Open Cowork
MIT-licensed desktop AI agent for Windows and macOS that automates files and apps using cloud model APIs, with optional VM isolation.
Open Cowork is an open-source desktop AI agent for people who want help with documents, files, and desktop apps without working in a terminal. It runs on Windows and macOS, with a macOS installer for Apple Silicon. It offers a Claude Cowork alternative with a choice of model providers and remote control through Slack or Feishu (Lark).
The app runs locally, but AI requests go to the model API you choose. It requires an API key and an internet connection for those requests. Files remain in your workspace, and Open Cowork doesn't send data to its own servers. Supported choices include Claude through Anthropic or OpenRouter, OpenAI-compatible APIs, Gemini, DeepSeek, GLM, MiniMax, and Kimi.
Built-in Skills handle PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PDFs. You can add custom Skills for other tasks. The agent can read, edit, and organize workspace files, accept files and images in chat, and interact with desktop interfaces. MCP connectors link it to browsers, Notion, and custom apps. A trace panel shows its reasoning and tool activity as work proceeds.
Sandboxing has two levels: folder-based restrictions and optional virtual machine isolation. Commands run through WSL2 on Windows or Lima on macOS when those environments are available; otherwise, they run on the host with path restrictions. The app uses the MIT license, and Linux users can build it from source.
