OpenWork AI is a free, open-source desktop app where AI agents work on your own files, built as "the open-source alternative to Claude Cowork" and powered by OpenCode, per the README. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, works with 50+ model providers, and keeps your files local. Cloud is optional.
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That's the short answer. Below you'll get what it does, how to install it, how the licence works in plain English, how it stacks up against Claude Cowork and Hermes Agent, and which "OpenWork" you actually want, because there are several.
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What Is OpenWork AI?
OpenWork is a desktop app, not a command-line tool. You open it like any other app, point it at a folder, and AI agents do the work on the files inside. The README sums up the idea in one line: "Your files stay local. Cloud is optional."
It's built on top of OpenCode, the open-source coding agent, and it's positioned against two paid products: Claude Cowork and Codex. The pitch is simple. Same style of agent-on-your-files workflow, but open source, any model you like, and nothing forced into someone else's cloud.
The project lives on GitHub at different-ai/openwork. At the time of writing it has about 24,000 stars and 2,400 forks, so it's not a weekend side project. Plenty of people are watching it.
Key Features
Here's what OpenWork gives you, per the README and openworklabs.com:
- Local-first desktop app. Runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. Your files stay on your machine.
- Any model. 50+ providers, bring your own API keys, sign in with ChatGPT, or run local models.
- Skills, plugins and MCP. You can migrate skills, Claude-compatible plugins and MCP servers over from Claude Cowork.
- Team sharing. Teams can share skills and MCP connections instead of everyone setting things up from scratch.
- An OpenWork MCP server. One server you can plug into Codex, Claude Code, Cursor and other tools.
- OpenWork Den. An optional control plane for organisations, which you can self-host.
The big one for most people is the model freedom. You're not locked to one company's model, and you're not locked to the cloud either.
How to Install OpenWork
There are two ways in. Pick whichever feels easier.
Option 1: Download the app
Go to openworklabs.com/download, or grab a build from the GitHub releases page. Install it like a normal desktop app. The docs live at openworklabs.com/docs if you get stuck.
Option 2: Let your agent install it
This is the one I like the sound of. The README includes a prompt you can paste into an agent you already use, like Claude Code or Cursor. The agent installs OpenWork for you and creates your first workspace.
That's the right way to think about setup in general. Don't fight with installers. Hand the job to your agent and let it do the boring part. It's the same approach I teach in the Agent OS guide.
📺 Watch: OpenWork & Shadow DESTROYS Claude Cowork? (FREE!)
Which Models Can You Use?
Per the README, OpenWork supports:
- 50+ model providers
- Your own API keys
- Sign in with ChatGPT
- Local models through Ollama, or any OpenAI-compatible server
So if you want to run everything offline on a local model, you can. If you want a top frontier model for hard tasks, you can do that too. Not sure which model is actually good at agent work? Check Goldie Bench before you pick one.
Skills, MCP, Teams and OpenWork Den
If you've already built skills or MCP setups in Claude Cowork, you don't have to start again. OpenWork lets you migrate skills, Claude-compatible plugins and MCP servers across.
For teams, the useful bit is sharing. One person sets up a skill or an MCP connection, and the whole team can use it.
There's also an OpenWork MCP server you can add to Codex, Claude Code, Cursor and others. Per the README it exposes four tools: search_capabilities, execute_capability, list_skills and get_skill. In plain English, your other agents can find and use the skills you've stored in OpenWork.
What is OpenWork Den?
Den is the organisation control plane. It handles:
- Provisioning inference for the team
- Invitations and teams
- Desktop policies
- Publishing skills and plugins to marketplaces
You can self-host Den. Solo users can mostly ignore it. It matters once you're rolling agents out across a company.
📺 Watch: New Free OpenWork DESTROYS Claude Cowork?
Is OpenWork Free? The Licence Explained Simply
Mostly, yes. The repo has two parts with two different licences.
| Part | Licence | Free for |
|---|---|---|
| Everything outside the ee/ folder (the desktop app) | MIT | Everyone, including commercial use |
| The ee/ folder (OpenWork Den) | OpenWork EE License (source-available) | Organisations up to 5 users, a 30-day evaluation at any size, and dev/testing |
| Each ee/ release, two years after publication | Becomes MIT | Everyone |
So the app itself is properly open source. Den is the part where production use needs a subscription once you're past 5 users. Pricing is on openworklabs.com/pricing.
OpenWork vs Claude Cowork vs Hermes Agent
These three get compared a lot, so here's a straight side-by-side using only what's documented.
| Feature | OpenWork | Claude Cowork | Hermes Agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Open-source desktop app for agents on your files | Anthropic's agent-on-your-files product | Nous Research's open-source agent you run yourself |
| Open source | Yes (app is MIT) | No | Yes |
| Models | 50+ providers, own keys, ChatGPT sign-in, local via Ollama | Claude | Your choice of model |
| Files | Stay local, cloud optional | Works on your files | Runs where you run it |
| Skills and MCP | Yes, can migrate from Cowork | Yes | Yes |
The way I'd frame it: OpenWork is the open version of the Cowork experience. Hermes is a full agent you run and shape yourself. If you're weighing up options in that space, my list of the best Hermes alternatives is a good next read, and so is my breakdown of the Hermes Agent workspace.
Inside the AI Profit Boardroom, my Agent OS runs Hermes and other agents together with memory, skills and a dashboard, so you're not juggling five separate apps. If you'd rather talk through which setup fits your business, book a free AI strategy session.
Which "OpenWork" Is Which?
This trips people up. Several unrelated projects share the name, and they are not the same thing:
- different-ai/openwork is the one this page is about. The Claude Cowork alternative powered by OpenCode.
- langchain-ai/openwork is a desktop interface for deepagentsjs. Its README warns that it gives agents filesystem and shell access, so review tool calls before you approve them.
- modelstudioai/openwork is an Alibaba Cloud ModelStudio local-first desktop app for agent workflows.
- Accomplish used to be called Openwork. It's an open-source AI desktop agent for files, documents and browser tasks.
The fix is easy. Check the repo owner before you install anything. If it doesn't say different-ai, it's a different project.
Who Should Use OpenWork?
OpenWork makes sense if:
- You like the Claude Cowork idea but want open source.
- You want to use any model, including local ones, rather than one provider.
- You want your files to stay on your own machine.
- You've already built skills or MCP servers and want to bring them with you.
- You run a small team (5 users or fewer) and want shared skills without paying for Den.
- You already use Codex, Claude Code or Cursor and want one shared skill library across all of them through the OpenWork MCP server.
A simple way to start: install it, point it at one test folder, connect one model, and give it one real task you'd normally do by hand. If it saves you time on that, add your skills and MCP servers next. If it doesn't, you've lost nothing, because the app is free and your files never left your machine.
It's probably not your first pick if you want a fully hands-off agent that runs on a schedule in the background. That's more Hermes territory. If you're building an agent setup that does both, look at how I combine them in Herald OS.
And if you want the whole system done properly, with Hermes courses and the Agent OS ready to go, join the AI Profit Boardroom.
FAQ
What is OpenWork AI?
OpenWork AI is a free, open-source desktop app where AI agents work on your local files. It's built on OpenCode and positioned as the open-source alternative to Claude Cowork, per the README at different-ai's GitHub repo.
Is OpenWork free?
Yes, the desktop app is MIT licensed and free for anyone. The Den control plane in the ee/ folder is free for organisations up to 5 users, for a 30-day evaluation, and for dev/testing. Larger production use needs a subscription.
Is OpenWork the same as Claude Cowork?
No. OpenWork is a separate open-source project that offers a similar agent-on-your-files workflow. It works with 50+ model providers and local models, and it can import skills, Claude-compatible plugins and MCP servers from Cowork.
Can OpenWork run local models?
Yes. Per the README, you can run local models through Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible server, so nothing has to leave your machine.
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