# Running modes

Canonical page: https://www.hopeagent.ai/en/running-modes

Desktop, server, or IDE backend — one shared core, data always under your control.

## Desktop GUI

How to start: Double-click the app / pnpm dev:desktop

Best for: The most complete entry point: full GUI plus an embedded HTTP/WS server, so the desktop can serve remote clients while you use it.

## Server + Web GUI (HTTP/WS)

How to start: server start subcommand; server install registers a launchd / systemd service

Best for: Headless always-on daemon for IM channels and cron jobs; the React frontend is rust-embed-baked into the binary, so opening http://<server>:port in any browser gives the full Web GUI — phone, tablet, or any computer can connect directly, no client install.

## ACP (stdio)

How to start: acp subcommand

Best for: IDE integration — any ACP-capable editor can call Hope Agent as its agent backend.

## Documentation and source

- [Hope Agent — Open-source AI assistant with memory and tools](https://www.hopeagent.ai/en)

- [Install Hope Agent](https://www.hopeagent.ai/en/install)

- [Hope Agent User Guide](https://www.hopeagent.ai/en/guide)

- [Features](https://www.hopeagent.ai/en/features)

- [Self-Hosting](https://www.hopeagent.ai/en/self-host)

- [Frequently asked questions](https://www.hopeagent.ai/en/faq)

- [What's new](https://www.hopeagent.ai/en/changelog)

- [GitHub](https://github.com/shiwenwen/hope-agent)

- [Releases](https://github.com/shiwenwen/hope-agent/releases)

- [MIT](https://github.com/shiwenwen/hope-agent/blob/main/LICENSE)