Comparison as of , with both products as they were that day · OpenAI

ChatGPT Work alternative: MausBot

A ChatGPT Work alternative that is open source and runs Claude Code, Codex, Grok and more as one team of bots on your own machine: Mac, Windows or Ubuntu.

ChatGPT Work is OpenAI's agent inside ChatGPT, launched July 9, 2026: it turns a goal into finished slides, sheets, docs and Sites on OpenAI models, limited on Free and fuller from Plus at $20 a month. MausBot is the open source alternative: one team of the AI agents you already have, such as Claude Code, Codex and Grok, each on its own model, free under Apache 2.0.

What ChatGPT Work is

ChatGPT Work is an agent inside ChatGPT that OpenAI launched on July 9, 2026, built on Codex technology. Give it a goal and it gathers context from connected apps and files, then makes finished sheets, slides, docs and shareable Sites, staying with a project for hours. Scheduled Tasks run it on a timetable, on events in Gmail, Slack or GitHub, or to watch for changes. On web and mobile it works in OpenAI's cloud; in the ChatGPT desktop app for Mac and Windows it can also use your local files and apps, with your permission. It runs on OpenAI's GPT-6 and GPT-5.6 models, and a dot can hand it tasks.

Launched: July 9, 2026. Sources: OpenAI: ChatGPT is now a partner for your most ambitious work; OpenAI help: ChatGPT Work and Codex; ChatGPT: plans and pricing; OpenAI help: what is ChatGPT Plus; OpenAI help: about ChatGPT Pro tiers; OpenAI help: billing and seats in ChatGPT Business; OpenAI help: data controls in ChatGPT; The Decoder: OpenAI admits it didn't get everything right with the ChatGPT Work launch; Notebookcheck: OpenAI restores five-hour Codex and Work limits for ChatGPT Plus.

Why people look for a ChatGPT Work alternative

  • OpenAI models only: the picker lists GPT-6 and GPT-5.6 models, so a Claude or Grok plan cannot power it.
  • Usage is metered like Codex and has moved: after launch OpenAI reset limits twice in one day and said “We didn't get everything quite right”, and Plus got its five-hour cap back on August 25, 2026.
  • On Free, Plus and Pro, Improve the model for everyone is on by default, so your chats can train OpenAI's models unless you turn it off.
  • Cloud by default: Work on web and mobile runs on OpenAI's computers, and even local work may store messages and task context in the cloud.
  • Work with your own files and apps needs the desktop app, which is for Mac and Windows only.

ChatGPT Work vs MausBot

The ChatGPT Work column comes from the vendor's own pages and the press cited above, checked on November 15, 2026. Where the vendor has not said, the cell says so.

ChatGPT WorkMausBot
PriceFree and Go: limited, desktop app only. Plus $20 a month; Pro $100, $200 or $500; Business $25 or $125 a seat; Enterprise custom; credits for moreFree and open source. Bots run on the Claude, ChatGPT or Grok account, or the API key, you already have
ModelsOpenAI only: GPT-6.1 Sol and Terra, GPT-6 Astra, Sol and Luna, GPT-5.6; Default or a picked model16 agent engines (Claude Code, Codex, Grok, Cursor, Copilot and more), API and local models; chosen per bot, switchable mid-conversation
AgentsAn agent you start per Work chat or scheduled task; a dot can hand it workAs many bots as you like, in group chats, with a Chief of Staff that hands out work
Where it runsOpenAI's cloud on web and mobile; your Mac or PC, with permission, in the desktop appYour own computer or server; cloud computers with a live desktop on a Cloud plan
Where your data livesOpenAI's servers; local work may still store messages and task context in the cloud~/.openmausbot on your own machine; prompts go only to the model provider you choose
Training on your dataOn by default on Free, Plus and Pro, with an opt-out; off by default on Business and EnterpriseKept in ~/.openmausbot on your machine; prompts go to your chosen provider under its own settings
Before it actsYou set what it can access and when it asks first; auto-review checks important actions in connected toolsFull access by default, or Ask, Auto-accept edits or Approve for me per bot; sends can be set to ask every time
Connected appsPlugins for Slack, Teams, Google Drive, SharePoint, email, calendars, CRMs and moreGmail, Slack, Notion, LinkedIn and hundreds more apps, any MCP server, and bots' own numbers and inboxes
Keeps working with the laptop closedYes, for cloud Work and Scheduled TasksYes on a Cloud plan from $15 a month, or self-hosted free on your own server
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android; desktop app for macOS and WindowsmacOS, Windows, Ubuntu; iPhone and Android apps
Open sourceNoYes. Apache 2.0 on GitHub, apart from an enterprise/ folder

What MausBot is

MausBot is a free, open-source app that runs a team of the AI agents you already have. Each bot has its own model, computer and connected apps, on Claude Code, Codex, Grok, Cursor, Copilot and other agent engines, API models or local models, using the accounts you already pay for. A Chief of Staff bot hands work to the others, bots share group chats, and every bot reads your About me. It runs on Mac, Windows and Ubuntu with iPhone and Android apps, keeps your data in ~/.openmausbot on your own machine, and is published on GitHub under Apache 2.0. You can self-host it free on your own server, and Cloud plans from $15 a month keep bots working with the laptop closed.

What ChatGPT Work still does better

  • Finished deliverables from one request: slides, sheets, docs and shareable Sites, plus Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets extensions.
  • On every ChatGPT plan, Free included, in the desktop app that OpenAI offers worldwide for Mac and Windows.
  • Cloud Work and Scheduled Tasks keep running with your computer off, and chats sync across web, mobile and desktop.
  • Enterprise controls: admin and spend controls, a Compliance API, data residency in ten regions, and no training on business data by default.

Other ChatGPT Work alternatives

MausBot is the open-source option. The other agents in this category, each with its own comparison page:

  • Grok Bot by xAI: Grok Bot opened as a beta on August 11, 2026 and reached version 1.0 on November 2, 2026.
  • OpenAI dots by OpenAI: Dots launched on September 29, 2026.
  • Meta Muse by Meta: Muse launched on September 8, 2026.
  • Claude Cowork by Anthropic: Cowork launched as a macOS research preview on January 12, 2026, reached Windows in February, left preview in April, and on September 16, 2026 began merging with chat into one Claude, where you no longer pick a mode first.

Every other comparison page: Grok Bot, OpenAI dots, Meta Muse, Claude Cowork, Claude Duet, Gemini Spark, Perplexity Computer, Manus, Cue by Manus, Instinct, Poke, Viktor, Lindy, Squad, Turnstone, Bops, Hark Pro, OpenClaw, Hermes Agent, Vellum, Open Dots, OpenBot, Rakazo, OpenMuse, OpenInstinct.

Frequently asked questions

What is ChatGPT Work?
ChatGPT Work is an agent inside ChatGPT that OpenAI launched on July 9, 2026. It works across your connected apps and files for hours if needed and hands back finished slides, sheets, docs or Sites, and it can run on a schedule or when something happens in Gmail, Slack or GitHub.
Is ChatGPT Work free?
Partly. Free and Go plans get limited Work in the ChatGPT desktop app. Plus ($20 a month) and Pro ($100, $200 or $500) get it on desktop, web and mobile, metered like Codex, with credits for more. MausBot is free and open source; bots run on the AI account or API key you already have, and Cloud plans start at $15 a month.
Can ChatGPT Work use Claude?
No. It runs on OpenAI's GPT-6 and GPT-5.6 models. MausBot runs Claude Code, Codex, Grok and 13 more agent engines, plus API and local models, chosen per bot and switchable mid-conversation.
Can I use my ChatGPT plan in MausBot?
Yes. Codex is one of MausBot's engines, and MausBot installs it and signs it in with your ChatGPT account from inside the app. OpenAI counts that use against your plan's Codex usage.
Does ChatGPT Work run on Linux?
In a browser, yes; the desktop app, which is what works with your local files and apps, is for Mac and Windows. MausBot's desktop app runs on macOS, Windows and Ubuntu.

This comparison is based on ChatGPT Work and MausBot as they were on . Both products change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.

Meet your first bot

Free and open source. Connect one supported provider and start with a useful task. Provider fees and limits apply.