OpenInstinct

OpenInstinct is an open-source personal iMessage assistant, built by Merit Systems, that drives a cloud browser the way a user would — logging in, booking movie tickets, or handling grocery checkouts — while the user keeps control of their passwords, cards, and context. You text it over iMessage and it acts on your behalf.

What is OpenInstinct?

OpenInstinct is a self-hosted agent that connects an iMessage line to a cloud browser and a language model. Incoming messages arrive through a managed Linq connector, the agent plans and executes browser tasks on Kernel cloud browsers, and replies go back over iMessage. Users deploy it to their own Vercel account rather than using a hosted service, and can plug in any model through Vercel AI Gateway.

What makes OpenInstinct stand out?

• Self-hosted by design — the whole app runs in your own Vercel account; saved vault secrets are encrypted before reaching the database, and browser autofill keeps stored passwords out of the model's context.
• Resumable browser tasks — browser work runs through a resumable run_browser task; the coordinator continues a worker by its taskId and cancels one with eve__task_cancel.
• Workstream memory — the Postgres database stores goals, decisions, observations, and unfinished steps, scoped per workspace, holding up to 100 records per scope with the eight most recently updated recalled first.
• Model-agnostic — models come from Vercel AI Gateway, so you can use any supported model.
• Optional Google Workspace — a user-scoped OAuth grant gives the agent Gmail (via gmail.modify, not full delete), Calendar, and read-only Contacts; Vercel Connect stores and refreshes tokens.
• Optional Link wallet — Stripe Link lets users approve purchases from their own wallet (temporarily disabled because no Link extension is built for the pinned Eve 1.0.0-rc.1).
• Guided one-click deploy — the Vercel button provisions Kernel, Neon Postgres, private Blob storage, and a managed Linq iMessage line.
• Local development path — Node.js 24, pnpm 11.24.0, and Docker Compose for PostgreSQL, started automatically by pnpm dev.

Who is it for?

• Privacy-conscious power users: run a personal agent that signs in and buys on their behalf without handing credentials to a third-party host.
• Developers evaluating agent patterns: read the source to see how iMessage inbound webhooks, Kernel browsers, encrypted vaults, and Better Auth grants fit together.
• Tinkerers: self-host on a Vercel Pro team and wire up optional Google Workspace and Link wallet integrations.

What can you do with OpenInstinct?

• Ticketing: text it to book movie tickets; the demo shows it walking Fandango to checkout and reporting theater, showtime, seat, and total.
• Errands and shopping: have it handle groceries or other browser chores that need a login.
• Email and scheduling: with Google Workspace connected, request email and calendar operations; events with attendees send Google invitations.

How does OpenInstinct work?

Click Deploy with Vercel on a Pro team, which connects Kernel, Neon, private Blob storage, a Linq iMessage line, and AI Gateway. Complete Linq phone verification, then sign in to the deployed app with your phone number. Optionally add Link wallet or Google Workspace. On first use, Better Auth and vault-encryption keys are created in the private Blob store.

Pricing

Open source and free to self-host; supporting services have free tiers (Kernel credits, AI Gateway credits for eligible models), but Vercel requires the Pro plan because OpenInstinct checks scheduled work every minute and the Hobby plan allows only daily cron jobs. Blob usage draws from Pro usage credit.

FAQ

Does OpenInstinct work on Vercel's free plan?

No. OpenInstinct checks scheduled work every minute, and Vercel's Hobby plan only permits cron jobs that run once per day, so a Pro team is required to deploy this schedule.

Is OpenInstinct a hosted service?

No. It is open source and self-hostable; you deploy it into your own Vercel account, and secrets are encrypted before they reach your database.

Can I use my own AI model?

Yes. Models are served through Vercel AI Gateway, so any model available there can be used with the deployment.

Can the agent spend my money?

Only with Link wallet connected and each spend approved by you in Link; Link purchases are temporarily disabled pending a Stripe extension build compatible with the pinned Eve version.

Is it production-ready?

The repository states it is not software intended for production use.