Short answer: Claude Duet is Anthropic's new proactive agent, opened as a research preview on 21 October 2026. It sends you a morning brief, keeps an eye on your connected apps, takes on tasks in its own cloud computer and checks with you before it sends, pays, signs or deletes anything. It is included in Claude Pro and Max for US users, via a waitlist.

By Agent Playbox Editorial · Published · Updated

Claude Duet: Anthropic's proactive AI agent for work

Key facts

What did Anthropic launch on 21 October 2026?

On 21 October 2026 Anthropic opened a research preview of Claude Duet, “a new app where Claude works as a proactive agent” (Anthropic announcement). In its own words, Duet comes to you with what needs your attention, completes tasks you ask of it, keeps working when you step away and checks with you before it acts on your behalf (Claude on X).

Anthropic says it built Duet for professionals and small business owners “with more on their plates than they can track”. The Verge and CNBC both framed the launch as Anthropic’s answer to Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots, which arrived in September.

What does Claude Duet actually do?

A morning brief and a quiet day

Each morning, Duet sends a short brief on the most important items across your connected apps, such as email and calendar, and can start first steps like drafting replies for you to review. Through the day it checks those apps every few hours and messages you only when something needs you (Anthropic, Help Center).

Bigger jobs, done in the background

You message Duet like a person, by typing or by voice, in one ongoing thread, with optional channels for separate topics that share the same memory. Tasks range from scheduling meetings to building dashboards, financial or sales forecasts, prototypes and web apps. Duet has its own virtual machine with a browser, so it keeps going after you close the app, and finished work lands in a Make tab as files you can edit (Help Center).

Built on the Claude you already use

Duet carries over the memory, skills and connected apps from your Claude account, so there is little to set up (Anthropic). Anthropic lists examples across the more than 6,000 connectors and plugins in the Claude Marketplace: finding missed Gmail and Slack messages, checking QuickBooks or Stripe for unpaid invoices and drafting reminders, preparing payroll in Gusto, drafting HubSpot follow-ups and getting agreements ready for Docusign. It can also buy things you approve with Stripe’s Link or Shopify’s Shop Pay, using a one-time card per purchase.

How does Claude Duet keep you in control?

Duet reads, drafts and prepares work on its own, but before it sends a message, makes a payment, signs a document or deletes anything, it shows you exactly what it is about to do and waits for your approval. Some actions stay off-limits even with approval, such as trading securities or moving money between accounts, and you can disconnect any app at any time (Anthropic).

Anthropic says Duet never directly sees your passwords or sign-in tokens, and that a new dedicated classifier checks each message and rejects requests to share the strictest tier of information, such as credit card numbers and government ID (Claude on X). When it gives you a number or a summary, it tells you which email, file or spreadsheet it came from (Help Center).

How much does Claude Duet cost and who can use it?

During the research preview, Duet is included with Claude Pro and Max at no extra cost (Help Center). Pro costs USD 20 a month, or USD 17 a month billed annually, and Max starts at USD 100 a month (Claude pricing). Duet shares your plan’s usage limits, and its background checks count too, so larger jobs such as a financial model or a deck use more of your allowance. New preview users get one full limit reset, available until 30 November 2026.

Access is limited for now: you need a Pro or Max plan, a Claude account in the US and an invitation from the waitlist, and invitations go out in waves. Duet is not yet available on Team or Enterprise plans; Anthropic says it plans to bring it there later. It runs as a standalone app on iOS and Android and on the web at claude.ai. Pricing after the preview has not been announced.

What does Claude Duet mean for small businesses and professionals?

Duet’s pitch is simple: hand the agent the overview, and keep your own attention for the decisions. Early testers quoted by Anthropic describe exactly that. A real estate broker had Duet flag a property showing that sat on her calendar on the wrong day, and a restaurant owner with about 110 employees worked through invoices store by store, saying “I don’t need to open up 100 tabs” (Anthropic).

If you want to prepare for that kind of workflow, our morning briefing and bookkeeping helper templates describe similar routines, the invoice intake and filing use case shows the paperwork side, and the inbox triage skill covers the email basics.

How does Claude Duet compare with OpenAI Dots and Claude Cowork?

OpenAI Dots are always-on agents with their own cloud computer, launched at DevDay on 29 September 2026; read Claude Duet vs OpenAI Dots for a side-by-side view. Claude Cowork is Anthropic’s desktop workspace where you work alongside Claude on files and tools; Duet is the proactive, message-first counterpart that comes to you. See Claude Duet vs Claude Cowork.

On the consumer side, CNBC notes that Meta has mainly marketed Muse to consumers, while Anthropic says Duet is built around work, so personal errands such as booking tickets are “not quite as strong” yet (CNBC). Read more in our Dots launch story and Muse launch story.

What should you watch next?

Anthropic says it will share more about Duet’s safety design in the coming days, and that what it learns from early users will shape how Duet and the main Claude app work together. Watch for wider access beyond the US and to Team and Enterprise plans, Microsoft 365 support, the promised 1Password sign-in, and pricing after the preview. We will update the Claude Duet profile as new facts are confirmed.

Timeline: how did we get here?

Agent snapshot: what do we know so far?

Facts below come from the agent profiles in our directory, each linked to its source.

Claude Duet at a glance

Full Claude Duet profile

OpenAI Dots at a glance

Full OpenAI Dots profile

Claude Cowork at a glance

Full Claude Cowork profile

Related comparisons and guides

Agents in this story

Claude Duet

business agent

Anthropic's proactive agent for professionals and small business owners: it briefs you each morning, watches your connected apps, takes on tasks in its own cloud computer and asks before it acts.

OpenAI Dots

business agent

Always-on agents powered by GPT-6 Astra, each with its own cloud computer, working towards your goals 24/7.

Claude Cowork

business agent

Agentic workspace for non-coding knowledge work: give it a goal and it works across your files and tools.

Frequently asked questions

What is Claude Duet?

Claude Duet is Anthropic's proactive AI agent. It sends a morning brief, watches your connected apps, takes on tasks in its own cloud computer and asks for approval before consequential actions.

When did Claude Duet launch?

Anthropic opened the research preview on 21 October 2026, starting with Pro and Max subscribers in the US via a waitlist.

How much does Claude Duet cost?

During the preview it is included with Claude Pro (USD 20 a month) and Max (from USD 100 a month) at no extra cost, using the plan's usage limits. Pricing after the preview is not announced.

Is Claude Duet available outside the US?

Not yet. The research preview is US-only and not yet available on Team or Enterprise plans.

Can Claude Duet spend money on its own?

No. It asks before every payment and uses a one-time card through Link or Shop Pay; trading securities and moving money between accounts are off-limits.

Sources

Updated