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. Claude Cowork: Agentic workspace for non-coding knowledge work: give it a goal and it works across your files and tools.
Perplexity Computer vs Claude Cowork
Sourced facts only. “Unknown” means not verified yet.
Key facts side by side
| Criterion | Perplexity Computer | Claude Cowork |
|---|---|---|
| Type | business agent | business agent |
| Vendor | Perplexity | Anthropic |
| Channels / category | Web, iOS app, Perplexity desktop app for Mac and Windows (Personal Computer), Slack; fully local mode on supported Apple silicon Macs | Desktop (macOS/Windows); web and mobile in beta |
| 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 | Paid Claude plans (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise) |
| Launched | 2026-02-26 | Unknown |
| Funding (reported) | n/a (Perplexity product) | Unknown |
| Channels confirmed | Web, Mobile app, Desktop app, Slack | Unknown |
| 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 | Reads, edits and creates files in folders you choose; Opens a browser for web tasks; Has scheduled tasks and projects; Same agentic architecture as Claude Code |
| Website | https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/perplexity-computer-now-runs-fully-local-on-mac | https://claude.com/product/cowork |
| Sources | [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] | [1] [2] |
| 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 Claude Cowork?
Agentic workspace for non-coding knowledge work: give it a goal and it works across your files and tools.
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 Claude Cowork cost?
Paid Claude plans (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise)
Are Perplexity Computer and Claude Cowork the same type of agent?
Perplexity Computer is listed as a business agent and Claude Cowork as a business agent.
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