The open-source alternative to Claude Cowork
Looking for something like Claude Cowork, but open source and free to start? Alfera is the AI coworker your whole team shares: a company brain that syncs your apps, connections shared per person or per team, permissions on every action, and Slack, WhatsApp and email. Self-host it in one click, or start on Alfera Cloud.
In one line: Alfera is open source with a company brain, vs a closed agent inside Claude's apps.
| Claude CoworkAI agent for desktop and cloud work | Open source, or Alfera Cloud | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Anthropic's agent mode in Claude that works across your files, apps and browser; now merged with Claude chat into one Claude. | The AI coworker your whole team shares, with a company brain that syncs your apps. Open source. | |
| Open source | No | Yes, AGPL-3.0 | |
| Self-host | Not published | Yes: one click on DigitalOcean or AWS, or one command on any server | |
| Price | Pro $17/month billed yearly ($20 monthly); Team $20/seat/month yearly ($25 monthly) | Free to start: open source to self-host, and Alfera Cloud starts with $10 of free AI usage | |
| Where it works | macOS and Windows desktop app, Web app, iOS and Android app, Chrome side panel, Slack (Claude Tag, beta on Team and Enterprise) | Slack, WhatsApp, email from its own address, the web app, a Mac app, the API and MCP | |
| Team use | Team and Enterprise plans with admin settings. Cowork sessions can't be shared; artifacts can. In Slack, anyone in a channel can tag @Claude (beta). | Multiplayer: one coworker for the whole team. It knows who is asking, and each connection is shared with everyone, one project, or one person | |
| Permissions | Three approval modes: Manual (asks on each action, default), Auto (auto-reviews, blocks unsafe ones), Skip. Admins can require approval for writes. | Allow, ask first, or never, per connection and per action. Approvals in Slack, email or the app, and every action logged | |
| Starts on its own | Scheduled tasks: hourly, daily, weekly, weekdays, or manual; they run remotely while your computer is off. Slack standing instructions (beta). | On a schedule, from a webhook, or on 600+ app events | |
| Models | Claude models; you can pick the model for a scheduled task. Other providers or bring your own key: Not published. | 230+ models: Claude, GPT, Gemini, open models, your ChatGPT plan, or your own |
Where Claude Cowork is the better choice
People and teams on Claude paid plans who want Claude to finish research, documents, spreadsheets and decks across their tools.
- Reads and writes local files on your computer through the Claude Desktop app
- Built-in browser and computer use, so it can work on sites that have no connector
- Three plain approval modes (Manual, Auto, Skip), with an Auto mode that reviews each action for safety
Everything Alfera does
- A company brain that syncs your apps. Connect Google Drive, Notion, Slack and the rest. Documents sync on their own, keep every version, and every answer draws on them.
- One coworker for the whole team. It knows who is asking. Many people, many tasks at once, each with their own chats and connections, and shared chats when you want.
- 3,000+ app connections, shared the way you choose. Each connection is open to everyone, one project, or one person. A personal mailbox stays personal; the support inbox is the team’s.
- Permissions on every action. Allow, ask first, or never, per connection and per action. Approvals land in Slack, email or the app, and every action is logged.
- Where your team already is. Slack, WhatsApp, email from its own address, the web app, a Mac app, and your own code through the API and MCP.
- It starts work by itself. On a schedule, from a webhook, or on 600+ app events in Gmail, HubSpot, Stripe and more.
- Its own computer. Every chat runs in a sandbox with a terminal and a browser, and its files stay from one chat to the next.
- Any model. 230+ models: Claude, GPT, Gemini, open models, your ChatGPT plan, or a model you run yourself.
- Open source, and free to start. AGPL-3.0. Self-host it in one click on DigitalOcean or AWS, or start on Alfera Cloud with $10 of free AI usage.
Claude Cowork and Alfera
Alfera. Alfera is the AI coworker your whole team shares. It has a company brain that syncs your apps, 3,000+ app connections shared per person or per team, permissions on every action, and it works in Slack, WhatsApp, email and the web app. It starts work by itself, runs on any model, and it is open source: self-host it in one click or start free on Alfera Cloud. Claude Cowork is not open source.
If you want something like Claude Cowork, but open source and free to start, with a company brain that syncs your apps, connections shared per person or per team, and permissions on every action, pick Alfera. It works in Slack, WhatsApp and email, starts work by itself, and runs on any model.
Claude Cowork: Pro $17/month billed yearly ($20 monthly); Team $20/seat/month yearly ($25 monthly). Alfera: Free to start: open source to self-host, and Alfera Cloud starts with $10 of free AI usage.
Claude Cowork: Not published. Alfera: Yes: one click on DigitalOcean or AWS, or one command on any server.
People and teams on Claude paid plans who want Claude to finish research, documents, spreadsheets and decks across their tools. Reads and writes local files on your computer through the Claude Desktop app. Built-in browser and computer use, so it can work on sites that have no connector. Three plain approval modes (Manual, Auto, Skip), with an Auto mode that reviews each action for safety.
Sources
Facts about Claude Cowork come from its own pages, read on 16 October 2026. Something out of date? Write to hello@alfera.ai and we will fix it.