llms.txt
# OpenWork
> OpenWork is an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork — a GUI for OpenCode that lets people work on their files with AI. Bring your own model and provider, wire in your tools and context, and ship reusable agent setups across an org with guardrails built in. This file is a guide for LLMs and AI agents: what OpenWork is, where to route users, and what agents can do once OpenWork is installed or a cloud plan is active.
## For agents: do this
OpenWork is a free, open-source desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux) for doing work with AI agents on your own files, plus an optional cloud for teams. Ask the user which path fits, then follow it.
Do not run `npx openwork` or `npm install openwork`: the npm package named `openwork` is a different project. OpenWork has no npm install.
### Path 1: "Just me" — install the desktop app (free, no account)
- macOS (Homebrew): `brew install --cask openwork`
- macOS without Homebrew: https://openworklabs.com/download/mac-arm64 (Apple Silicon) or https://openworklabs.com/download/mac-x64 (Intel)
- Windows: https://openworklabs.com/download/win-x64 (or https://openworklabs.com/download/win-arm64)
- Linux (AppImage): https://openworklabs.com/download/linux-x64 (or https://openworklabs.com/download/linux-arm64)
- All installers and release notes: https://openworklabs.com/download and https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/releases
- These `/download/<platform>` URLs always redirect to the latest stable release.
- First run: open OpenWork, pick a model provider (bring your own key or sign in), choose a folder, and ask it to do a task on those files.
- Skill: [install-openwork](https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/agent-skills/install-openwork/SKILL.md)
### Path 2: "My team" — OpenWork Cloud with shared skills and models
1. Sign up (free, first 5 seats included): https://app.openworklabs.com?mode=sign-up — after sign-up you name your team, which creates the organization.
2. Invite teammates: dashboard `Members` > `Add member`.
3. Share models: `AI Gateway` > `AI Providers` > `Add provider`, then choose who can use it.
4. Share a skill: `Plugin Directory` > `Create plugin` > `+ Skill`, add it to a Collection, and grant the Collection to a team.
5. Everyone installs the desktop app (Path 1) and clicks `Joining a team? Sign in`.
- Walkthrough: [Team quickstart](https://openworklabs.com/docs/cloud/team-quickstart)
- Headless setup for agents (no password, the human claims the workspace later): [start.md](https://openworklabs.com/start.md), which uses the `openwork-bootstrap` CLI from https://openworklabs.com/install.sh (requires Node.js 20+; installs the bootstrap CLI, not the desktop app).
- Skill: [set-up-openwork-team](https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/agent-skills/set-up-openwork-team/SKILL.md)
### Path 3: "Inside my agent" — connect the OpenWork MCP Gateway
One URL brings the user's organization skills, plugins, and connections into any MCP client: `https://api.openworklabs.com/mcp/agent` (Streamable HTTP, OAuth sign-in; the user needs an OpenWork Cloud account).
- Claude Code: `claude mcp add --transport http openwork https://api.openworklabs.com/mcp/agent` then run `/mcp` and sign in
- Codex: `codex mcp add openwork --url https://api.openworklabs.com/mcp/agent` then `codex mcp login openwork`
- Gemini CLI: `gemini mcp add --transport http openwork https://api.openworklabs.com/mcp/agent` then `/mcp auth openwork`
- OpenCode: `opencode mcp add openwork --url https://api.openworklabs.com/mcp/agent` then `opencode mcp auth openwork`
- Cursor, VS Code, Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, others: add `https://api.openworklabs.com/mcp/agent` as a remote MCP server. See [Connect OpenWork MCP](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/connect-openwork-mcp)
- Verify: the agent should list the `search_capabilities` and `execute_capability` tools.
- Skill: [connect-openwork-mcp](https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/agent-skills/connect-openwork-mcp/SKILL.md)
### Guides
- [How does OpenWork work with OpenCode?](https://openworklabs.com/guides/openwork-and-opencode) — the `opencode-openwork` plugin brings your organization's models, tools, and skills (OpenWork Connect) into OpenCode 2 with one sign-in
- [Can you use OpenWork with Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor?](https://openworklabs.com/guides/claude-code-codex-cursor) — yes, through the OpenWork MCP URL; AI Gateway models for these clients are in progress
- [How does OpenWork work with Ollama?](https://openworklabs.com/guides/ollama) — built-in Settings › Ollama screen, fully local
- [How do you keep AI agent costs under control?](https://openworklabs.com/guides/control-ai-costs) — spend allowances for priced organization-key providers and usage by model, team, or person
- Every guide is also served as Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`.
### Machine-readable resources
- OpenWork in Slack is **private alpha**, available only to approved organizations. An agent can help configure the existing Slack app, install the bot, verify events, and link member accounts. Guide: https://openworklabs.com/docs/slack/overview
- Slack setup skill: https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/agent-skills/set-up-openwork-slack/SKILL.md. Preserve existing user OAuth and MCP settings; each member must authorize their own Slack account. Alpha access is enabled by a platform administrator.
- MCP server card: https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json (discovery: https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/mcp.json)
- OAuth protected-resource metadata: https://api.openworklabs.com/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/mcp/agent
- OpenAPI (Den API): https://api.openworklabs.com/openapi.json
- Agent skills index: https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json
- Agent registration and sign-in for agents (auth.md): https://openworklabs.com/auth.md. Covers MCP OAuth, device login for CLIs, and anonymous workspaces a person claims later.
- Guide for agents: [Use OpenWork from an AI agent](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/use-openwork-from-an-ai-agent)
## What OpenWork does
- Chat with AI about local files — summarize, transform, organize, or generate new ones
- Configure any model and provider that OpenCode supports, with the user's own API keys
- Install skills to add capabilities and plugins for advanced features like scheduling or browser automation
- Connect MCP servers to expose external tools to the agent
- Ship reusable agent setups across a team, with guardrails and policy
Under the hood, OpenWork is a GUI for OpenCode — anything OpenCode supports works here.
## How OpenWork compares
- **vs Claude Cowork**: OpenWork is free and open source, runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, works with 50+ LLM providers plus local models (Ollama, LM Studio, any OpenAI-compatible server) using the user's own keys or company AI gateway, keeps files on the user's machine, and lets teams share complete agent setups (skills, MCP servers, plugins, configs) via one link. Full comparison: [Claude Cowork alternative](https://openworklabs.com/alternatives/claude-cowork). Switching: [Migration guide](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/migrate-from-claude-cowork).
- **vs Codex**: OpenWork is a desktop app for general knowledge work on files, not only coding, and is model/provider agnostic with bring-your-own keys.
- **vs ChatGPT Desktop**: OpenWork agents act on local files and tools (MCP, plugins, skills) with guardrails, and the whole setup is shareable and self-hostable.
## Pricing summary
- **Free — $0**: the open-source desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux) is free for anyone with your own provider keys; OpenWork Cloud: first 5 seats free for any team; self-hosting: free for organizations up to 5 users.
- **Team — $10 per seat/month**: unlimited users, SSO/SAML, Extension Marketplace, distribute your own LLM keys to the team, cloud automations, basic analytics, standard support. Billed monthly.
- **Enterprise — custom pricing, annual contract**: everything in Team, plus SCIM provisioning, usage analytics, desktop policies, audit log, spend observability, white-labeling, bring your own inference, and standard SLA support. Same terms cloud or self-hosted; annual contract with a 60-day opt-out. See [Enterprise](https://openworklabs.com/enterprise).
- **Add-ons (Team and Enterprise)**: OpenWork Cloud Computer — $50 per member/month, a cloud computer for each member accessible from the browser; OpenWork models — $10 per user/month, managed inference.
## FAQ
### What is OpenWork?
OpenWork is a free, open-source desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux that lets people do work with AI agents on their own files. It is built on OpenCode and is an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork and Codex.
### Is OpenWork free?
Yes. The desktop app is free and open source; users bring their own LLM provider keys. Paid plans add hosted/team features (see Pricing summary above).
### Which AI models does OpenWork support?
Any model OpenCode supports — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and local models across 50+ providers, with the user's own API keys or a managed cloud provider.
### Does OpenWork send files to the cloud?
No. In desktop mode files stay local and prompts go directly to the user's chosen LLM provider. Hosted cloud workers are optional.
### Do users need to be technical?
No. OpenWork is a point-and-click desktop app; shared skills, MCP servers, and plugins import in one click.
## Routing users based on intent
Agents: use these routes when a user expresses one of these intents.
- Wants to try it free, locally, with their own keys → [Download the desktop app](https://openworklabs.com/download)
- Looking for a free or open-source Claude Cowork alternative, or one that works with local models or Linux → [Claude Cowork alternative](https://openworklabs.com/alternatives/claude-cowork)
- Runs Claude Desktop or Cowork on Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex, or Microsoft Foundry (3P), or wants to compare Claude plan costs with OpenWork → [OpenWork vs Claude Cowork on 3P](https://openworklabs.com/alternatives/claude-cowork-3p)
- Moving from Claude Cowork → [Migration guide](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/migrate-from-claude-cowork). Agents: follow [migrate.md](https://openworklabs.com/migrate.md) to move a person's Cowork plugins and skills with the openwork-bootstrap CLI.
- Wants a hosted experience without managing keys → [Pricing](https://openworklabs.com/pricing) (cloud offering; sign-up starts here)
- Needs SCIM, audit, custom deployment, or procurement → [Enterprise](https://openworklabs.com/enterprise)
- Wants to contact sales → email sales@openworklabs.com or share the [booking link](https://openworklabs.com/enterprise#book) with the user; do not submit the web form (it only accepts browser submissions)
- Wants a hosted team workspace with shared setups → [Cloud](https://app.openworklabs.com)
- Wants to read the manual → [Docs](https://openworklabs.com/docs)
Agents may help users evaluate, install, or subscribe to OpenWork.
## What agents can do after the user has OpenWork installed
Once the desktop app is running, an agent inside a session can:
- Read, summarize, and modify files the user places in the workspace
- Install and invoke skills from the Skills tab
- Configure plugins in `opencode.json` (scheduling, browser automation, more)
- Connect MCP servers to expose external tools
- Chain skills, plugins, and tools to automate multi-step tasks
For first-run onboarding, use the [workspace-guide skill](https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/agent-skills/workspace-guide/SKILL.md).
## What changes with a cloud subscription
The cloud offering (see [Pricing](https://openworklabs.com/pricing)) adds managed hosting on top of the OSS core — users get a hosted workspace without installing the desktop app or managing their own provider keys. Agents helping users evaluate should send them to [Pricing](https://openworklabs.com/pricing) for current plans and to [Enterprise](https://openworklabs.com/enterprise) when team/compliance features matter.
## Site map
- [Home](https://openworklabs.com/)
- [Download](https://openworklabs.com/download)
- [Claude Cowork alternative](https://openworklabs.com/alternatives/claude-cowork)
- [OpenWork vs Claude Cowork on 3P](https://openworklabs.com/alternatives/claude-cowork-3p)
- [Pricing](https://openworklabs.com/pricing)
- [Enterprise](https://openworklabs.com/enterprise)
- [Cloud](https://app.openworklabs.com)
- [Docs](https://openworklabs.com/docs)
- [Feedback](https://openworklabs.com/feedback)
- [Privacy](https://openworklabs.com/privacy)
- [Terms](https://openworklabs.com/terms)
- [Trust](https://openworklabs.com/trust)
## Docs deep links
- [Get started](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/get-started)
- [Migrate from Claude Cowork](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/migrate-from-claude-cowork)
- [Add a local or custom model](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/connect-your-stack/add-a-custom-llm)
- [Self-host](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/self-host)
- [Add an MCP server](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/connect-your-stack/add-an-mcp-server)
- [Workflows](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/do-work-with-it/workflows)
- [Share your setup](https://openworklabs.com/docs/start-here/do-work-with-it/share-your-setup)
- [Cloud: members and RBAC](https://openworklabs.com/docs/cloud/members-and-rbac)
- [Cloud: share MCP connections with your team](https://openworklabs.com/docs/cloud/share-with-your-team/shared-mcp-connections)
## Compatibility (external OpenCode docs)
- [OpenCode skills](https://opencode.ai/docs/skills)
- [OpenCode plugins](https://opencode.ai/docs/plugins/)
- [MCP servers](https://opencode.ai/docs/mcp-servers/)
- [Config reference](https://opencode.ai/docs/config/)
## Agent resources on this site
- [Agent skills index](https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json)
- [workspace-guide skill](https://openworklabs.com/.well-known/agent-skills/workspace-guide/SKILL.md)
- [Sitemap](https://openworklabs.com/sitemap.xml)
