. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Cua is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Cua you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $180 a year. Cua is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- A fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Claude Code, Codex and Cursor among them.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Cua’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
E2B, Browserbase, Open Interpreter, Kernel and Browser Use
The 5 tools Cua is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.8GPA
E2B
Free trial · from $150/mo
Cloud sandboxes where AI agents run code and tools.
- Cua has a free plan. E2B does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Cua lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only E2B lists a web app.
- 2.2GPA
Browserbase
Free plan · from $20/mo
Cloud browsers and APIs for agents that use the web.
- Only Cua lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Browserbase lists a web app.
- Cua is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Open Interpreter
Free
Open-source coding agent and desktop agent using your own model keys.
- Cua also covers remote desktop.
- 2.0GPA
Kernel
Free plan · from $30/mo
Cloud browser infrastructure for web agents and automations.
- Only Cua lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Kernel lists a web app.
- Cua also covers remote desktop.
- 2.6GPA
Browser Use
Free plan · from $5
Browser agents and cloud browsers for AI apps.
- Only Cua lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Browser Use lists a web app.
- Cua also covers remote desktop.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Cua free?
Cua has a free plan. Free: Spaces on every computer you connect, Teleport, sharing with named people, and the relay for up to 2 computers at once and 20 remote hours a month.
How much does Cua cost?
Cua lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Cua work on?
Cua is available on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Cua offer any discounts?
Cua publicly lists the following: Two months free on yearly billing.
Does Cua have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Cua is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Cua have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Cua is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is Cua open source?
Yes. Cua is open source, according to its own site.
What does Cua integrate with?
Cua's listing names Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Cline, Kiro, OpenClaw and Docker.
Who makes Cua?
Cua is made by Cua AI, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Cua?
The closest alternatives to Cua in our directory are E2B, Browserbase, Open Interpreter, Kernel and Browser Use.
How does Cua compare with other AI agents?
Cua's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 81 of the 178 other AI agents we grade, and level with 41.
Is Cua good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Cua B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $25 for the category: 6 of the 98 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Cua?
To replace Cua you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Cua’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Cua's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Cua AI, Inc. Prices change, so check cua.ai before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Cua, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/cua
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Cua: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/cua
Know someone choosing between AI agents?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/cua/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI agents after Cua, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Agents Insider's GuideEvery one of the 179 AI agents we grade, compared
- Genspark Insider's GuideAI workspace with an agent for research, slides, sheets and docs3.2 GPA
- Manus Insider's GuideGeneral AI agent for research, slides, websites and browser tasks3.2 GPA
- OpenClaw Insider's GuideOpen-source personal AI agent you run yourself and message in chat3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Cua’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Cua is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Cua AI, Inc. Prices and plans change: check cua.ai before you buy.