Open Cowork

Community

Open-source personal AI agent desktop app with one-click install, multi-model support, sandbox isolation, and MCP integration.

GitHub source repository ↗

★ 2.1k Stars Category · Dev Tools Very popular Source revision ec5bd270861f

58FMRS · C

Reliability

8/20

Security and permissions

12/20

Maintenance

14/20

Documentation

13/20

Setup experience

11/20

Open Cowork is a feature-rich AI agent desktop app suitable for intermediate users who want to automate office tasks with AI in a local environment. It offers strong security features (sandbox isolation), flexible model choices, and multi-platform support. However, it may not be suitable for Linux users, and requires users to have some configuration knowledge to set up API keys and sandboxing. Overall, it is a valuable tool, especially for those needing document generation and desktop automation.

Read the FMRS scoring method →

Open Cowork is a free, open-source AI agent desktop application for Windows and macOS. It wraps Claude Code, OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek, and other AI models into a user-friendly GUI with one-click installation — no coding required. Key capabilities include VM-level sandbox isolation (WSL2 on Windows, Lima on macOS), a built-in Skills system for generating PPTX, DOCX, XLSX, and PDF documents, MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration for connecting to browsers, Notion, and other desktop apps, GUI automation via computer use, and remote control through Feishu (Lark) and Slack. Open Cowork is the open-source implementation of Claude Cowork, designed to make AI-powered desktop automation accessible to everyone. It is built with Electron and the source is hosted at the repository root.

Tools

pptx

Built-in skill for generating and editing PowerPoint presentations.

docx

Built-in skill for processing and generating Word documents.

pdf

Built-in skill for handling and creating PDF files and forms.

xlsx

Built-in skill for handling Excel spreadsheets.

skill-creator

Built-in tool for creating custom skills.

Setup

Download the installer for your platform from the Releases page (Windows .exe or macOS .dmg).
Run the installer and follow the prompts.
Open the app and configure your AI model API key in settings (e.g., OpenRouter, Anthropic, or Chinese models).
Select a workspace folder and start using.
For macOS, you can also use Homebrew: brew tap OpenCoworkAI/tap && brew install --cask --no-quarantine open-cowork.

Fit and risk

Best for

Users needing AI-powered desktop automation on Windows or macOS.
Users who want a GUI to use AI coding tools like Claude Code.
Security-conscious users who need sandbox isolation.
Users who need to generate professional document formats (PPTX, DOCX).
Teams that want to integrate remote control via Feishu or Slack.

Not for

Linux users, as no official installer is provided (though you can build from source).
Advanced users who prefer command-line tools without a GUI.
Users with no API keys or who are sensitive to API costs.
Users needing fully offline operation, as AI functionality requires external API calls.
Users wanting to use non-standard models or custom endpoints, though OpenAI-compatible APIs are supported, extra configuration may be needed.

Required permissions

Read and write access to the selected workspace folder.
Ability to execute commands in VMs (WSL2 or Lima).
Access to external services via MCP connectors (e.g., browser, Notion).
Network access to call AI model APIs and external services.

Risks and side effects

AI operations may accidentally delete or modify files; use sandbox isolation and authorize carefully.
If sandbox is disabled, commands execute locally on the host, posing security risks.
API keys are stored locally; protect them from exposure.
Remote control features (like Feishu) can be abused; ensure access controls.
Third-party MCP connectors may introduce security risks; only use trusted ones.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter a security warning on macOS, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click 'Open Anyway', or install via Homebrew to bypass.
If web tools (like WebSearch) fail, check proxy settings and enable TUN mode if needed.
For Notion connector, besides setting the integration token, you must add connections in a root page.
Ensure API key and Base URL are set correctly, especially for Chinese models (GLM, MiniMax).
If sandbox VM is not active, check whether WSL2 (Windows) or Lima (macOS) is installed.

Use cases

Create and edit presentations, documents, spreadsheets, and PDF files.

Automate file management tasks such as folder organization.

Control desktop applications through computer use.

Remote control of the AI agent via Feishu or Slack.

Extend AI capabilities using MCP connectors like browser and Notion.

Supported clients

Claude DesktopFull support

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