OpenAI Dots launched on 29 September; GPT-6.1 Terra joined GPT-6 Astra on 3 November. We update this page as OpenAI publishes changes.
OpenAI Dots vs BetterClaw: Pricing, Who Can Use It, and the Alternative (2026)
OpenAI Dots are always-on AI agents inside ChatGPT, launched at OpenAI DevDay on 29 September 2026. Each Dot gets its own cloud computer, keeps working on goals between conversations, and learns from your feedback. Here is what OpenAI Dots costs, who can use it today, and how it compares with BetterClaw, an AI agent platform that runs any model: 28+ cloud providers, your own MCP servers, and local models on your own hardware.
OpenAI Dots vs BetterClaw at a glance
Quick answer: OpenAI Dots is included with ChatGPT Pro (from $100 a month) and Business Premium ($100 per user a month, billed annually). It is not available on ChatGPT Plus, Pro users in the UK, EEA and Switzerland cannot use it yet, and it runs only on OpenAI models (GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Terra). BetterClaw is the better alternative for most work: it starts at $19 a month, runs any of 28+ model providers or a local model on your own machine, connects to any remote MCP server, and works in the UK and EU.
Price
Included with ChatGPT Pro ($100, $200 or $500/mo) or Business Premium ($100/user/mo annual, $125 monthly). One Dot included
Starter $19/mo, Pro $49/mo ($39 annual), Business $149/mo ($119 annual)
ChatGPT Plus?
Not included
Not needed
Model
GPT-6 Astra and, since 3 November, GPT-6.1 Terra. OpenAI models only
28+ providers, chosen per agent, with backup models. Bring your own key with zero markup, or sign in with your ChatGPT account
Run on your own hardware
No. Dots run on OpenAI’s cloud
Yes. BetterClaw Desktop connects Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint to your agents. Outbound only: no ports, no tunnels
Your own tools (MCP)
Apps through ChatGPT plugins. OpenAI has not documented adding your own MCP server to a Dot
Paste any remote MCP server URL (Streamable HTTP or SSE), sign in with OAuth or add an API key, then choose which tools are on and which agents can use it
How many agents
One Dot for now. More “in the future”, price not announced
1 (Starter), 5 (Pro), 25 (Business)
Where it runs
ChatGPT (web, desktop, iOS and Android apps), Slack, Microsoft Teams. Texting in limited beta for US Pro users
Web app, plus Slack, Telegram, Discord and Gmail
Approvals and control
Auto-review, built-in rules, Custom Rules (allow, require approval, block)
Choose which agents get each tool and MCP server, review MCP tool changes before they go live, Read/Write/Destructive tool labels, encrypted secrets with an access audit log, Owner/Admin/Member roles
Integrations
4,000+ apps through ChatGPT plugins
500+ connectors with one-click sign-in, plus any remote MCP server
API
None announced
Agent API and JavaScript SDK
UK, EEA, Switzerland
Not on Pro. Business Premium works in supported regions
Available. Our DPA covers EU GDPR, UK GDPR and Swiss FADP
Why BetterClaw is the better OpenAI Dots alternative
OpenAI Dots is a strong personal agent if you already pay for ChatGPT Pro. For most work, BetterClaw is the better choice, for six reasons.
A fifth of the price.
BetterClaw starts at $19 a month. The cheapest way into OpenAI Dots is $100 a month, and ChatGPT Plus doesn’t include it.
Any model, not just one.
Pick from 28+ providers per agent, with backup models if one goes down. OpenAI Dots runs only on OpenAI models: GPT-6 Astra and, since 3 November, GPT-6.1 Terra.
Local LLMs on your own hardware.
Run agents on Ollama, LM Studio or llama.cpp through BetterClaw Desktop. OpenAI Dots runs only on OpenAI’s cloud.
Your own tools through MCP.
Connect any remote MCP server, including tools your team built. OpenAI Dots is limited to ChatGPT’s plugin directory.
A team of agents.
Run up to 5 agents on Pro and 25 on Business, each with its own job and tools. OpenAI Dots gives you one, and extra Dots have no price yet.
Built for developers and the UK/EU.
Trigger agents from your own app with the Agent API and SDK; OpenAI Dots has no API. BetterClaw works in the UK and EU, where OpenAI Dots isn’t available on Pro.
How much does OpenAI Dots cost?
There is no separate price for OpenAI Dots. Your first Dot is included “at no extra cost” in these plans.
Talking to your Dot does not count toward your ChatGPT usage limits. Tasks your Dot starts in Codex or ChatGPT Work count as usual.
Your plan includes an allowance for “deeper work”, with extended limits in the first month after launch. OpenAI has not said what happens when the allowance runs out.
Extra Dots: OpenAI says you will be able to “add more dots” in the future. No price yet.
How BetterClaw pricing compares
BetterClaw starts at $19 a month, a fifth of the cheapest way into OpenAI Dots, and you don’t need a ChatGPT plan. Bring your own key from any of 28+ providers, including OpenAI, and pay the provider directly with zero markup. You can also run a local model on your own machine at no per-token cost. See all plans
Who can use OpenAI Dots today
Plans
ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium. Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare workspaces have an admin preview, free until 18 November and billed after that. Plus, Go and Free are not included yet.
Countries
Pro is still not available in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK. Business Premium works in all supported ChatGPT regions.
Age
18+.
Devices
You can create your Dot in the ChatGPT iOS or Android app (since 9 October), the desktop app for Windows, or ChatGPT on desktop web. Mobile web is not supported.
Rollout
Gradual, so some accounts wait a few days.
What OpenAI Dots can do
Always on: give it a goal and it keeps making progress between conversations.
Its own cloud computer and browser, which you can watch at any time.
Proactive help: it researches in the background and suggests things. That background mode is read-only, so it cannot send or change anything without you.
Learns from feedback: it adapts to your standards and style over time.
Works with Codex and ChatGPT Work (since 9 October): a Dot can start a Codex task, follow up an existing thread, search your past ChatGPT conversations, and read and edit your ChatGPT Work automations.
Optional laptop access, off by default, with confirmation in the desktop app.
Slack and Microsoft Teams: add your Dot to your team’s workspace.
Specialist Dots (preview for organisations): a Dot with its own identity, credentials and access for one job, such as invoice processing or procurement. Microsoft Agent 365 governance is planned.
OpenAI Dots safety controls
An auto-review step checks actions against your instructions and safety rules.
A monitoring system can pause or stop a Dot over safety concerns.
Built-in rules apply to every Dot, and you can add Custom Rules that allow specific actions, require approval, or block them. Custom rules cannot override OpenAI’s built-in safeguards.
Sensitive tasks such as password changes stay with you.
OpenAI does not train on Business, Enterprise or Edu content by default.
How BetterClaw handles control
With BetterClaw you choose exactly which tools and connectors each agent can use. When an MCP server adds or changes tools, it stays paused until you choose Review & approve. MCP tools are labelled Read, Write or Destructive, and one switch turns off everything that isn’t read-only. Secrets are encrypted and agents never see the raw values, every secret read goes into an audit log, and workspace roles (Owner, Admin, Member) set who can change what.
MCP servers and local models: what OpenAI Dots can’t do
OpenAI Dots are built around ChatGPT: one model, OpenAI’s cloud, and the apps in ChatGPT’s plugin directory. BetterClaw goes two steps further.
Connect any remote MCP server
If a tool has a remote MCP server, a BetterClaw agent can use it. That includes your own internal tools, a niche SaaS, or a server your team built last week. Open Connectors, choose Add MCP server and paste the URL. BetterClaw detects Streamable HTTP or SSE automatically. For OAuth servers, sign in from the dashboard. For API-key servers, enter the header and key once; it is stored encrypted and agents never see it.
Turn off any tool you don’t want used and choose which agents get the server; you can change both later without reconnecting. If a server changes its tools, BetterClaw pauses it until you review and approve. MCP is available on every plan from $19; each server counts as one connector on your plan. See how to connect any remote MCP server.
Run agents on your own models
BetterClaw Desktop (v0.1.0, early release) connects models running on your own computer to your BetterClaw cloud agents. It finds Ollama, LM Studio and llama.cpp automatically, and works with any OpenAI-compatible endpoint on your machine or local network. The app only makes outbound connections, so there are no ports to open, no tunnels, no ngrok and no model API key. Before you assign a model, it shows the context size and whether the model supports tool calling. Any model with tool calling can also use your MCP servers.
Runs on macOS 13+ (Apple Silicon only, no Intel yet), Windows 10/11 x64 (no WSL or Docker needed) and Linux AppImage. The Mac app updates itself; on Windows and Linux, updates are manual for now. Download BetterClaw Desktop.
Limits worth knowing
What OpenAI Dots can’t do yet, from OpenAI’s own launch materials.
OpenAI models, one cloud.
OpenAI Dots runs on GPT-6 Astra and, since 3 November, GPT-6.1 Terra on OpenAI’s servers. You can’t bring another provider’s model or run it on your own hardware. ChatGPT moved paid plans to GPT-6 Sol on 7 October, but Dots do not use Sol.
No API yet.
OpenAI has not announced an OpenAI Dots API. (The new Decisions API from DevDay is a separate product.)
Price of entry.
The cheapest way in is $100 a month, compared with $20 for ChatGPT Plus, which does not include OpenAI Dots.
Region.
UK, EEA and Swiss individuals on Pro still have to wait, with no date given.
Early days.
At the DevDay demo the Dot paused while a presenter said it was “still checking.” OpenAI shipped its first round of fixes on 9 October. Teams of Dots and extra Dots are still to come, and texting is a US-only Pro beta.
When to choose OpenAI Dots, and when to choose BetterClaw
You can also use OpenAI models inside BetterClaw with your own OpenAI key or by signing in with your ChatGPT account. One agent can run OpenAI while another runs Claude, Grok or a local model through BetterClaw Desktop. See OpenRouter vs direct API keys for agents for how to set up model choice.
OpenAI Dots vs Meta Muse
OpenAI Dots and Meta Muse both launched in September 2026 as always-on personal agents with friendly cartoon personas, and press coverage treats OpenAI Dots as Meta’s rival. The difference is the business model: Meta Muse is free (with $20 and $100 plans) and plans to earn from transaction fees, while OpenAI Dots comes with a ChatGPT subscription from $100 a month. Meta Muse works in the US, Canada, Japan and Singapore; OpenAI Dots works wherever ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium is offered, except for Pro in the UK, EEA and Switzerland.
Full comparison: Meta Muse vs BetterClaw, plus the head-to-heads in our roundup: Dots vs Muse and Dots vs Grok Bot. On The X Subscription Premium or a paid Cursor plan? See Grok Bot vs BetterClaw.
Frequently asked questions
What is OpenAI Dots?
OpenAI Dots are always-on AI agents inside ChatGPT, launched on 29 September 2026. Each Dot has its own cloud computer, works on goals between conversations, and learns from your feedback.
Is OpenAI Dots included in ChatGPT Plus?
No. OpenAI Dots is included with ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium. Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare workspaces got an admin preview on 4 November. Plus, Go and Free are not included, and OpenAI has not given a date for Plus.
How much does OpenAI Dots cost?
There is no separate price. One Dot is included with ChatGPT Pro (from $100 a month) or Business Premium ($100 per user a month billed annually, $125 monthly). Extra Dots will cost more, but OpenAI has not announced the price.
Is OpenAI Dots available in the UK or EU?
Not on ChatGPT Pro: the UK, EEA and Switzerland are still excluded, with no date given. Business Premium workspaces can use it in all supported regions.
What model does OpenAI Dots use?
GPT-6 Astra, and since 3 November GPT-6.1 Terra too. OpenAI says a dot can draw on different models for different parts of its work. Both are OpenAI models: you cannot bring another provider or a local model.
Can I use OpenAI Dots on my phone?
Yes. Since 9 October you can create and use a Dot in the ChatGPT iOS and Android apps. It also works in the desktop app and on desktop web, but not in a mobile browser.
Does OpenAI Dots use GPT-6 Sol?
No. ChatGPT moved paid plans to GPT-6 Sol in the Chat tab on 7 October, but OpenAI Dots run on GPT-6 Astra and, since 3 November, GPT-6.1 Terra.
Does OpenAI Dots have an API?
OpenAI has not announced one. The Decisions API announced at DevDay is a separate product.
Can OpenAI Dots use MCP servers?
OpenAI Dots connect to apps through ChatGPT plugins. OpenAI’s Dots help page doesn’t describe adding your own MCP server URL to a Dot. BetterClaw agents can connect to any remote MCP server: paste the URL, sign in or add a key, and choose the tools.
Can I run an agent on a local model instead of OpenAI Dots?
Not with OpenAI Dots: they run only on OpenAI models (GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Terra) in OpenAI’s cloud. BetterClaw Desktop connects Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint to your BetterClaw agents, with no ports or tunnels. For multi-tool work, use a model of 27B or larger with tool calling.
Can I use my ChatGPT subscription in BetterClaw?
Yes. You can sign in with your ChatGPT account to run OpenAI models in BetterClaw, or use your own OpenAI API key with zero markup.
What is a good OpenAI Dots alternative?
Meta Muse for personal errands in the US, Canada, Japan or Singapore, Grok Bot if you pay for The X Subscription Premium ($30 a month) or above or already have a paid Cursor plan, or BetterClaw from $19 a month if you want work agents in Slack, Telegram, Discord or Gmail with your choice of model, your own MCP servers, or a local model.
Agents for every job. No $100 plan required.
The better alternative to OpenAI Dots: any model, your own MCP servers, local LLMs, from $19 a month.
7-day free trial · 28+ providers · Zero markup · MCP servers · Local LLMs