Open Source Claude Cowork — Free Desktop AI Agent with 500+ Tools
One-Line Flow: Download app → connect AI models → use 500+ integrations (Slack, Gmail, GitHub, Drive) → build automated workflows free
Why this matters: Claude Cowork normally costs money and only works with Claude models. This open-source version gives you the same AI agent capabilities for free—connect any AI (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Grok), access 500+ tools (Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, GitHub), and automate workflows without paying Anthropic. You’re getting enterprise AI agent functionality on your desktop, zero subscription cost.
What This Actually Is (Claude Cowork but Free)
Original Claude Cowork: Anthropic’s paid desktop app. AI agent that can read files, send emails, post to Slack, manage tasks—basically AI that controls your apps.
This open-source version: Built with Claude Agent SDK + Composio Tool Router. Replicates all Cowork features, adds more models, stays free forever.
What you get:
500+ integrations — Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, GitHub, Notion, Jira, Trello, etc.
Multi-model support — Claude Opus, Haiku, GPT-4, GPT-5, Grok, Gemini (not just Claude)
Persistent chat sessions — Conversations save across multiple chats
Real-time streaming — See tool calls happen live
Desktop app — No browser, runs natively
Open source — Modify, self-host, no vendor lock-in
The difference:
- Claude Cowork (official): Paid, Claude models only, closed source
- Open Claude Cowork: Free, any AI model, open source, more tools
You’re getting better functionality for $0.
What You Can Actually Do With It
Real use cases:
Automate work across apps:
- “Send this doc to the team on Slack and create a Jira ticket”
- “Read my Gmail, summarize important emails, reply to urgent ones”
- “Pull latest code from GitHub, review it, post findings in Slack”
Manage projects:
- “Create Notion page from this meeting transcript”
- “Update Trello board with tasks from this email thread”
- “Schedule Google Calendar events based on Slack messages”
Research and analysis:
- “Search Google Drive for files about X, summarize them”
- “Pull GitHub issues, analyze patterns, create report”
- “Check Slack channels for mentions of Y, compile list”
Personal productivity:
- “Draft email reply based on this conversation”
- “Organize my files in Google Drive by project”
- “Summarize today’s Slack messages I missed”
The power: AI doesn’t just chat—it actually uses your tools. Think ChatGPT but it can read/write files, send emails, post to Slack, manage GitHub, etc.
How to Get Started (For Non-Coders)
What you need:
- Desktop (Windows/Mac/Linux)
- API keys for AI models you want to use (Claude, GPT-4, etc.)
- 10 minutes to set up
Step 1: Download the app
GitHub link: https://github.com/ComposioHQ/open-claude-cowork
Click “Code” → Download ZIP (or clone if you know Git)
Step 2: Install dependencies
Follow README instructions (usually npm install or similar). If you’re not technical, look for “Installation” section in GitHub docs.
Step 3: Add API keys
Get keys from:
- Claude: https://console.anthropic.com/
- OpenAI (GPT-4): https://platform.openai.com/
- Google (Gemini): https://ai.google.dev/
Paste into config file (README tells you where).
Step 4: Connect tools
Composio handles 500+ integrations. Connect the ones you need:
- Slack, Gmail, Google Drive (OAuth login)
- GitHub (personal access token)
- Others as needed
Step 5: Launch app
Run the desktop app. Start chatting. AI can now use your connected tools.
Reality check: If you’re not comfortable with GitHub/APIs, this might be overwhelming. Look for pre-built releases or wait for easier installers.
Why Open Source > Paid Cowork
Advantages of this version:
Free forever — No subscription ($0 vs Anthropic’s pricing)
Multi-model — Use Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, Grok (not locked to Claude)
More integrations — 500+ tools via Composio (official Cowork has fewer)
Self-hosted — Your data stays local, no cloud dependency
Customizable — Edit code, add features, build plugins
No vendor lock-in — Anthropic can’t kill it or change pricing
Trade-offs:
Setup required — Not one-click install (yet)
No official support — Community-driven, not enterprise helpdesk
Updates slower — Depends on maintainers, not Anthropic’s team
Who should use this:
- Developers comfortable with GitHub
- People who want multi-model support
- Anyone avoiding subscriptions
- Teams needing self-hosted AI agents
Who should stick with official Cowork:
- Non-technical users wanting zero setup
- People who value official support
- Enterprise teams needing SLAs
Bottom line: Open-source clone of Claude Cowork. Desktop app connects any AI model (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, Grok) to 500+ tools (Slack, Gmail, Drive, GitHub). Free forever, self-hosted, more integrations than official version. Setup requires GitHub/API comfort, but once running you’ve got enterprise AI agent capabilities without subscriptions.
Link: https://github.com/ComposioHQ/open-claude-cowork
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