Facts checked · OpenAI
OpenAI dots alternative: MausBot
An OpenAI dots alternative with no Pro plan and no region lock: a free, open source team of agents on your own machine, on the ChatGPT account you have.
OpenAI dots are always-on agents inside ChatGPT, one dot per person, GPT only, for Pro and Business Premium subscribers, and not on Pro in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK. MausBot is the open source dots alternative: a team of agents on your own machine, on any model, free, with no plan or region requirement.
What OpenAI dots is
Dots launched at DevDay on September 29, 2026. A dot lives inside ChatGPT: you name it, it gets a handle and an avatar, and it works from its own OpenAI-hosted cloud computer on GPT-6 Astra. It reaches 4,000+ apps through ChatGPT plugins, runs scheduled tasks and read-only background research, and answers you in ChatGPT, Slack and Teams. One primary dot today; OpenAI says it envisions teams of dots over time.
Launched: September 29, 2026. Sources: OpenAI: Introducing dots; OpenAI help: getting started with your dot.
Why people look for a OpenAI dots alternative
- Only on ChatGPT Pro, reported from $100 a month, and Business Premium; Free, Go and Plus get nothing.
- Pro excludes the EEA, Switzerland and the UK, and OpenAI has said a launch there is not planned for now.
- One dot, one model: no Claude or Grok, and no second agent yet.
- Memory you cannot edit: OpenAI's FAQ says you cannot view, delete or modify individual dot memories; the only way to clear them is to delete the dot.
- Training on personal plans follows your model-improvement setting and can include the dot's actions and connected-app data.
OpenAI dots vs MausBot
The OpenAI dots column comes from the vendor's own pages and the press cited above, checked on October 2, 2026. Where the vendor has not said, the cell says so.
| OpenAI dots | MausBot | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Included with ChatGPT Pro (reported from $100) and Business Premium; not on Free, Go or Plus | Free. Model usage on the Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok account you already have. |
| Where you can use it | Pro excludes the EEA, Switzerland and the UK; Business Premium everywhere ChatGPT is | Anywhere |
| Models | GPT-6 Astra only | Claude, Codex, Grok, and other CLIs, chosen per bot; switch mid-conversation |
| Agents | One primary dot; teams of dots planned | As many bots as you like, in group rooms |
| Where it runs | An OpenAI cloud computer per dot; local control optional, off by default | Your own machine; or a cloud desktop per bot |
| Memory | Kept for as long as you keep your dot; no per-memory view, edit or delete | The full conversation record is on your own disk |
| Before it acts | Custom Rules: act, act if pre-approved, ask, or hand off; plus auto-review | Allow / Deny cards for shell commands and file edits; answer cards for questions |
| Connected apps | 4,000+ through ChatGPT plugins | 500+ over Composio, OAuth once |
| Platforms | Inside ChatGPT: desktop app or web; Slack and Teams | macOS, Windows, Ubuntu; iOS and Android companions |
| Open source | No | Yes. Apache 2.0, app and harness, on GitHub |
What MausBot is
MausBot is a free, open-source chat app where every contact is an AI bot with its own model, its own computer, and its own connected apps. Bots run on the claude, codex, and grok CLIs installed on your own machine, with your existing logins, so one bot can be on Claude and the next on ChatGPT. Shell commands and file edits surface as Allow / Deny cards before they run, bots share group rooms and hand work to each other, and your data stays in ~/.openmausbot on your disk. It is published on GitHub under Apache 2.0, with iOS and Android companions, and paid Cloud plans from $29 a month keep bots working with the laptop closed.
What OpenAI dots still does better
- 4,000+ apps through ChatGPT plugins, about eight times what MausBot connects to.
- Shares memory with ChatGPT and app permissions with ChatGPT Work and Codex.
- Answers you in Slack and Teams, and keeps working with your laptop closed, with nothing to set up.
Other OpenAI dots alternatives
MausBot is the open-source option. The other agents in this category, each with its own comparison page:
- Bops by Orgo (Organic Intelligence, Inc.): Bops is a macOS app from Nick Vasilescu, co-founder of Orgo, the cloud-computer company.
- Grok Bot by xAI: Grok Bot has been in beta since August 11, 2026.
- Meta Muse by Meta: Muse launched on September 8, 2026 from Meta Superintelligence Labs.
- Cue by Manus by Manus (Butterfly Effect): Cue launched on September 28, 2026 alongside Manus 2.0.
Frequently asked questions
- Are OpenAI dots free?
- No. The first dot is included at no extra cost, but only on ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium, plus an admin-enabled beta for Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare. MausBot is free and open source.
- Is there an open source version of dots?
- Not from OpenAI. MausBot is the open source agent app with the same shape, a team of always-on agents on your own machine, published on GitHub under Apache 2.0.
- Can I use my ChatGPT subscription in MausBot?
- Yes. MausBot runs bots on the codex CLI, which signs in with your ChatGPT account. A Plus subscriber who cannot get a dot can run agents on that same login.
- Do dots work in the UK or EU?
- Not on ChatGPT Pro, per OpenAI's help page. Business Premium covers all ChatGPT regions. MausBot has no region check.