Runbear vs ChatGPT

A ChatGPT for Slack alternative not tied to one model.

OpenAI now offers @ChatGPT and workspace agents in Slack for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, and Edu customers. Runbear deploys named agents to Slack and Microsoft Teams on a plan priced by usage, with Claude, GPT, or Gemini chosen per agent on the default runtime, and 2,000+ tools to act in.

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Slack and Microsoft Teams·Claude, GPT, or Gemini·Priced by usage
Runbear

Runbear is a platform for named AI agents that work in your Slack and Microsoft Teams channels. Each agent has its own instructions, knowledge sources, and tools, and anyone in the channel can mention it without a Runbear account.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT brings OpenAI's assistant into Slack in two ways: @ChatGPT, an assistant your admin configures for the whole organization, and workspace agents that you build in ChatGPT and add to Slack channels. Both need a ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, or Edu plan.

Two ways into Slack

ChatGPT brings ChatGPT to Slack.
Runbear brings the agent you need.

Both put an assistant where your team already talks. The questions that decide between them are which plan you want to pay for, which models you want to run, and which tools the agent has to act in.

Runbear
  • Its own plan. Priced by usage, not by seat. No ChatGPT subscription needed.
  • Model choice. Pick Claude, GPT, or Gemini models for each agent on the default runtime.
  • 2,000+ tools. Pipedream, MCP servers, and native OAuth, with Per-User or Shared access on tools that support it.
  • Slack and Teams. Deploy the same agent to Slack channels and Microsoft Teams.
ChatGPT
  • A ChatGPT plan. @ChatGPT and workspace agents come with ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, and Edu.
  • OpenAI models. ChatGPT runs OpenAI's models, and workspace agents are powered by Codex.
  • Admin-managed connections. Admins choose which company tools @ChatGPT can use.
  • Familiar for ChatGPT users. Workspace agents are built in the same ChatGPT app people already use.

Side by side

The full feature matrix.

FeatureRunbearChatGPT
What it isNamed AI agents you deploy into Slack and Microsoft Teams@ChatGPT, an organization-wide assistant, plus workspace agents built in ChatGPT
Where you use itSlack and Microsoft Teams@ChatGPT in Slack and Microsoft Teams; workspace agents in ChatGPT and Slack
Plan requiredA Runbear plan priced by usage, not by seatChatGPT Business, Enterprise, or Edu; paid ChatGPT plans are priced per user
Who can use it in a channelAnyone in the channel, with no Runbear accountMembers of enabled channels; OpenAI says an individual license is not required by default
ModelsClaude, GPT, or Gemini, chosen per agent on the default runtimeOpenAI models
Named agentsEach agent has its own name, instructions, knowledge, and toolsWorkspace agents get their own Slack handle; @ChatGPT is one shared assistant
Tools2,000+ via Pipedream, MCP servers, and native OAuthApps and company connections that admins enable
Whose access a tool usesPer-User tools act with the asking member's account; Shared tools use one accountCompany connections use the connected account; personal apps need the user's approval
TriggersSchedules, one-time runs, webhooks, and events in connected appsWorkspace agents can run on a schedule and reply in channels
Claude Code projectsDeploy a local project with /runbear:deployAgents are built in the ChatGPT agent builder
Admin and securitySOC 2 Type II, SAML SSO on Business and Enterprise, SCIM on EnterpriseAdmin controls, role-based access on Enterprise and Edu, and the Compliance API

Pricing and sources

Priced by usage, not by seat.

Runbear charges by usage, not by seat. One subscription covers every teammate who uses your agents in Slack or Microsoft Teams. Plans include a set number of builders, the members of your Runbear organization who create and manage agents in the dashboard: 5 on Team and 10 on Business. Usage is metered in credits, based on the tokens each model call uses and the model you choose for each agent. Team is $99 per month with 20,000 credits, and Business is $399 per month with 100,000 credits. People who use an agent in a channel do not need a Runbear account.

ChatGPT facts on this page are as of October 2026, from OpenAI's @ChatGPT help article, the @ChatGPT setup article, the dots announcement, the dots documentation, the ChatGPT with Slack and Teams article, the ChatGPT in Slack and Teams page, the ChatGPT Agents app in Slack article, the workspace agents announcement, and ChatGPT pricing. OpenAI lists paid ChatGPT plans per user per month and bills workspace agents with credits. Check those pages for current prices.

One assistant or a roster

An agent for each job.

A support channel, an onboarding channel, and a sales operations channel need different knowledge and different tools. The question is how you give each one the right setup.

Runbear · named agents

Create @Support, @Onboarding, and @SalesOps, each with its own instructions, knowledge sources, and tools, and deploy each to the channels it serves. People mention the agent that owns the job.

ChatGPT · @ChatGPT and workspace agents

@ChatGPT is your organization's assistant, with instructions and company connections set by an admin. For a dedicated agent, you build a workspace agent in ChatGPT and give it a Slack handle.

Model choice

Pick the model for each agent.

Different jobs suit different models. A lookup agent and an analysis agent do not need the same one.

Runbear · Claude, GPT, or Gemini

On the Claude Agent SDK runtime, the usual default, you choose Claude, GPT, or Gemini models per agent. On Business and Enterprise you can bring your own provider key instead of using Runbear credits.

ChatGPT · OpenAI models

OpenAI describes workspace agents as powered by Codex. Teams that want Claude or Gemini for a given workflow need a different tool for it.

Bring your own agent

Ship the Claude Code project you already built.

If your team already has a working agent, it probably lives on one laptop and runs from one terminal, which means one person can use it.

Runbear · /runbear:deploy

Install the Runbear plugin in Claude Code and run /runbear:deploy. Your CLAUDE.md, skills, subagents, and docs deploy to a hosted Claude Agent SDK agent that you connect to Slack.

ChatGPT · agent builder

Workspace agents are created in the ChatGPT agent builder by describing the workflow. An existing Claude Code project is rebuilt there by hand.

Choose the right tool

When to reach for each.

Choose Runbear if…

  • You want AI agents in Slack or Microsoft Teams without a ChatGPT Business or Enterprise plan
  • You want to choose Claude, GPT, or Gemini models per agent on the default runtime
  • Your agents need to act in tools beyond the connectors ChatGPT offers
  • You want separate named agents for support, onboarding, and operations
  • You want to choose Per-User or Shared access for each tool that supports it
  • You already have a Claude Code project you would rather deploy than rebuild

Choose ChatGPT if…

  • Your company already pays for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, or Edu
  • You want one organization-wide assistant that admins configure centrally
  • Your team already builds workflows in ChatGPT and wants them in Slack
  • OpenAI models cover the work you need
  • The connectors ChatGPT offers reach the tools you use
  • You want individual ChatGPT and Slack use under one vendor

Questions you're probably asking

Runbear and ChatGPT, side by side.

Yes. As of October 2026, OpenAI offers @ChatGPT in Slack and Microsoft Teams for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, and Edu customers. An admin installs it, sets its instructions, and chooses which company tools it can use. OpenAI also lets those plans deploy workspace agents, which are built in ChatGPT, to Slack channels under their own handle.

As of October 2026, OpenAI offers four current ways: @ChatGPT, a shared assistant an admin sets up for a Business, Enterprise, or Edu workspace; workspace agents built in ChatGPT on the same plans and deployed to Slack channels under their own handle; a dot, a personal agent rolling out to Pro, Business Premium, and Enterprise plans that you can DM or mention in Slack; and connecting Slack inside ChatGPT so you can work with Slack from a ChatGPT conversation. Connecting Slack in ChatGPT does not install @ChatGPT for your team. A separate agent platform such as Runbear is a fifth option when you want agents that are not tied to a ChatGPT plan.

They don't need to connect their own ChatGPT account by default. OpenAI's help center says people in enabled channels can make requests without connecting their own ChatGPT account, unless an admin requires account connection. The workspace still needs a Business, Enterprise, or Edu plan and credits, and usage through @ChatGPT's service account is attributed to that account. @ChatGPT does not respond to single-channel or multi-channel Slack guests and is not supported in Slack Connect channels.

Not by default. @ChatGPT runs through a service account configured for the assistant, and your Slack or Teams account identifies who asked. It does not automatically inherit your access to files, apps, or private channels. Company tools are connected by an admin, and that connected account's permissions decide what it can read and do. Some requests ask to use apps connected to your own account, which you approve separately, and that work runs under your account. In Runbear, most tools can be set to Per-User, which acts with the asking member's connected account, or Shared, which uses one account.

A dot is an always-on personal agent in ChatGPT. You can DM it or mention it in Slack channels you have added it to, and message it in Microsoft Teams. By default it responds to you, and you can instruct it to engage with others. As of October 2026, OpenAI is rolling dots out to Pro and Business Premium plans in eligible markets, and Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare workspaces can try the beta when an admin enables it. Your dot works on your behalf, and OpenAI is starting enterprise pilots of separate specialist dots for company roles. A Runbear agent is built once and shared by everyone in the channel.

Usually for one of three reasons: the team does not want a ChatGPT Business or Enterprise plan just to get AI in Slack, it wants to choose between Claude, GPT, and Gemini models per agent, or it needs agents to act in tools beyond the connectors ChatGPT offers. Runbear covers those cases with usage pricing, per-agent model choice on its default runtime, and 2,000+ tools.

No. Runbear is a separate product with its own plans. You install the Runbear app in Slack or Microsoft Teams, build agents in the Runbear dashboard, and pay Runbear for usage. You can still bring your own OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google AI Studio key on Business and Enterprise if you want model usage on your own provider contract.

Agents on the Claude Agent SDK runtime, which is the usual default, can run Claude, GPT, or Gemini models, chosen per agent. Anthropic agents run Claude models and OpenAI Responses agents run GPT models.

OpenAI's pricing page lists paid ChatGPT plans per user per month, with Business starting at two users, and OpenAI bills workspace agents with credits. Runbear charges by usage, not by seat. One subscription covers every teammate who uses your agents in Slack or Microsoft Teams. Plans include a set number of builders, the members of your Runbear organization who create and manage agents in the dashboard: 5 on Team and 10 on Business. Usage is metered in credits, based on the tokens each model call uses and the model you choose for each agent. Team is $99 per month with 20,000 credits, and Business is $399 per month with 100,000 credits.

Yes. Anyone who can reach the agent where it is deployed can use it there, including people in a shared Slack channel who have no Runbear account. Runbear accounts are for the people who build and manage agents in the dashboard.

Yes. You can keep ChatGPT for individual work and use Runbear for agents that a whole channel relies on, such as a support, onboarding, or sales operations agent that needs specific knowledge sources and tools.

Install the Runbear app in Slack, describe the agent, connect a knowledge source such as Notion or Google Drive, and mention the agent in a channel.

Put the right agent in each channel.

Bring a real workflow and we'll wire it live on a demo call.

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