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OpenWork Alternative
OpenWork Alternative

OpenWork vs Claude Cowork: the open-source system your team owns

OpenWork is a desktop app where agents work on your own files. Claude Cowork is closed and runs on Anthropic's cloud. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System that puts your agents, skills, memory and connectors in one repo you own.

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OpenWork vs Claude Cowork vs Kortix, row by row

Every rival cell comes from that rival's own page, and the plans and prices were checked in October 2026.

Open source

  • KortixOur recommendation
    YesYes. Open source. Read it, fork it, audit it.
  • Claude Cowork
    NoClosed. No self-host.
  • OpenWork
    PartlyYes for the app and core; the Den control plane is source-available.

Models

  • KortixOur recommendation
    Any model provider with your own keys.
  • Claude Cowork
    Claude models only.
  • OpenWork
    Any model OpenCode supports, 50+ providers or local models.

Where it runs

  • KortixOur recommendation
    An isolated sandbox per session, self-hosted or on the managed cloud.
  • Claude Cowork
    Anthropic's cloud, or your own Bedrock, Google Cloud or Microsoft Foundry account.
  • OpenWork
    A desktop app on your own machine for macOS, Windows and Linux.

Your configuration

  • KortixOur recommendation
    Files in a git repo you own.
  • Claude Cowork
    In Claude's product.
  • OpenWork
    In the desktop app, shared with teammates as a link.

Access and price

  • KortixOur recommendation
    Self-host free. Managed cloud from $40 per seat per month.
  • Claude Cowork
    Paid plans: Pro $17/mo, Max $100 or $200/mo, Team $20/seat/mo.
  • OpenWork
    Free desktop app. Team: 5 seats free, then $10/seat/mo.

Claude Cowork facts come from claude.com/product/cowork and claude.com/pricing. OpenWork facts come from openworklabs.com and github.com/different-ai/openwork. Plans and prices checked October 2026.

Which one fits whom

Pick OpenWork for one person on their own files

OpenWork is a free, open-source desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux, built on OpenCode. Agents work on the files on the machine in front of you, and you bring your own model keys from 50+ providers or run a local model. Teams share skills and MCP servers as a link a teammate imports in one click. Choose it when the work stays on one machine and local-first matters more than company-wide reach (openworklabs.com).

Pick Claude Cowork when you already work inside Claude

Claude Cowork is the agent tab beside Claude's chat: it reads, edits and creates files in the folders you point it at, and it runs across your files, connectors and tools. It uses Claude models only, is included in the Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, and runs on Anthropic's cloud or your own Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud or Microsoft Foundry account. There is no self-host option (claude.com/product/cowork).

Pick Kortix when the team wants one system it owns

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System: your agents, skills, company memory and connectors live in one git repo you own. Each session has its own isolated machine and branch, and you can bring any model provider with your own keys. Session work reaches main through a change request. Merge is default-deny for agents. Run it on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network. Self-host is free. Choose it when the configuration has to be a file you can diff and the work has to span more than one machine (Kortix on GitHub, OpenWork vs Kortix, OpenWork alternatives).

Why owning the configuration matters

One git repo holds the agents, skills, memory and connectors, and you choose where it runs.

Repo: one git repo is the company

Agents, skills, memory and connector config are files you can grep, diff and roll back like code.

Exhibityaml
# kortix.yamlagents:  support-triage:    file: agents/support-triage.md

Host: run it where the data has to live

Run it on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network. Self-host is free.

Exhibitsh
kortix self-host initkortix self-host start

Review: nothing merges itself

Session work reaches main through a change request. Merge is default-deny for agents.

Exhibitsh
kortix cr lsfix-checkout-expiry open

OpenWork vs Claude Cowork, answered

  1. Is Claude Cowork open source?

    No. Claude Cowork is a closed product on Anthropic's paid plans, and it runs on Anthropic's cloud or your own Bedrock, Google Cloud or Microsoft Foundry account with no self-host option (claude.com/product/cowork).

  2. Is OpenWork open source?

    Yes, with one split. The desktop app and core are open source, while OpenWork Den, the organization control plane, is a separate source-available layer that is free for teams up to five users and under subscription terms beyond that (openworklabs.com, github.com/different-ai/openwork).

  3. Which should a team pick, OpenWork or Claude Cowork?

    OpenWork suits one person working on local files. Claude Cowork suits a knowledge worker already inside Claude. For a team that wants one owned system, with agents, skills, memory and connectors in one git repo, that is Kortix, the open-source AI Operating System.

  4. Can a team self-host any of them?

    Kortix self-hosts the whole platform for free, and OpenWork ships a desktop app plus a self-hostable control plane. Claude Cowork has no self-host. See self-hosting Kortix and OpenWork for teams.

Run the whole company from one repo you own.

Kortix is open source, free to self-host, and runs with any model on your own keys.

Try KortixSelf-hosting

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