Comparison · Anthropic · verified 2026-09-17

TODO for AI
vs Claude Cowork

Anthropic's agentic mode: hand Claude a multi-step task and it works on its own, including scheduled runs in the cloud. Here is where each one wins, with numbers, and who should pick which.

Start free PricingClaude Cowork site
InterfaceClaude Desktop, web, mobile, Chrome side panelWeb, desktop, CLI, voice
ModelsAnthropic onlyEvery provider
SourceClosedEdge + CLI public
Starts at$20/moFree
Facts verified 2026-09-17. Pricing is public list price.
Every vendor
models, vs anthropic only
Your machines
PC, cloud VM, real Chrome
Any CLI
is an integration, not just MCP
Free
from, vs $20/mo
Architecture at a glance
Claude Cowork
Models
AnthropicAnthropic only
Runs in
Claude Desktop, web, mobile, Chrome side panel
Where it lives
Their sandbox
Produces
Research
Docs
Docs, research, browser
Code
SEO
Email
TODO for AI
Models
AnthropicOpenAIGooglexAIDeepSeekEvery provider
CROSS-VENDOR REVIEW
Runs in
Your PC
Cloud VM
Real Chrome
Voice
Where it lives
Always-on cloud VM · vault · your logins
Produces
Code
SEO
Email
Ads
Social
CRM
Struck-through outputs are outside Claude Cowork's scope. TODO for AI runs the same models plus the rest, from a machine that stays on.
The short version

Who should pick which

Choose Claude Cowork if
  • Anthropic models are all you need
  • Your autonomous work is documents, research and browsing rather than your own systems
  • You already pay for Claude and want no second tool
Choose TODO for AI if
  • You want Claude, GPT and Gemini on one task, reviewing each other before anything ships
  • You need a real shell on your own PC and a cloud VM you control
  • You want your existing CLI tools to be the integrations, not only MCP connectors
  • You want the agent in your real Chrome profile, with your sessions
Context

What Claude Cowork is, and where it stops

Cowork is Anthropic taking Claude Code's autonomy out of the repo and pointing it at everything else. You hand over a multi-step task and it works through it on its own: organising files, producing documents, researching, clicking through sites with its built-in browser. Scheduled tasks run on Anthropic's servers, so work continues with your laptop shut, and it is included on every paid plan rather than sold as an add-on. It is the most capable autonomous agent any big model vendor ships today.

It is also, by design, a Claude product end to end. Every step runs on Anthropic models, in Anthropic's sandbox, extended by MCP connectors. Which means no second vendor ever reviews the output, the agent never gets a shell on the machine your work actually lives on, and anything you want it to use has to exist as a connector rather than as the CLI tool you already have installed.

Claude subscribers who want autonomous document, research and browser work without leaving Anthropic.
Why people switch

Three reasons Claude Cowork users look elsewhere

01
One vendor grading its own homework

Plan, execution and review all come from Claude. There is no way to have GPT or Gemini check the work before it ships, which is exactly what you want on the long autonomous runs Cowork is built for.

02
Its computer, not yours

Sessions run in Anthropic's isolated environment. It is not a shell on your dev box, not your repo, not your already-logged-in Chrome profile with your sessions in it.

03
Connectors, not the tools you have

Reach is its browser plus whatever MCP exposes. The CLI you already use for deploys, ad accounts or your CRM is not a connector, so Cowork cannot simply pick it up.

Scores

Six dimensions that decide it

Six dimensions, 0 to 5
Claude CoworkTODO for AI
Model freedom1 · 5
Which vendors and models you can run
Long-running work4 · 5
Persistent machine, scheduling, parallel tasks
Beyond code3 · 5
Marketing, ops, browser, email, not only repos
Openness0 · 4
Source available, self-host, extend
Team & permissions3 · 4
Roles, pooled usage, tool approvals
Cost predictability3 · 5
Flat plan vs metered tokens
Feature by feature

What each one ships

FeatureClaude CoworkTODO for AI
Persistent cloud VM
An always-on machine. Files, logins and sessions survive between runs.
Their sandbox
Model choice
Anthropic only
Any provider
Cross-vendor review
Review GPT output with Claude, or the other way around.
Drives your real browser
Chrome extension plus cloud browsers.
Business tasks, not only code
SEO, email, ads, social, CRM via CLI tools.
Docs, research, browser
Any CLI as an integration
MCP connectors
Any binary
Voice control
Team roles, pooled usage
Per seat
Roles + pooled
Tool permissions
Permission modes
Allow, approve, block
Open runtime
Edge + CLI public
Pricing

Same ladder, different meter

TierClaude CoworkTODO for AI
EntryPro $20Free (Sonnet only), or Starter $20
MidMax 5x $100Pro $100
TopMax 20x $200Ultra $200
Team$25 standard / $125 premium per seat, min 2$30 standard / $120 premium per seat, min 2 seats incl. 1 premium, +$50 bonus pool
Claude Cowork · what it meters

Rolling 5-hour windows plus a weekly cap, shared with Claude chat. An agentic run consumes many chat turns worth, so windows go fast. Paid plans can continue at API rates.

TODO for AI · what it meters

One pool priced in dollars of model cost, spendable on any vendor. Session and weekly windows pace it, and a 1.3-1.5x plan multiplier applies, so a $20 plan is about $15 of list-price API. Team seat prices go into one shared pool.

USD per month, monthly billing, public list prices as of 2026-09-17.
Verdict

Bottom line

Our take
Cowork is a genuinely strong autonomous agent and the obvious choice if you are happy inside Anthropic. TODO for AI is what you pick when you want several vendors' models working on the same task and reviewing each other, and when the agent needs a real shell on your machine, your logged-in browser and whatever CLI tools your work already depends on.
FAQ

Common questions

Is TODO for AI a Claude Cowork alternative?
Yes, and an honest one: Cowork is good. The difference is that TODO for AI runs every vendor's models rather than Anthropic's alone, gets a real shell on your own machine and cloud VM, and treats any CLI you install as an integration.
Can I use Claude models in TODO for AI?
Yes, the same Claude models, plus GPT, Gemini and Grok on the same plan, so one can review the other.
Does Cowork run when my laptop is closed?
Yes, scheduled Cowork tasks run in Anthropic's cloud. TODO for AI does the same on a cloud VM that is yours, keeps state between runs, and can also drive your own PC when a task needs it.
Which is cheaper?
The ladders are nearly identical ($20 / $100 / $200). Cowork shares Claude's 5-hour and weekly windows; TODO for AI meters a dollar pool spendable on any vendor, so you can run cheap models for cheap steps.