ChatGPT Dots is OpenAI's new always-on agent, and it can already be messaged in Slack and Microsoft Teams. If your team needs something it does not offer yet, there are three kinds of alternative: a shared agent built for Slack and Teams (Runbear), an enterprise search and agent platform (GoSearch), and another personal agent (Meta Muse). Zapier MCP is a fourth option that adds actions to an agent you already use.
Plans and prices below were checked on October 7, 2026. Dots launched on September 29, so details are still moving.
Why people look for a ChatGPT Dots alternative
Dots launched on September 29, 2026. Three limits show up in the reporting.
- Access is limited. Dots is rolling out to ChatGPT Pro, Business Premium and Enterprise users, and Enterprise starts as a beta that an admin must turn on. OpenAI says Pro access excludes the EEA, Switzerland and the UK.
- The cost is not settled. Dots comes with ChatGPT Pro (from $100/month) or a Business Premium seat ($100 per user/month billed annually), and each account starts with one Dot. OpenAI offers extended limits for the first month after launch and has not said what follows.
- You hand an agent your accounts. Wired notes that agents can be tricked or can share information you did not intend, and that your ChatGPT model-training setting carries over to your interactions with Dots. Dots ask for approval before sensitive actions, and you can set custom rules. And a Dot is personal: OpenAI says only its owner can direct it, it uses the owner's connected apps, and other people's messages or mentions in a channel do not start work for it. That is a poor fit when a whole team needs to send requests to the same agent.
ChatGPT Dots alternatives compared
| Runbear | GoSearch | Meta Muse | Zapier MCP | |
| Best for | A shared agent for a team in Slack or Teams | Company-wide search, answers and workflows | One person's tasks and errands | Giving an agent actions across many apps |
| Where it runs | Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord | GoSearch web app and browser, plus agents you can tag in Slack or Teams | Muse app on web, Mac, iOS and Android (US and Canada) | Inside an MCP-enabled AI client |
| Pricing model | Credits, not seats: Team $99/month, Business $399/month | Free plan; Pro $20 per user/month; Enterprise by quote | Free tier plus paid subscription plans | Plans by Zapier; sharing a server needs a Team or Enterprise plan |
| Permissions | Per-user auth for connected tools on shared agents | Permission-aware answers based on source permissions | Per connector: read-only or full action | Governed by the user's connections and permissions |
| Reach | 2,000+ tools | 100+ workplace apps | Dozens of connectors, plus a Zapier connector | 9,000+ apps and 40,000 actions |
Runbear: a shared agent for Slack and Teams
Runbear puts named agents such as @HR or @SalesOps in the channel your team already uses. When the agent calls a connected tool such as Salesforce or Google Drive, it uses the asking person's own account, not a shared service account. Documents indexed into an agent's knowledge base are shared by everyone who can use that agent.
It is priced by usage, not seats. Team is $99/month for 20,000 credits and five builders; Business is $399/month for 100,000 credits and adds bring-your-own model key, SAML/SSO and an audit log of configuration changes. Credits depend on the model each task uses, and each agent can run on Claude, GPT or Gemini.
Where Runbear fits less well: it is not a personal assistant for errands, it does not run its own browser, and it acts through 2,000+ tools, where Dots lists more than 4,000 apps.
GoSearch: company knowledge first
GoSearch positions itself around the company's knowledge layer rather than one person's conversation. GoSearch says it connects more than 100 workplace apps, returns permission-aware answers, and supports no-code custom agents that you can tag in Slack or Teams. It is model-agnostic, lists OpenAI, Anthropic and Google models, and lists SOC 2 Type II compliance. Pricing starts with a free plan, Pro is $20 per user per month, and Enterprise is quoted.
Meta Muse: a personal agent with a free tier
Muse is the closest consumer rival to Dots. It has a free tier and paid subscription plans; Meta's announcements do not list prices, and third-party reports differ. Meta lists dozens of connectors, including Dropbox, Notion and Slack, and Zapier says its connector will add 9,000+ apps as Meta rolls it out. It asks before consequential actions.
For a team in Slack, the gap is the channel. Slack is a connector Muse can use, but Meta does not describe Muse as an agent your team can @-mention in a channel, and Microsoft Teams is not on its connector list. Muse is also limited to the US and Canada.
Zapier MCP: the action layer
Zapier MCP is not an agent. It is a hosted MCP endpoint that lets an AI client run actions in 9,000+ apps, limited to the apps and actions you approve. Zapier says its connector is available in Muse, with a staged rollout. Pick it when you already have an agent and need it to act in more places. It does not give you a Slack-native teammate by itself.
How to choose
- Your team shares one agent in Slack or Teams, and each person has different access: Runbear.
- Your first problem is finding company knowledge: GoSearch.
- You want a personal agent for yourself, and a free trial matters: Meta Muse.
- You want to keep an agent you already have and add more actions: Zapier MCP.
- You want OpenAI's own always-on agent and are on an eligible ChatGPT plan: Dots itself, with its own cloud computer, browser and voice calls.
Run one real request through two options before you decide. For a wider list of Slack-native tools, see 8 AI Agent Tools for Slack in 2026, Compared.
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to ChatGPT Dots?
Meta Muse has a free tier. Dots requires an eligible paid ChatGPT plan. Runbear's pricing page says you can start free, and its paid Team plan is $99/month.
Which Dots alternative works in Slack and Microsoft Teams?
Runbear runs in both, and GoSearch agents can be tagged in both. You can message your own Dot in both, but only its owner can direct it. Meta does not describe Muse as an agent you @-mention in a Slack or Teams channel.
Do these alternatives use per-user permissions?
Runbear calls connected tools with the asking person's own account; documents indexed into an agent are shared by everyone who can use it. GoSearch describes permission-aware answers based on source permissions. Muse sets permissions per connector. A Dot uses its owner's connections.
Is ChatGPT Dots available to everyone?
No. It is limited to eligible ChatGPT plans and regions, and Enterprise starts as an admin-enabled beta.
Sources
- The Verge, OpenAI launches Dots, its Muse competitor: https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1002033/openai-dots-launch-muse-competitor
- WIRED, OpenAI's Dots Are Always-On AI Agents: https://www.wired.com/story/openai-dots-always-on-ai-agents-that-proactively-help
- OpenAI, Dots documentation: https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/dots
- OpenAI Help, Manage dots in ChatGPT workspaces: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001554-manage-dots-in-chatgpt-workspaces
- OpenAI Help, About ChatGPT Pro tiers: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9793128-about-chatgpt-pro-tiers
- OpenAI Help, ChatGPT Business overview: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8792828-chatgpt-business-overview
- Meta, Introducing Muse for small business: https://about.fb.com/news/2026/09/introducing-muse-small-business/
- GoSearch pricing: https://www.gosearch.ai/product/pricing
- GoSearch agents: https://www.gosearch.ai/product/agents
- Zapier, Meta Muse AI agent: https://zapier.com/blog/muse-ai
- Zapier, Meta selects Zapier as named Connector inside Muse: https://zapier.com/blog/zapier-connector-in-muse
- Runbear pricing: https://runbear.io/pricing
- Runbear for teams: https://runbear.io/teams