Short answer: Perplexity Computer: Perplexity's agent for end-to-end projects: it plans the work, picks the right model for each step, connects to hundreds of apps and hands back finished research, reports, dashboards and apps. Since 20 Oct 2026 it can also run fully on your Mac. ChatGPT Work: OpenAI's agent inside ChatGPT for longer, multi-step work: it works across your connected apps and files, stays with a project for hours and hands back finished docs, sheets, slides, reports and Sites.
Perplexity Computer vs ChatGPT Work
Sourced facts only. “Unknown” means not verified yet.
Key facts side by side
| Criterion | Perplexity Computer | ChatGPT Work |
|---|---|---|
| Type | business agent | business agent |
| Vendor | Perplexity | OpenAI |
| Channels / category | Web, iOS app, Perplexity desktop app for Mac and Windows (Personal Computer), Slack; fully local mode on supported Apple silicon Macs | ChatGPT on web, mobile and the new desktop app (Mac, Windows); connects to Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, SharePoint, email, calendars, CRMs and project trackers via plugins |
| Pricing / availability | Included in Perplexity Pro (USD 17/month billed annually, with weekly Computer usage) and Max (USD 167/month billed annually, 10,000 credits a month), plus Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max. Extra credits: 100 credits = USD 1. Fully local tasks on Mac do not use Computer credits | Web and mobile: paid ChatGPT plans except Free and Go (Plus USD 20/month; Pro USD 100, 200 or 500/month; Business Standard seat USD 25/month or USD 20/month billed annually; Enterprise and Edu). Desktop app: available on every plan, including Free. Usage draws on the plan's included usage, like Codex |
| Launched | 2026-02-26 | 2026-07-09 |
| Funding (reported) | n/a (Perplexity product) | n/a (OpenAI product) |
| Channels confirmed | Web, Mobile app, Desktop app, Slack | Web, Mobile app, Slack, Microsoft Teams |
| Verified facts | Launched 26 Feb 2026 for Max subscribers on the web; it breaks a project into steps, delegates to specialised agents and orchestrates work across 19 models; Opened to all Pro subscribers on web and iOS on 12 Mar 2026, along with Enterprise plans and Computer in Slack, which answers DMs and channel mentions and schedules recurring workflows; Personal Computer, the desktop app rebuilt around Computer, gives it local files, native apps, voice control and an always-on desktop experience on Mac and Windows; Hybrid Compute on Mac (1 Sep 2026) splits a task between cloud models and a local model; an on-device privacy gate can mask, keep local, refuse or ask before sensitive data leaves the Mac; Since 20 Oct 2026 Computer can run fully local on supported Apple silicon Macs: the model, agent, planning, reasoning and file processing stay on the device; Fully local mode works across Notes, Messages, Mail, Keynote and Numbers and launches with Qwen 3.6 or PPLX Pro, a post-trained version of Qwen; 36 GB of unified memory or more is recommended; Local tasks do not consume Computer credits; users can authorise escalation to the cloud for current information, browser use, connected apps or one of 15+ frontier models; Code and tool execution run in isolated sandbox environments with controlled access to files and connected apps; Pro: USD 17/month billed annually, with weekly Computer usage and a one-time 4,000-credit bonus; Max: USD 167/month billed annually with 10,000 credits a month; Credits cost USD 1 per 100; a multi-step research report typically uses 350 to 950 credits | Launched 9 Jul 2026 as an agent in ChatGPT, powered by Codex technology and GPT-5.6 at launch; Researches and analyzes information across connected apps and files and creates finished documents, spreadsheets, presentations, reports and Sites; Can stay with a complex project for hours by breaking it into smaller steps; you can follow progress, answer questions, change direction and approve important actions; Scheduled Tasks run once, on a schedule or trigger, or monitor for changes; since 25 Aug 2026 they can react to webhooks such as new Gmail messages, Slack channel messages and GitHub pull request activity; On desktop it can use local files and apps with your permission, a built-in browser and Computer Use; Enterprise and Edu admins control access, connected tools and actions; the Compliance API gives visibility into Work conversations and actions, and Auto-review checks important actions before they happen; GPT-6.1 Sol available in ChatGPT Work to Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu users from 29 Sep 2026; On 22 Oct 2026 Uber began rolling ChatGPT Work out to more than 30,000 employees after a 1,000-person pilot, with GPT-6.1 Sol as the default model; Web and mobile: paid plans except Free and Go; desktop app: every plan, including Free; ChatGPT Plus costs USD 20/month, billed monthly; ChatGPT Pro comes as Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500 (USD 100, 200 and 500/month); ChatGPT Business Standard seats (USD 25/month, or USD 20/month billed annually) include ChatGPT Work; Premium seats cost USD 125/month or USD 100/month billed annually |
| Website | https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/perplexity-computer-now-runs-fully-local-on-mac | https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-for-your-most-ambitious-work/ |
| Sources | [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] | [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] |
| Last checked | 2026-11-11 | 2026-11-11 |
Frequently asked questions
What is Perplexity Computer?
Perplexity's agent for end-to-end projects: it plans the work, picks the right model for each step, connects to hundreds of apps and hands back finished research, reports, dashboards and apps. Since 20 Oct 2026 it can also run fully on your Mac.
What is ChatGPT Work?
OpenAI's agent inside ChatGPT for longer, multi-step work: it works across your connected apps and files, stays with a project for hours and hands back finished docs, sheets, slides, reports and Sites.
How much does Perplexity Computer cost?
Included in Perplexity Pro (USD 17/month billed annually, with weekly Computer usage) and Max (USD 167/month billed annually, 10,000 credits a month), plus Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max. Extra credits: 100 credits = USD 1. Fully local tasks on Mac do not use Computer credits
How much does ChatGPT Work cost?
Web and mobile: paid ChatGPT plans except Free and Go (Plus USD 20/month; Pro USD 100, 200 or 500/month; Business Standard seat USD 25/month or USD 20/month billed annually; Enterprise and Edu). Desktop app: available on every plan, including Free. Usage draws on the plan's included usage, like Codex
Are Perplexity Computer and ChatGPT Work the same type of agent?
Perplexity Computer is listed as a business agent and ChatGPT Work as a business agent.
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