Every “best AI personal assistant” list ranks the same three chat apps on the same rubric: how well they write, how well they reason, how nice the app is. Useful if you want a better chat. Useless if the question is “which one will actually reply to the email, book the thing, fix the file, and tell me when it is done”.
This list uses that second question. Seven tools, one axis: does it answer, or does it act. Prices checked 2026-09-21; the ones that move are on the comparison pages.
Disclosure: TODO for AI is ours and it is on the list. It is placed by the same rule as the others and its weaknesses are stated.
The rule
An assistant acts when it can finish a task in your actual tools without you in the loop for every step. That needs three things: somewhere to run (a machine, not only a chat window), a way into your accounts (your logins, not a demo sandbox), and permission to do more than draft. Anything missing one of those is an answerer. Good answerers are worth $20 a month. They are a different product.
The list
1. TODO for AI
Acts. A to-do list where each item is picked up by an agent that runs on your own PC via a small bridge, in your already-logged-in Chrome via an extension, or on a cloud VM per account. Any model on one plan: Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, Ollama. Each tool can be set to allow, ask first or block.
Where it is weaker: setup is not zero (extension, optionally the bridge), browser items need Chrome open, and the free tier is Sonnet and Haiku only. From free with $2 of usage; every model from $20. How it does the tasks.
2. Claude, with Cowork
Acts, in Anthropic’s sandbox. Cowork is Claude’s autonomous mode: give it a folder and an outcome, get back documents, spreadsheets, research, organised files. Scheduled runs happen in Anthropic’s cloud with your laptop closed. Claude in Chrome adds your real browser on Max and Team. Included on every paid plan from $20.
Where it is weaker: one vendor, runs on their machine and not yours, extends through MCP connectors rather than the CLI tools you already have. Best document output on this list. Full comparison.
3. Hermes Agent
Acts, if you run it. Nous Research’s open-source personal agent. MIT, self-hosted on a laptop or a $5 VPS, reachable from Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp or the terminal. Writes its own skills from experience, keeps memory across sessions, cron scheduler, any model through your own keys. Free; Nous Portal credit plans around $20 to $200.
Where it is weaker: you are the operator. Ports, updates, key management, sandbox choice. No hosted machine, no list. Full comparison.
4. OpenClaw
Acts, if you run it. The project Hermes migrates from. Same shape: MIT, self-hosted, chat-app front end, bring your own keys, runs on your hardware. Free.
Where it is weaker: same as Hermes, plus a published security advisory list that is honest about misconfigured instances. Pick Hermes unless you are already on OpenClaw. Full comparison.
5. ChatGPT, with agent mode
Mostly answers. The default assistant, with agent mode and connectors bolted on. Agent mode browses in OpenAI’s own browser, not your Chrome profile; accounts need a separate login or connector, and sessions can persist between runs. It cannot see your disk. Deep research is excellent. Free tier; Plus $20.
Where it is weaker: OpenAI only, every feature has its own cap, and the agent lives in their browser. Best answerer on the list. Full comparison.
6. Manus
Acts, in its cloud. A general agent that browses, researches and produces documents on its own VM. Credit based, from $20 for 4,000 credits, and heavy tasks burn through them.
Where it is weaker: no persistent list, no shell or files on your local machine, vendor-selected models. Full comparison.
7. Gemini
Answers. Strong on anything inside Google: Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Drive summaries and drafts. Agentic features are arriving surface by surface. Free; Google AI Pro $20.
Where it is weaker: acting is mostly limited to Google’s own apps, and nothing runs on your machine.
The short version
| Runs on your machine | Your logged-in browser | Any model | A list, not a chat | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TODO for AI | Yes | Yes, extension | Yes | Yes | Free |
| Claude Cowork | No | Claude in Chrome (Max, Team) | Anthropic | No | $20 |
| Hermes Agent | Yes, self-hosted | Yes, self-configured | Yes, BYOK | No | Free |
| OpenClaw | Yes, self-hosted | Yes, self-configured | Yes, BYOK | No | Free |
| ChatGPT | No | Its own browser, connectors | OpenAI | No | Free |
| Manus | No | Browser Operator extension | Vendor | No | $20 |
| Gemini | No | Google apps | No | Free |
How to pick
- You want the best chat and do not need it to touch your accounts: ChatGPT or Claude.
- You live in Google Workspace: Gemini.
- You want autonomous document work and are happy inside Anthropic: Cowork.
- You want a free agent on your own box and enjoy running infrastructure: Hermes.
- You want an agent on your machine and in your browser, any model, without operating it, and a list that tracks what is done: TODO for AI.
The honest summary is that the field split this year. Chat assistants got better at answering. A second group, Cowork, Hermes, OpenClaw, Manus and us, got better at acting. Buy from the group that matches your problem.