OpenAI's all-rounder: chat, images, voice, web search and agents in one app.

ChatGPT Work
ChatGPT's agent mode: hand it a whole task across your email, apps, files and browser.
Quick take
- Give it the outcome, not the steps: it plans, works through your apps and browser, and hands back finished files.
- Runs in the cloud, so scheduled and long tasks keep going with your computer off. That's its main edge over Claude Cowork.
- No extra fee on top of Plus, but long tasks draw on the same credits as Codex. Heavy users end up on Pro or buying credits.
- Approve anything that sends, books or pays. It reads a lot of your email and calendar to work, so check your company is fine with that.
What is ChatGPT Work?
ChatGPT Work is the agent mode inside ChatGPT, launched on 9 July 2026 next to Chat and Codex. You describe the outcome you want, and it breaks the job into steps and works on it, sometimes for hours: pulling context from connected apps like Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, Slack and Google Drive, using its own browser for websites and forms, and handing back finished documents, spreadsheets, decks or small hosted sites. You can watch it work, answer its questions and approve anything consequential before it happens.
It runs in the cloud, so tasks carry on after you close your laptop, and it can run on a schedule, on a trigger or keep watch for changes (a Friday business review, say, or prep before each customer call). The desktop app adds access to local files and apps you allow per task, and with GPT-6 Astra it can drive desktop software. Pick it over Zapier or n8n when the job needs judgement rather than a fixed flow, and over Claude Cowork if you already live in ChatGPT or need tasks to keep running while your computer is off.
The catch: long tasks use the same credit allowance as Codex and burn through it quickly, so heavy use pushes you to Pro or extra credits. It reads a lot of your email, calendar and chat to do its job, which some teams won't be comfortable with, multiple Gmail accounts aren't supported yet, and like every agent it still gets things wrong on long jobs, so check the result before it goes out.
Who's using it, and who it's for
- Business owners
- Operations teams
- Marketers
- Analysts
- Sales teams
ChatGPT users who want admin, inbox, research and reporting jobs done for them without building automations.
Key features
Works across your apps
Connects to Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, Slack, Google Drive and more through plugins, and acts on them with your approval.
Its own browser
Uses a built-in browser for websites and forms, like comparing suppliers or filling in a booking.
Scheduled and triggered tasks
Runs a job once, on a schedule, when something happens or as a standing watch, and leaves the result for you to review.
Finished outputs
Hands back documents, spreadsheets, slide decks, reports and small hosted websites rather than a chat answer.
Runs in the cloud
Tasks carry on after you close the app, and you can check in from your phone.
Desktop app access
On the desktop app it can open local files and apps you allow per task, and with GPT-6 Astra drive desktop software.
How we rate it
4.0 / 5
Our rating
From using the tool ourselves. The average of the five scores.
- Ease of use
- 4.0
- Features
- 4.5
- Output quality
- 4.0
- Value for money
- 4.0
- Speed & reliability
- 3.5
How quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
How completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
How good the results are before you fix them.
What you get for the price, including the free plan.
How fast it is and how often it falls over.
ChatGPT Work pricing
Free
Free
Trying a task or two on desktop.
- Limited ChatGPT Work use in the desktop app
- Smaller models and allowances
- Our pick
Plus
$20/mo
Handing off a few jobs a week.
- Full ChatGPT Work and Codex
- Scheduled tasks
- Agent credits shared with Codex
Pro
From $100/mo
Anyone running agent tasks every day.
- Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500 tiers
- The largest credit allowances
- GPT-6 Astra for the hardest tasks
Business
See website
Teams that want shared admin and no training on their data.
- ChatGPT Work and Codex for each seat
- Admin controls and single sign-on
- No training on your data
Which plan should you pick?
Try it on Plus with a couple of real jobs. If you hand it work most days you'll run out of credits, and that's when Pro or extra credits make sense.
Prices in USD unless noted, checked 22 October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their site before you buy.
Best use cases
Ways ChatGPT Work can slot into your week.
- 1
Clear the admin from your inbox
Have it go through Gmail, pull out what needs a reply, draft the answers and flag meeting conflicts on your calendar for you to approve.
- 2
Friday business review
Schedule it to pull the week's numbers from your connected apps and leave a short report ready on Friday morning.
- 3
Pre-call prep
Before each customer call it gathers the email history, notes and recent news into a one-page brief.
- 4
Supplier comparison
Point it at a shortlist of suppliers and get back a spreadsheet of prices, terms and lead times from their websites.
How it fits your tech stack
It sits on top of the apps you already use through ChatGPT's plugins (Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, Slack, Google Drive and more). Use Zapier or n8n for fixed, always-on automations, and ChatGPT Work for jobs that need reading and judgement.
Connects to
- Gmail

- Outlook

- Google Calendar

- Slack

- Google Drive

- GitHub

Pros and cons
Pros
- Handles multi-step work across email, calendar and files, not just chat
- Runs in the cloud, so scheduled tasks don't need your computer on
- No separate subscription if you already pay for ChatGPT
- Asks before consequential actions, and you can redirect it mid-task
- Hands back finished documents, decks and spreadsheets
Cons
- Long tasks burn through credits quickly, especially on Plus
- Long or complex jobs still go wrong and need checking
- Reads a lot of your email, calendar and chat, which some teams won't accept
- Only one Gmail account at a time for now
ChatGPT Work alternatives
The closest alternatives to ChatGPT Work in the library, best rated first.
Best for weekly reports built from several sources
Compare with ChatGPT Work
Comet
3.9
Best for summarising long pages, PDFs and videos
Compare with ChatGPT Work
Manus
3.7
Best for multi-step research with a report at the end
Compare with ChatGPT Work
Dia
3.6
Best for asking questions across several open tabs
Compare with ChatGPT Work
Why it made the list
It is OpenAI's everyday agent for real work across your apps, it keeps running in the cloud, and it comes with a ChatGPT plan many people already pay for.
ChatGPT Work FAQ
How much does ChatGPT Work cost?
There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo. Prices checked 22 October 2026 against ChatGPT Work's pricing page.
Is ChatGPT Work free?
Yes, ChatGPT Work has a free option. Try it on Plus with a couple of real jobs. If you hand it work most days you'll run out of credits, and that's when Pro or extra credits make sense.
What is ChatGPT Work best for?
ChatGPT Work is best for sorting inbox and calendar admin across connected apps, weekly reports and reviews on a schedule and research that ends in a finished document or deck. ChatGPT users who want admin, inbox, research and reporting jobs done for them without building automations.
What are the best ChatGPT Work alternatives?
The closest alternatives are Claude Cowork, Comet, Manus and Dia. Claude Cowork is best for weekly reports built from several sources.
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