AI Tool Atlas

Productivity & writingDocumented overviewLast checked Oct 2, 2026

OpenMAIC: Pricing, Features & Best Use Cases

Open-source multi-agent interactive classroom from Tsinghua's THU-MAIC team that turns a topic or document into an AI-led lesson.

OpenMAIC homepage screenshot, productivity & writing AI tool

Our take: OpenMAIC suits educators and developers who want to self-host an open-source AI classroom that generates lessons from a topic or document using their own LLM key.

Main limitation: Needs your own LLM provider API key and Node.js 20+ with pnpm 10+ for local setup; AGPL-3.0 applies.

By the AI Tool Atlas editors. Based on the vendor's official documentation; we have not tested this product hands-on. What “documented overview” means

Who OpenMAIC fits

OpenMAIC suits educators and developers who want to self-host an open-source AI classroom that generates lessons from a topic or document using their own LLM key. Based on the vendor's documentation, not on a hands-on test.

Best for: Educators and researchers

Also a good fit for

  • Developers self-hosting learning tools

Consider another tool if requires own LLM provider API key

Or if

  • Requires Node.js 20+ and pnpm 10+ for local setup
  • AGPL-3.0 license; commercial licensing separate

OpenMAIC pricing and usage limits

Prices checked Oct 2, 2026 on the official US pricing page. Prices and limits change often.

Free access and trial conditions

Free to self-host under AGPL-3.0.

Not applicable.

Paid plans: what changes as you upgrade

Open source (self-hosted) web

Free source (opens in a new tab)

One_time

No hosted pricing; commercial licensing available separately per the site.

For: Educators and developers

Limits

  • Own LLM API key required
  • AGPL-3.0

Includes

  • Lesson generation
  • Multi-agent classroom
1 more
  • PowerPoint and HTML export

Usage caps, credits and extra costs

You pay your LLM provider; commercial licensing is available.

Not applicable.

What is OpenMAIC, and how does it work?

OpenMAIC is an open-source (AGPL-3.0) platform that generates interactive lessons from a topic or uploaded document, with AI teachers and classmates. It is self-hosted: the quick start clones the GitHub repo, requires Node.js 20+ and pnpm 10+, and needs at least one LLM provider API key. Docker and Vercel deployment are described.

OpenMAIC homepage — screenshot of the productivity & writing AI tool, Oct 2, 2026
OpenMAIC's official site: how the product presents itself. openmaic.io, captured Oct 2, 2026

What you provide and what you get back

How OpenMAIC works: what you provide, where it runs and what you get backYOU PROVIDEYour inputA topic or documentLLM provider API keyStudent speech or textPRODUCTIVITY & WRITINGOpenMAICWebfree tier, paid price not publish…free tier availablechecked Oct 2, 2026YOU GET BACKThe resultAI-led lessonsQuizzes with gradingEditable PPTX or HTMLinput → OpenMAIC → output · from the vendor's own pages, no hands-on test unless stated
What you give OpenMAIC and what comes back, from its documentation

You provide

  • A topic or document
  • LLM provider API key
  • Student speech or text

You get back

  • AI-led lessons
  • Quizzes with grading
  • Editable PPTX or HTML

Where you can use it

Platforms
Web
Account
Not required
Export
PPTX, HTML
Deployment
Docker, Vercel, self-hosted
Interaction modes
Discussion, roundtable debate, Q&A
Quiz types
Single choice, multiple choice, short answer

Where OpenMAIC is most useful

Scenarios are worked out by our editors from the documentation; the actual result depends on your input and plan.

Learning a topic through a generated lesson

Who
Students and self-learners
You provide
A topic or paper
Expected result
A lesson with AI teacher and classmates
Plan needed
Open source
Limitation
Quality depends on the chosen LLM source (opens in a new tab)

Breaking down a research paper

Who
Educators
You provide
Course material
Expected result
Slides, quizzes and simulations
Plan needed
Open source
Limitation
Needs self-hosting skills source (opens in a new tab)

Classroom discussions and debates with AI agents

Who
Researchers
You provide
Debate topic
Expected result
Roundtable debate between AI agents
Plan needed
Open source
Limitation
Output not validated beyond vendor statements source (opens in a new tab)

What OpenMAIC does, and where it stops

OpenMAIC homepage — screenshot of the productivity & writing AI tool, Oct 2, 2026
Feature overview on the official site. openmaic.io, captured Oct 2, 2026

One-click lesson generation

Generates a full lesson from a topic or document through a two-stage pipeline. Saves lesson preparation time.

Access: Open sourceLimit: Needs an LLM key source (opens in a new tab)

AI teachers and classmates

Simulates AI teachers, assistants and classmates that discuss and debate. Recreates classroom interaction.

Access: Open sourceLimit: Agent behavior depends on the model source (opens in a new tab)

Slides, quizzes, simulations and PBL scenes

Produces slides, quizzes with AI grading, HTML simulations and project-based learning scenes. Offers varied learning formats.

Access: Open sourceLimit: Quality of generated simulations is not benchmarked source (opens in a new tab)

Whiteboard and TTS narration

Lets AI agents draw on a shared whiteboard and speak using TTS with several voice providers. Makes explanations visual and spoken.

Access: Open sourceLimit: Voice providers need their own setup source (opens in a new tab)

OpenMAIC: strengths and limits

Reasons to choose OpenMAIC

Check before paying for OpenMAIC

How to use OpenMAIC for generating an AI-led lesson from a topic

Set up OpenMAIC

  1. Clone the OpenMAIC repository from GitHub
  2. Install Node.js 20+ and pnpm 10+
  3. Add your LLM provider API key
  4. Start the app locally or deploy with Docker or Vercel

Example: generating an AI-led lesson from a topic

  1. Enter a topic or upload a document
  2. Generate the lesson
  3. Join the classroom discussion
  4. Export to PowerPoint

Review and export the result

  1. Check the generated facts against the source document
  2. Test the quiz grading with a sample answer
Example prompt suggested by our editors (not a recorded output of the product)
Teach me the basics of how neural networks learn, with a short quiz at the end.

OpenMAIC integrations and API

Native integrations and export formats

Export: PPTX, HTML

API access and separate billing

OpenMAIC has no public API in its official documentation. Docs page unavailable (404); uses LLM provider APIs.

Privacy, data use and commercial rights

Summarized from the vendor's current policies; this is not legal advice and a vendor's badge is not an independent audit.

How your inputs and outputs are handled

Self-hosted; content goes to the LLM provider you configure.

Commercial use and plan restrictions

AGPL-3.0; commercial licensing available.

Best OpenMAIC alternatives for different needs

"Better suited" is based on documented features and pricing, not on a head-to-head test.

Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM): better suited to

ChatGPT: better suited to

Alternatives
AlternativeWhen to choose itPricingLimitation
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)——
ChatGPT——

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    OpenMAIC FAQ

    What license does OpenMAIC use?

    OpenMAIC is released under AGPL-3.0, with commercial licensing available. source (opens in a new tab)

    Which LLM providers does OpenMAIC support?

    OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini and DeepSeek, plus OpenAI-compatible APIs. source (opens in a new tab)

    What can OpenMAIC export?

    Lessons export to editable PowerPoint (.pptx) or interactive HTML. source (opens in a new tab)

    Who develops OpenMAIC?

    The THU-MAIC team at Tsinghua University. source (opens in a new tab)

    Sources and review methodology

    Official sources and verification dates

    Not verified: Hosted pricing; Privacy policy; Docs.

    How we documented and maintain this page

    Every fact about OpenMAIC above comes from the 2 official pages listed here, last compared on Oct 2, 2026; we have not run OpenMAIC ourselves, so it has no editorial score. How we check and re-check pages.

    Article updated Oct 10, 2026; prices checked Oct 2, 2026. Outbound links to vendors are plain links; we do not earn commissions. How we review · Report an error