Masala (formerly Panel) vs OtoDock
Both are AI Agents tools. Masala (formerly Panel) is open source; OtoDock is free.
Grok| Masala (formerly Panel) | OtoDock | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | A research workspace where the agent can build its own panes | Self-hosted company OS: Claude Code and Codex agents working in departments |
| Pricing | Open Source | Free |
| Categories | Research & Data, AI Agents | AI Agents, Productivity |
| Built for | Researchers | Founders |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Linux |
| Tech stack | Node.js, Python | Docker |
| Alternative to | — | — |
| AI Launch upvotes | ▲ 0 | ▲ 0 |
| Hacker News | Y▲ 54 on HN | Y▲ 50 on HN |
| Launched | 2026-10-01 | 2026-09-23 |
Overview
Who it's for
Masala (formerly Panel)
Researchers who read papers, analyze data and want an agent working in the same workspace.OtoDock
Small companies and teams who want shared AI agents running on their own server.Problem
Masala (formerly Panel)
Research work is spread across chat, PDF readers, notebooks and files, so an assistant only sees part of it.OtoDock
Individual agent sessions don't share work across a team or keep running without someone watching.Solution
Masala (formerly Panel)
One local workspace where the agent can read your files and build its own panes and modules, such as a literature review.OtoDock
A self-hosted dashboard where many people share the same agents, organized into departments with delegation.What makes it unique
Masala (formerly Panel)
The agent can create custom viewers and apps on the fly, and everything stays in local folders.OtoDock
Built on Claude Code and Codex using your existing subscriptions, with four sharing modes and optional phone access.