ChatGPT Work vs Claude Cowork: Pricing, Models, Which to Use

Pick Claude Cowork if you already pay for Claude and want documented admin controls over Microsoft 365 write actions; pick ChatGPT Work if your team is already on ChatGPT plans or wants to try an agent before paying. As of October 8, 2026, Cowork starts at Claude Pro ($17/month billed annually, $20 monthly) and is not on the Free plan, while ChatGPT Work has a limited desktop-only tier on Free and on Go ($8/month), with full desktop, web and mobile access from ChatGPT Plus at $20/month. Both are agents that work across files, connected apps and a built-in browser, so the real differences are plan entry, model family and how much admin control you get over Microsoft 365 write actions.

Last updated: October 8, 2026 - re-checked every plan, price and model against OpenAI's and Anthropic's own pages; added the $8 Go plan and the current Pro 100, 200 and 500 terms, fixed Cowork plan availability (it is on every paid Claude plan, not Max only), replaced the old model lineup, and added FAQs on Plus and the new Max API credits.

Official Sources#

Quick Comparison#

Sources for every row are in the table above. Plan features change during rollouts, so check the model picker on your own account before you commit.

How they differ in practice#

At launch the split looked like "browser agent vs desktop file agent." That framing is out of date. OpenAI's launch post says that on desktop ChatGPT "can use your local files and apps," adds a built-in browser and Computer Use, and runs Scheduled Tasks. Anthropic's Cowork page describes the same shape from the other side: Claude works directly in the folders and tools you choose, schedules reports daily, weekly or monthly, and ships a built-in browser in the desktop app.

So the decision comes down to three things.

1. Which plan you already pay for. Neither product has its own price. ChatGPT Work is a feature of ChatGPT plans and follows the same usage structure as Codex, so bigger tasks use more of your included allowance. Cowork is a feature of Claude plans and draws from the same usage pool as chat and Claude Code. If your company already standardized on one vendor, the agent on that plan is the cheaper first try. For how Cowork shares that pool with Claude Code, see Claude Cowork vs Claude Code.

2. Which model family you trust for long tasks. ChatGPT Work runs on GPT-5.6. OpenAI's October 7 GPT-6 rollout changed the Chat tab only and says "the models powering Work and Codex are not changing." Cowork runs on the Claude lineup. For a model-level price and benchmark view of GPT-6 Sol against Opus 5.5, read our September price war breakdown.

3. How much control you need over Microsoft 365 writes. Claude's Microsoft 365 connector searches SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams, is read-only by default, and only sends email, manages calendar events, creates or updates files, or sends Teams messages when an admin enables write tools. OpenAI's launch post lists plugins for Outlook email, Teams and SharePoint, and says Work can open and refine Microsoft 365 files inside the app. We could not find an OpenAI page that lists each plugin's write actions, so test the specific action you need before you build a workflow on it.

ChatGPT Work: what you get#

Per OpenAI's launch post and the pricing page:

• Plugins connect Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, SharePoint, email, calendars, CRMs and project trackers. Type @ plus an app name to point a prompt at one source.
• Desktop app with Chat, Work and Codex in one shell, local file and app access, a built-in browser and Computer Use. Our ChatGPT Work and Codex desktop app explainer covers how the three modes split.
• Scheduled Tasks that run once, on a schedule, when an event occurs, or while monitoring for changes.
• Sites (public beta, on Plus and Pro) to turn work into a shareable interactive site.
• Models: GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra and Luna on Plus and up. The pricing page's model table lists GPT-5.6 Terra for Free and Go as "Limited access in Work and Codex on desktop." Do not confuse this with the Chat tab, where Free and Go now get GPT-6 Luna.

Claude Cowork: what you get#

Per Anthropic's Cowork product page and the Help Center:

• Local files. On desktop, Claude reads from and writes to your files in folders you choose, without manual uploads.
• Cloud scheduled tasks. Type /schedule in a task and it runs on a cadence in the cloud.
• Connectors and plugins. Managed from the "+" menu and Customize > Connectors. The Microsoft 365 connector works on every Claude plan.
• One Claude. Since September 16, 2026, Anthropic has been merging Cowork and chat into one experience on Pro and Max over several weeks, with Team and Free to follow. There is no Cowork toggle on the new experience: you ask, and Claude decides whether it is a quick answer or a task.

For the full history and setup walkthrough, see our Claude Cowork guide.

Pricing#

ChatGPT Work (from chatgpt.com/pricing and OpenAI's Help Center):

Claude Cowork (from claude.com/pricing and the Cowork plan cards):

The cheapest paid way into ChatGPT Work is Go at $8 a month, but that is the same limited desktop-only access Free gets. For full access the two line up: $20 a month for ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro on monthly billing, with Claude cheaper at $17 if you pay a year up front. The free-tier difference is real, though. You can try ChatGPT Work on the Free plan in the desktop app; you cannot try Cowork without paying.

A note on ChatGPT Pro 200, as of October 8, 2026: OpenAI's Pro tiers article says Pro 200 is open to new subscriptions again after a pause in late September, but new subscriptions that are not grandfathered get a lower usage allowance than before, at the same $200 price. Ultrafast is only on Pro 500.

If you also build on the API, the current Claude list prices on claude.com/pricing are Opus 5.5 at $4/$20, Sonnet 5.5 at $2/$10, and Haiku 5.5 at $0.10/$0.50 per million input/output tokens (prompts up to 100K). Those rates apply to the API, not to Cowork, which is billed through your plan.

Which Should You Use#

Choose ChatGPT Work if:

• Your team already pays for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business or Enterprise
• You want to try an agent before paying (Free includes limited desktop access)
• You want Chat, Work and Codex in one desktop app
• You want Sites to share interactive output with your team
• Your workflows lean on browser-based tasks and Slack or Google Drive plugins

Choose Claude Cowork if:

• Your team already pays for Claude, and especially if engineers use Claude Code on the same plan
• You need Microsoft 365 write actions gated behind admin-enabled write tools
• You want scheduled tasks that run in the cloud with no device online
• You prefer the Claude model family for long document and spreadsheet work

Use both if different teams already live on different plans. They overlap more than they did at launch, so paying for both only makes sense when each one sits on a plan you would keep anyway.

FAQ#

Is ChatGPT Work included in ChatGPT Plus?#

Yes. The pricing page lists "Expanded access to ChatGPT Work on desktop, web, and mobile" on Plus at $20/month. Free and Go ($8/month) get limited access in the desktop app only. Pro adds "Longer Codex and ChatGPT Work sessions."

Which Claude plans include Cowork?#

Every paid plan: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise, per the Help Center. Desktop works on all paid plans; web and mobile are on Pro, Max and Team, and on Enterprise when an admin enables them. The Free plan does not include Cowork.

Do the Max API credits apply to Cowork?#

They do not fund Cowork extra usage or change Cowork limits. Max 5x gets $100 and Max 20x $200 a month in Claude API credits, but Anthropic's credits article lists "Extra usage in Claude, Claude Code, or Claude Cowork" among the exclusions and says the credits don't change your usage limits in Claude, Claude Code or Claude Cowork. They are for building your own apps and agents on the Claude Platform. Details in our Max API credits breakdown.

Is ChatGPT Work free?#

Partly. The Free plan and the $8 Go plan get limited ChatGPT Work access in the desktop app. Web and mobile access starts at Plus.

Which models does ChatGPT Work use after the GPT-6 launch?#

Still GPT-5.6. OpenAI's October 7 post says GPT-6 powers the Chat tab and that "the models powering Work and Codex are not changing as part of this release."

Can ChatGPT Work access my local files?#

Yes, in the desktop app. OpenAI says that on desktop ChatGPT can use your local files and apps, and Computer Use can move files across apps on your behalf. Cowork also reads and writes local files, in folders you choose, in its desktop app.

Which has better Microsoft 365 integration?#

Claude has the more documented controls: its connector covers SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams, is read-only by default, and needs an admin to enable write tools such as sending email or creating files. ChatGPT Work has Outlook, Teams and SharePoint plugins, but OpenAI does not publish a per-plugin action list we could verify.

Which is better for coding?#

Neither. For coding, use Codex (inside the same ChatGPT desktop app) or Claude Code. Our Claude Code vs Cursor vs Codex comparison covers that decision.

Sources#

• ChatGPT is now a partner for your most ambitious work - OpenAI, July 9, 2026. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• GPT-6 and Intelligent UI for everyone - OpenAI, October 7, 2026. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• ChatGPT pricing - OpenAI. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• What is ChatGPT Plus? - OpenAI Help Center. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• About ChatGPT Pro tiers - OpenAI Help Center. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• ChatGPT Business overview - OpenAI Help Center. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Claude Cowork - Anthropic. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Get started with Claude Cowork - Claude Help Center. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Cowork and chat are now one Claude - Anthropic, September 16, 2026. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Claude pricing - Anthropic. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Set up the Microsoft 365 connector - Claude Help Center. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Monthly API credits for Max and Team plans - Claude Help Center. Accessed October 8, 2026.

Continue Reading#

• Claude Cowork vs Claude Code (2026): Which One Should You Use
• Anthropic Cowork: the full guide
• ChatGPT Work and Codex Now Share One Desktop App
• GPT-6 Sol vs Claude Opus 5.5 vs Grok 4.7: The September 2026 Price War
• Claude Max API Credits: $100 a Month, What They Cover