# Claude Cowork vs ChatGPT Work: the open-source option you own

> Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work are closed agents from Anthropic and OpenAI. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System a team can own: agents, skills, memory, and connectors in one git repo you own, self-hosted or in your own cloud, on any model with your own keys.

URL: https://claudecoworkalternative.com/claude-cowork-vs-chatgpt-work

## Claude Cowork vs ChatGPT Work, with Kortix as the open-source option

Kortix first, then Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work, with rival facts from each vendor's own page.

| | Kortix (recommended) | Claude Cowork | ChatGPT Work |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | The open-source AI Operating System, in one git repo you own | Anthropic's closed agent that works across your files and tools | OpenAI's closed team agent that turns goals into finished work |
| Open source | Yes. Open source. Read it, fork it, audit it. | No. Closed. | No. Closed. |
| Models | Any model provider with your own keys. | Anthropic's Claude models only | OpenAI's GPT models only |
| Where it runs / self-host | Kortix Cloud, your VPC, or your own on-prem network. Self-host is free. | Anthropic's cloud or your own cloud account. No self-host. | OpenAI's cloud. No self-host. |
| Where configuration lives | Files in a git repo you own | In the Claude product: plugins, skills, connectors | In the ChatGPT product: plugins, Spaces, custom skills |
| Price to start | Free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project. | Included in paid Claude plans; no free tier | Included in ChatGPT paid plans; usage-metered |
| How agent work is reviewed | Session work reaches main through a change request. Merge is default-deny. | Shows its plan and waits for approval before significant actions | Plan mode: you approve the plan before work begins |

## One repo, a scheduled agent, and a change request

`kortix.yaml`

```yaml
# kortix.yaml
triggers:
  - slug: daily-digest
    type: cron
    cron: '0 0 9 * * 1-5'
    prompt: Summarize yesterday's support tickets and open a change request with the digest.
```

Source: https://github.com/kortix-ai/suna

A cron trigger and a prompt declared in `kortix.yaml`, excerpted from the Kortix README.

## Two closed agents and one open system

Claude Cowork is Anthropic's agent for multi-step work. You give it a goal, point it at the folders and tools you choose, and it hands back finished documents, spreadsheets, and reports for your review. It runs on Anthropic's Claude models and keeps plugins, skills, and connectors inside your Claude account ([Claude Cowork](https://claude.com/product/cowork)).

ChatGPT Work is OpenAI's agent for teams. It gathers context from your tools and files and turns it into presentations, reports, and analyses, with more than 1,400 plugins for the apps you already use. It runs on OpenAI's GPT models and keeps plugins, Spaces, and custom skills inside the ChatGPT product ([ChatGPT Work](https://openai.com/chatgpt-work)).

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System. Your agents, their skills, your company memory, and every connector live in one git repo you own, and every session runs on its own cloud computer ([Kortix docs](https://kortix.com/docs)). The three options differ on who owns the code, which models you may run, where the configuration lives, and how a person reviews the work before it ships.

## Who owns the system and the models

Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work are closed products. Anthropic and OpenAI publish no source you can read, fork, or audit, and each one ties the agent to its own models: Cowork to Anthropic's Claude models, ChatGPT Work to OpenAI's GPT models ([Claude Cowork](https://claude.com/product/cowork), [ChatGPT Work](https://openai.com/chatgpt-work)).

Kortix is open source, so you can read the code, fork it, and audit it, and one vendor does not decide which models your agents use. Any model provider with your own keys. Or the ChatGPT plan you already pay for. Run it on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network. Self-host is free ([Kortix docs](https://kortix.com/docs)).

## Where the configuration lives

Claude Cowork keeps standing instructions, plugins, skills, and connectors in your Claude account, inside the product. ChatGPT Work keeps plugins, Spaces, and custom skills inside the ChatGPT product. Neither one exports the setup as files a team can version.

Kortix keeps agents, skills, company memory, and connectors as files in one git repo you own, so a team can version every change, diff it, and roll it back like code. A project is a git repo with `kortix.yaml` at its root ([Kortix docs](https://kortix.com/docs)).

## How a person reviews the work

Claude Cowork shows its plan and waits for your approval before significant actions, and Enterprise admins configure permissions by team ([Claude Cowork](https://claude.com/product/cowork)). ChatGPT Work has Plan mode: it gathers context, asks questions, and builds a step-by-step plan you can change or approve before the work begins ([ChatGPT Work](https://openai.com/chatgpt-work)).

Kortix runs each session on its own cloud computer and branch. Session work reaches main through a change request. Merge is default-deny for agents. A person reads the diff before it lands ([Kortix docs](https://kortix.com/docs)).

## What an open-source system adds

Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work can do similar work. The difference a team buys is who can change the system and where it runs. Both run in their vendor's cloud, and Cowork can run in your own Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Foundry account ([Claude Cowork](https://claude.com/product/cowork)). Neither one offers self-host.

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System, and self-host is free. A team can read the code, run any model with its own keys, keep the configuration in a repo it owns, and review every change. The [Kortix blog](https://kortix.com/blog/open-source-chatgpt-work-alternative) goes deeper on this pair. The [comparison page](/comparison) lines up the wider field of Claude Cowork alternatives, and [Claude Cowork vs Kortix](/claude-cowork-vs-kortix) takes that matchup apart.

## Which one fits

Claude Cowork suits one person handing off occasional tasks on a paid Claude plan. ChatGPT Work suits a team already working inside ChatGPT that wants shared, context-aware outputs. Kortix suits a team or a company that wants to own the system: open source, any model with its own keys, self-hosted or in the cloud, with every agent change reviewed before it ships.

Kortix is free to start and free to self-host, so a team can run it beside either agent and compare on its own work.

_FAQ_

## Questions buyers ask about Claude Cowork, ChatGPT Work, and Kortix

### Can I self-host Claude Cowork or ChatGPT Work?

No. Claude Cowork runs in Anthropic's cloud or your own Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Foundry account, and ChatGPT Work runs in OpenAI's cloud, so neither one is self-hosted ([Claude Cowork](https://claude.com/product/cowork), [ChatGPT Work](https://openai.com/chatgpt-work)). Kortix is open source and self-hosts for free.

### How much do Claude Cowork, ChatGPT Work, and Kortix cost to start?

Claude Cowork needs a paid Claude plan, with Pro at $17 per month (checked October 2026) ([Claude Cowork](https://claude.com/product/cowork)). ChatGPT Work is included in ChatGPT plans and is usage-metered. Kortix free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project, and self-host is free ([Kortix pricing](https://kortix.com/pricing)).

### Can I bring my own model keys to either agent?

Only Kortix. Claude Cowork runs Anthropic’s Claude models and ChatGPT Work runs OpenAI’s GPT models, so the model comes from the vendor. Kortix takes any model provider with your own keys. Or the ChatGPT plan you already pay for.

### Is Kortix affiliated with Anthropic or OpenAI?

No. Claude Cowork and the Claude name belong to Anthropic, and ChatGPT Work and the ChatGPT name belong to OpenAI. Kortix is an independent open-source product, and it is the option this comparison recommends.

### Which one should a team start with?

Start with Kortix when the team wants to own the system, pick its own models, and review every agent change. Keep Claude Cowork for one person handing off occasional tasks, and ChatGPT Work for a team already settled inside ChatGPT.

## Run your whole company from one repo you own

Start free on Kortix Cloud, or self-host it on your own stack

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) · [Compare every alternative](https://claudecoworkalternative.com/comparison)

Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem