How to Choose an Open Phone AI Agent: AutoGLM / DroidRun / MobileAgent / iDeviceFarm

Two Different Product Types

Results for “AI phone control” usually mix two categories:

• Open-source Agent frameworks: Open-AutoGLM, DroidRun, Mobile-Agent, and similar. Built for research and customization; you assemble Python, models, and device wiring yourself.
• Ready-to-run workstations: iDeviceFarm is in this camp. Install on your computer, connect real phones, aimed at operators and teams who prefer not to maintain a research stack.

Both can “see the screen and tap,” but delivery is very different. Picking the wrong type burns time on environment setup instead of work.

One Table, Four Options

Dimension	Open-AutoGLM	DroidRun	Mobile-Agent	iDeviceFarm
Setup barrier	High: env, models, compatibility	High: framework + device path	High: build the Agent pipeline	Low: installer / downloader
Coding required	Usually yes	Usually yes	Usually yes	Optional for ops; chat / MCP
Runtime	Repo + self-hosted runtime	Framework + self-host	Framework + self-host	Local Windows workstation
Platform focus	Often Android experiments	Often Android	Often Android research	Android / iOS / HarmonyOS
Multi-device / business	Build yourself	Build yourself	Build yourself	Multi-device + workflow templates
AI assistant hookup	Wire model APIs yourself	DIY	DIY	Built-in MCP (Claude / WorkBuddy, etc.)
Data & deploy	Your own pipeline	Your own pipeline	Your own pipeline	Stays on your PC; no server required
Best for	Research & forks	Devs exploring device Agents	Agent research	Studios & teams who need to ship

Open-source rows describe typical usage and delivery shape; community versions change quickly—this is not a dismissal of open source.

What Each Open Project Is

Open-AutoGLM (often called AutoGLM)

Screenshot / UI understanding → model decision → taps. Friendly if you want to reproduce papers or tune Agent policy; costly if you only need batch publishing and multi-phone ops.

Deep dive: AutoGLM vs iDeviceFarm.

DroidRun

Model-driven real-device control, commonly explored on Android. Strength is flexibility; multi-device isolation and business workflows are on you.

Deep dive: DroidRun vs iDeviceFarm.

Mobile-Agent

An Agent framework for phones—sense, plan, act. Great for research loops; turning it into a studio’s daily pipeline still takes serious engineering.

Deep dive: Mobile-Agent vs iDeviceFarm.

Where iDeviceFarm Sits

iDeviceFarm is not a paper replacement. It packages install, device connect, chat dispatch, workflows, and MCP into a runnable product:

• Free, runs on your PC;
• Real Android / iOS / HarmonyOS devices;
• Natural language + workflows; MCP for AI assistants;
• Lists and task logs stay local.

Install: download & install guide.

How to Choose (One Line Each)

• Happy to code and experiment → open frameworks (AutoGLM / DroidRun / Mobile-Agent).
• Need business outcomes and many phones → start with iDeviceFarm.
• Still weighing Doubao hardware → read Doubao free alternatives, then come back to decide framework vs workstation.

Decide “research” vs “shipping” before debating model parameters.