Claude Duet vs OpenAI Dots vs Meta Muse: which personal AI agent fits your business?
In eight weeks, Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic have each launched an AI agent that works on your behalf in the background: Muse, Dots and Claude Duet. They sound alike, but they differ in who can get them, what they cost, where you talk to them and how much they will do without asking. Here is a side-by-side comparison for business owners.
By Monolith
Picture a florist who runs the shop, the deliveries and the books. His days are a stream of small jobs: answer the wedding inquiry, chase the unpaid invoice from the restaurant, reorder ribbon, move the Saturday delivery. For years AI could help with each of those only while he sat and typed. This fall, the three biggest AI companies started selling something different: an agent that keeps working on its own and checks in when it needs him.
Meta launched Muse in September, calling it a personal AI agent built for everyone. OpenAI followed with dots at its September DevDay, always-on agents running on its flagship model. On October 21, Anthropic opened a research preview of Claude Duet, aimed squarely at professionals and small business owners. All three have their own computer in the cloud, connect to your apps, keep working after you close the app and ask before important actions. The differences are in the details. 123
- Sept 8, 2026Meta launches MuseAvailableA free personal agent in its own app, on the web and in WhatsApp, rolling out in the US.
- Sept 29, 2026OpenAI introduces dotsAvailableAlways-on agents in ChatGPT, Slack and Teams, powered by GPT-6 Astra.
- Oct 21, 2026Anthropic previews Claude DuetAvailableA proactive agent app for US Claude Pro and Max subscribers, by waitlist.
- Oct 27, 2026Muse reaches SingaporeAvailableMeta brings Muse to users in Singapore.
The three at a glance
| Claude Duet | OpenAI dots | Meta Muse | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic | OpenAI | Meta |
| Model | Claude Opus 5.5 | GPT-6 Astra | Muse Spark |
| Where you use it | Its own app on iOS, Android and claude.ai | ChatGPT, Slack and Teams, plus voice calls | Muse app, muse.ai and WhatsApp |
| Who can get it | US Claude Pro, Max and Ultra, by waitlist | ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium; Enterprise beta | Anyone in launch markets |
| Cost | Included in Pro, Max and Ultra during preview | First dot included in Pro and Business Premium | Free with a usage limit; paid plans from $20 a month |
| Connected apps | 6,000+ connectors and plugins | 4,000+ apps through plugins | Apps you choose to connect |
| Own cloud computer | Yes, with its own browser | Yes, and it can use your laptop if you allow it | Yes, Muse Secure VM with a browser |
| Works while you are away | Yes; checks your accounts every few hours | Yes; read-only background research | Yes; returns when something changes |
Who can actually use them
Access is the biggest practical difference. Muse is the only one built for everyone: Meta says it is free for most of what people need, rolling out first in the US on iOS, Android and muse.ai, with Singapore added on October 27. 3
Dots sit behind ChatGPT's higher-priced plans. OpenAI is rolling them out to Pro and Business Premium users in eligible markets, with Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare workspaces able to try a beta once an admin switches it on. OpenAI's help center adds that texting a dot from your phone is now in a limited beta for some US Pro users. Claude Duet is the most limited: a research preview for US subscribers on Claude's Pro and Max plans, with access through a waitlist. 12 Anthropic's help center now lists its newer Ultra plan as eligible too.
What each one costs
Duet and dots come bundled into existing paid plans, while Muse is free with paid plans of its own. Muse is free up to a usage limit, and Meta sells two subscriptions for more: Power at $20 a month and Maximum at $100 a month, with weekly allowances that rise with the plan. Duet is included in Claude's Pro, Max and Ultra plans during the preview and draws on the same usage limits as the rest of Claude. Your first dot is included in ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium; chatting with it does not count against your ChatGPT limits, though tasks it runs in Codex or ChatGPT Work do. 124
| Agent | Cheapest way in | Heavier use | What counts against limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Muse | Free, with a usage limit | Power $20 or Maximum $100 a month | A usage allowance that grows with the plan |
| Claude Duet | Claude Pro, by waitlist | Claude Max or Ultra | Its background checks and tasks, like any Claude chat |
| OpenAI dots | ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium | More dots and capacity planned | Tasks in Codex or ChatGPT Work, not chats with the dot |
Want the full detail on Anthropic's agent, including plan prices and its limits? Our Claude Duet guide covers it.
What they will do without asking
Every personal agent has to decide when to act and when to stop and ask. All three read, draft and research on their own, and all three are built to check with you before consequential actions such as sending messages or spending money. The way they enforce that differs. 123
| Claude Duet | OpenAI dots | Meta Muse | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asks before | Sending, paying, signing or deleting | Actions that could affect your accounts or share information, per your rules | Sending an email or making a purchase |
| Who checks the action | A separate classifier judges whether it matches your intent | Auto-review against your instructions, Custom Rules and safety requirements | A separate Sentinel agent must approve anything that reaches the internet |
| Your controls | Approve each action; disconnect any app | Custom Rules to allow, require approval or block actions | Choose each app's access level, such as read-only email |
| Never, even if you approve | Trading securities, moving money between accounts | Some sensitive tasks, such as changing a password, stay with you | Not specified |
| See what it did | Notifications when a task finishes or needs review | Activity View, and you can open its computer | A complete audit trail of past and planned actions |
Passwords, payments and privacy
All three keep your passwords away from the AI model itself. Anthropic says Duet never directly sees your passwords or sign-in tokens. Dots can sign into supported sites with saved passwords without exposing them to the model. Muse stores credentials in secure storage it can use without seeing, and cannot see passwords you type into its browser yourself. Duet and Muse both plan 1Password support. 123
For purchases, Duet and Muse both use Link, Stripe's digital wallet, which pays with a virtual card so your real card number stays hidden. Meta says Muse is the first AI agent covered by Link's purchase protections, such as cover for damaged or lost items and no-fee returns on eligible purchases, and that Shop Pay is coming. Duet supports Shop Pay already. OpenAI's announcement does not describe purchases by dots. 13
On data, OpenAI says it does not use content from ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu workspaces to train its models by default, and personal-plan users can choose. Meta says Muse does not share your conversations or data with its ads systems, that you can opt out of your interactions being used for training, and that a Confidential VM encrypting everything with a key only you hold is coming later this year. 23
Which one fits your business
The honest answer is that it depends less on which agent is smartest and more on where you already work. Here is how we would choose.
| If you... | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Want to try a personal agent for free | Meta Muse | The only one with a free tier |
| Run the business from email, QuickBooks or Stripe | Claude Duet | Built for owners; strict approval rules on money |
| Already pay for ChatGPT Pro or work in Slack or Teams | OpenAI dots | Lives where your team already talks |
| Talk to customers or suppliers on WhatsApp | Meta Muse | Works directly inside WhatsApp |
| Want an agent that builds software or reports | OpenAI dots or Claude Duet | Both handle larger projects in the background |
| Handle sensitive client data | Wait, or start read-only | All three are new; test on low-risk accounts first |
Start safely, whichever you pick
The same habits apply to all three. Each step below has a check to pass before you give the agent more.
- Connect read-onlyStart with calendar and one inbox, with read-only access where the agent allows it.Before giving it moreIts daily summaries are useful and accurate
- Let it draftAllow it to write replies and documents, but send nothing yourself without reading.Before giving it moreIts drafts need only light edits
- Add one money appConnect invoicing, such as Stripe or QuickBooks, for reminders you approve.Before giving it moreEvery amount and recipient is right
- Set your rulesDecide what always needs approval and what it may never do, using its controls.Before giving it moreRules are written down and switched on
- Review weeklyRead its activity log and correct anything it misjudged.Before giving it moreNo surprises in a week of logs
Anthropic and OpenAI both say their agents can make mistakes, and any agent that reads your email and the web can be targeted by hidden instructions in what it reads. That is why the approval steps matter. The safest agent is the one whose approvals you actually read.
Comparing the models behind these agents? Our OpenAI DevDay guide covers dots and GPT-6.1 Sol.
Monolith's take: Meta Muse is the easiest way to try a personal agent, because it is free and works in WhatsApp. OpenAI's dots suit teams already living in ChatGPT, Slack or Teams. Claude Duet is the most clearly designed for small business owners, with the strictest rules around money, but it is US-only and waitlisted. Whichever you choose, start read-only and earn trust before connecting money.
What is the difference between Claude Duet, OpenAI dots and Meta Muse?
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Want an AI agent set up for your business with the right access, rules and checks? That is what we build.
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