Muse vs OpenAI dots: two always-on agents compared
Three weeks after Meta launched Muse, OpenAI answered with dots: always-on agents with their own cloud computer. They look alike on paper. They differ on price, who can get them, and what they’re built to do.
Quick answer
Both are “always-on” agents with their own cloud computer that keep working after you close the app. The differences: Muse is free to start ($20 or $100 a month for more), aimed at personal tasks such as errands, bookings, shopping and your inbox, and limited to the US and Canada. Dots come with OpenAI’s $100-plus Pro plans and business plans, are built around work in ChatGPT, Slack and Teams, and connect to over 4,000 apps. Pick Muse for everyday life on a budget; pick dots if you already pay for ChatGPT Pro and want an agent for your job.
About this page
Not testedThis comparison uses Meta’s and OpenAI’s own announcements and help pages, checked October 2, 2026. Muse details also draw on our own account checks; we haven’t used dots. See how we label evidence.
Side by side
| Muse (Meta) | Dots (OpenAI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | September 8, 20261 | September 29, 20263 |
| Built for | Personal tasks and goals; business skills added Sept 2915 | Work projects and everyday tasks, with mostly professional examples3 |
| Own cloud computer | Yes, Muse Secure VM with its own browser7 | Yes, plus its own browser; can also use your laptop with permission3 |
| Model | Meta’s Muse Spark1 | OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra3 |
| Where you talk to it | Muse app (phone, web, Mac) and WhatsApp8 | ChatGPT (desktop, web, mobile), Slack and Teams; voice calls; texting “coming soon”3 |
| Connected apps | 54 connectors in the app when we checked (Sept 30)9 | Over 4,000 apps through plugins3 |
| Asks before acting | Approvals for actions like emails and purchases; a separate agent, Sentinel, checks outgoing traffic78 | Built-in rules plus your own Custom Rules; “auto-review” of risky actions; some tasks, like changing a password, always stay with you3 |
| Your passwords | A credential store “your agent can’t read”8 | Saved passwords used “without exposing them to the model”3 |
| Works in the background | Yes, on goals you set1 | Yes, including read-only “proactive research” in connected apps3 |
| Price | Free (limited); $20 or $100/month2 | Included in ChatGPT Pro ($100, $200 or $500/month), Business Premium and Enterprise34 |
| Where | US and Canada, 18+6 | “Eligible markets” (not listed)3 |
| AI training on your data | A Data controls switch; on by default10 | Controllable on personal plans; OpenAI says it doesn’t train directly on proactive research or a dot’s notes to itself3 |
The four differences that matter
- Price of entryMuse can be tried for free. Dots start with a ChatGPT Pro subscription, the cheapest of which is $100 a month.4
- Personal vs workMeta’s examples are errands, bookings, shopping and your inbox. OpenAI’s are a developer getting tested fixes, a launch plan being revised and a sales proposal being updated.13
- Where it livesMuse lives in its own app and in WhatsApp. Dots live in ChatGPT and in Slack and Teams, so they fit where office work already happens.3
- Who can get itMuse is limited to the US and Canada. OpenAI hasn’t listed which markets get dots; ChatGPT itself is available far more widely. See Muse availability.
Safeguards compared
Both companies give the agent its own machine, keep your passwords away from the model and ask before risky actions. The designs differ:
- Muse routes everything it sends to the internet through Sentinel, a separate checking agent, and asks you to approve actions like sending email or buying.7
- Dots use “auto-review” to check actions against your instructions and Custom Rules, and keep their background “proactive research” read-only, meaning it “can’t send messages, change app content, or control your browser or computer.”3
Both companies say their agents can still make mistakes. Muse’s first weeks included real security incidents; see Is Muse safe? Dots are too new to have a track record.
Which should you choose?
- You want to try an agent for free
- Muse. Dots need at least a $100-a-month plan.
- Your life admin: errands, bookings, inbox
- Muse. That’s its focus.
- Work projects in Slack or Teams
- Dots. They’re built for it and live there.
- You already pay for ChatGPT Pro
- Try dots first; it’s included.
- You’re outside the US and Canada
- Not Muse. Check whether dots are offered in your market.
For more options, including Google’s Gemini Spark and xAI’s Grok Bot, see Muse alternatives.
Sources
- Introducing Muse Meta Newsroom · Sept 8, 2026
- About Muse subscriptions Meta Help Center
- Introducing dots OpenAI · Sept 29, 2026
- About ChatGPT Pro tiers OpenAI Help Center · checked Oct 2, 2026
- Muse for Small Business Meta Newsroom · Sept 29, 2026
- Is Muse available in my country? MetaMuseAI
- How we built safety into Muse Meta AI Research · Sept 8, 2026
- Muse product page Meta · checked Oct 1, 2026
- Muse connectors tracker MetaMuseAI · tested Sept 30, 2026
- How to manage or delete your Muse data MetaMuseAI · tested Oct 1, 2026
Last checked: 2026-10-15. Both products are weeks old and changing fast. Spotted a change? Tell us.
Frequently asked questions
What are OpenAI dots?
Dots are always-on AI agents OpenAI introduced on September 29, 2026. Each dot runs on GPT-6 Astra with its own cloud computer and browser, connects to over 4,000 apps through plugins, and can work toward your goals around the clock.3