OpenWork AI is a free, open-source desktop app where AI agents do real work on your own files — pitched as the open-source alternative to Claude Cowork. It runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, works with 50+ model providers or local models, and has passed 24,000 GitHub stars. My video below explains Claude Cowork, the tool OpenWork is built to replace. Here’s what OpenWork does, how to install it and who it’s for.
Key takeaways
- OpenWork is free and open source (MIT), built on OpenCode.
- It works with any model — your own API keys, ChatGPT sign-in or local models.
- Teams can share skills, MCP servers and connections.
- Your files stay on your machine; cloud is optional.
What OpenWork AI is
OpenWork is a desktop app from different-ai, the team behind openworklabs.com, and it’s built on OpenCode, the open-source coding agent. Claude Cowork is brilliant but tied to Claude; OpenWork gives you a similar “AI coworker on your desktop” experience with any model you like, and no OpenWork account needed to use it locally.
| OpenWork at a glance | |
|---|---|
| What it is | A free, open-source desktop app where AI agents do real work on your files |
| Pitch | The open-source alternative to Claude Cowork and Codex |
| Built by | different-ai (openworklabs.com); built on OpenCode |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows and Linux, plus a headless web UI |
| Models | 50+ providers with your own keys, ChatGPT sign-in, or local models via Ollama |
| Licence | MIT for the app; the OpenWork Den enterprise layer is source-available |
| GitHub | github.com/different-ai/openwork — 24K+ stars |
OpenWork AI features
- Local-first agents that read and edit your files.
- Any model — 50+ providers, ChatGPT sign-in, or Ollama and other OpenAI-compatible servers.
- Skills — and Claude-compatible plugins and skills carry over from Cowork.
- Shared MCP connections and app connections like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
- Sharing — publish capabilities to your team, organisation or individuals.
- Recent releases added live artifacts, on-demand workflows and scheduled automations that can use connection tools.
- An OpenWork MCP server you can add to Claude Code or Codex.
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How to install OpenWork AI
Download the app from openworklabs.com or the GitHub releases page. Or do it the easy way: the README includes a prompt you can give your AI agent to install it for you.
To use OpenWork’s capabilities from Claude Code, the README gives this command:
claude mcp add --transport http openwork https://api.openworklabs.com/mcp/agentDevelopers can build from source with Node 24 and pnpm 11 (pnpm install, then pnpm dev).
OpenWork AI vs Claude Cowork
| OpenWork | Claude Cowork | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free app; pay only for your models | Needs a Claude plan |
| Models | 50+ providers and local models | Claude only |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Team sharing | Skills, MCPs and connections shared across a team | Mostly local to you |
| Polish | Fast-moving open-source project | Anthropic’s official product |
Claude is merging Cowork and Chat into one experience — that’s what my video covers. If you want that style of desktop agent without being locked to one provider, OpenWork is the obvious open-source choice.
OpenWork AI vs Hermes Agent
They overlap but aim at different things. OpenWork is a desktop workbench for doing tasks on your files with a team. Hermes Agent is a self-improving agent that lives everywhere — terminal, desktop app, Telegram, a VPS — with memory, skills, plugins and scheduled jobs. I use Hermes as my always-on agent; OpenWork is a great pick if you want a Cowork-style desktop experience. See my best Hermes Agent alternatives for the full comparison.
Is OpenWork AI free?
The desktop app is free and MIT-licensed, and you can use it locally with no account. You pay only for the models you use — or nothing with local models. The enterprise control plane, OpenWork Den, is source-available: free for organisations of up to five users, for a 30-day evaluation, and for development, with paid plans beyond that.
Who OpenWork AI is for
- Claude Cowork fans who want the same style of desktop agent with any model.
- Teams who want to share skills, MCP servers and connections instead of everyone configuring their own.
- Privacy-minded users who want files to stay on their machine and models to run locally.
- Developers who want an open-source workbench they can extend.
If you just want one personal agent that lives on Telegram and runs scheduled jobs, Hermes is a better fit. If you want a desktop coworker for file-based tasks, especially across a team, OpenWork is the one to try.
Why open source matters for desktop agents
A desktop agent touches your most important files, so being able to see exactly what it does is a big deal. With OpenWork, the code is public, the community can audit it, and you’re never locked into one company’s models or pricing. If a provider raises prices or changes terms, you switch models and keep working. That freedom is the real reason open-source agents keep growing so fast.
How I’d get started this week
Download OpenWork, connect a model you already use, and point it at one real folder of work — a messy downloads folder or a project that needs a summary. Ask it to organise, summarise or draft something specific. If it saves you time on that one job, set up a second task the next day, then try sharing a skill with a teammate. That’s the fastest way to find out whether a desktop agent fits how you work.
Getting the most from OpenWork AI
- Start with one folder — point it at a project and give it a clear task.
- Pick the right model — a frontier model for complex work, a local one for private files.
- Bring your Cowork skills — Claude-compatible skills carry over.
- Share what works with your team instead of rebuilding it.
- Keep it updated — releases land every few days.
My verdict on OpenWork AI
OpenWork AI is the best open-source answer to Claude Cowork right now: free, model-agnostic, local-first and built for teams. Install it, plug in a model you already pay for or a local one, and give it a real task on your files.
FAQ: openwork ai
What is OpenWork AI?
A free, open-source desktop app from different-ai where AI agents do real work on your files, built on OpenCode.
Is OpenWork free?
Yes — the app is MIT-licensed and free; you only pay for the models you use.
Does OpenWork work on Windows?
Yes — macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is OpenWork better than Claude Cowork?
It’s more flexible — any model, open source, team sharing — while Cowork is Anthropic’s polished official product.
Can OpenWork use local models?
Yes — through Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible server.
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About Julian Goldie
I’m Julian Goldie — founder of Goldie Agency, best-selling author, and an AI educator with 428K+ YouTube subscribers. I’ve spent 10+ years in SEO and online business and I test every AI agent on my own work before I recommend it. Join the AI Profit Boardroom for the daily builds, or book a free strategy session to talk through yours.
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Last updated October 2026. This page is a living guide to openwork ai — the facts here move fast and it is updated as they do.
