{
  "data": {
    "a": {
      "slug": "cowagent",
      "name": "CowAgent",
      "vendor": "zhayujie",
      "vendorUrl": "https://cowagent.ai",
      "kind": "harness",
      "category": "personal-assistants",
      "summary": "CowAgent is an open-source AI assistant that its owner runs on a computer or server. It plans tasks, runs tools and skills, keeps long-term memory in local files and answers on a web console and messaging apps.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cowagent",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cowagent.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cowagent.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cowagent.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/zhayujie/CowAgent",
      "license": "MIT",
      "transports": [
        "http"
      ],
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "oci",
          "name": "zhayujie/chatgpt-on-wechat"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "No account. The web console listens on 127.0.0.1 with no password by default, and `web_password` adds a login whose session lasts 30 days. `external_api_token` is one Bearer token for the OpenAI-compatible endpoint, which stays off while the token is empty (https://docs.cowagent.ai/channels/web). Messaging channels use each platform's bot token or app secret in `config.json`. Model keys go in `config.json` or environment variables.",
      "pricing": "free",
      "pricingNotes": "Free under the MIT licence, with nothing to buy to run it. The owner pays the configured model provider, or nothing with a local model behind an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. The README names LinkAI as a seller of managed hosting, and link-ai.tech did not answer on 12 October 2026, so its prices were not read.",
      "priceSummary": "Free · OSS",
      "where": "local",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the source (checked 2026-10-12).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": 47400,
        "npmWeekly": null,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-12"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://docs.cowagent.ai/intro/index",
      "llmsTxt": "https://docs.cowagent.ai/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "assistant.proactive",
        "assistant.messaging",
        "assistant.memory",
        "assistant.self-hosted",
        "agent.mcp-client",
        "assistant.accounts"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "open-source",
        "self-hosted",
        "local",
        "free",
        "no-card",
        "llms-txt",
        "docker",
        "python",
        "openai-compatible"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-09-30",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 58.5,
        "grade": "C",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 591,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 986,
        "categoryRank": 9,
        "methodology": "0.4",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 59,
          "maintenance": 83,
          "payments": 60,
          "reliability": 84,
          "schema": 67,
          "security": 43,
          "transparency": 45
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-12"
        },
        "negative": -5,
        "negativeNotes": [
          "2026-07-31. Issue #2998 reports that a member of a Feishu group asked the bot for local files and it sent the owner's documents into the group. This is the reporter's account and we did not reproduce it. We confirmed in the master source on 12 October 2026 that group channels accept every group, that full-access is the default and that the proposed sender gating is absent. Open and unfixed, -3. https://github.com/zhayujie/CowAgent/issues/2998",
          "2026-07-29. Version 2.1.5 fixed a chain in which injected content led the agent to rewrite the MCP config, run arbitrary commands and take keys, and fixed the `edit` tool reaching `~/.cow/.env`. Both are described in the release notes with no advisory. Fixed and documented, -2. https://docs.cowagent.ai/releases/v2.1.5"
        ],
        "verdict": "MIT software with seven releases in 90 days, memory kept as plain files in the owner's workspace and three per-session permission modes. Source and Docker installs default to full-access, no action asks for approval, and an open report of 31 July 2026 says group members could reach the owner's files through the bot.",
        "bestFor": "One technical owner who wants an assistant on WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk, Telegram, Slack or Discord with memory in local files and a choice of Chinese and Western model providers.",
        "strengths": [
          "Memory is plain Markdown under `~/cow` (`MEMORY.md`, `memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md`), readable and removable by the owner",
          "Three permission modes per session (read-only, workspace-write, full-access), with a global default in `agent_permission_mode`",
          "The web console binds to 127.0.0.1 by default, and the cloud client loads only when `use_linkai` and a deployment id are both set",
          "Seven tagged releases between 20 July and 30 September 2026, each with dated notes in the docs",
          "Tests run on Python 3.11 and 3.13 for every push to master, and the 15 newest master runs we saw passed on 12 October 2026"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "Source and Docker installs default to full-access, and no mode asks the owner before a shell command, a file send or an MCP call",
          "The permission checks read arguments and are not an OS sandbox, as the source says. The `bash` blocklist covers only root deletion, disk wiping and power commands",
          "Issue #2998, open since 31 July 2026, reports the bot sending the owner's local documents into a Feishu group. Its fix is not on master",
          "No setting limits which Telegram, Slack or Discord users may message the bot, and those channels reply in every group",
          "No SECURITY.md, security.txt, privacy policy or terms. Model keys sit in `config.json` and MCP keys in `mcp.json` as plain text"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Set `agent_permission_mode` to `workspace-write` or `read-only` before connecting any channel. Source and Docker installs default to `full-access`",
          "Keep the bot out of group chats that include other people. Any member who mentions it reaches the same tools as the owner",
          "Set `web_password` before changing `web_host` to `0.0.0.0`. The password is empty by default",
          "Set `external_api_token` to enable `POST /v1/chat/completions`, and send `conversation_id` to keep one session. The `model` field does not select a model",
          "Run it in a container for a hard boundary. The docs and the source both say the permission modes are not isolation"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "local",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 0,
        "avgRating": 0,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "C",
            "methodology": "0.4",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 58.5
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 59,
          "maintenance": 83,
          "payments": 60,
          "reliability": 84,
          "schema": 67,
          "security": 43,
          "transparency": 62
        },
        "provenanceScore": 27
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "bash \u003c(curl -fsSL https://cdn.link-ai.tech/code/cow/run.sh)   # or: curl -O https://cdn.link-ai.tech/code/cow/docker-compose.yml \u0026\u0026 docker compose up -d",
        "http": "curl http://localhost:9899/v1/chat/completions -H \"Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN\" -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" -d '{\"model\":\"cowagent\",\"conversation_id\":\"example-conversation\",\"messages\":[{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":\"Hello\"}]}'"
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/cowagent"
      },
      "area": "frameworks",
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "",
        "domain": "cowagent.ai",
        "domainRegistered": "",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": null,
        "terms": "",
        "privacy": "",
        "statusPage": "",
        "changelog": "https://docs.cowagent.ai/releases/overview",
        "securityTxt": "none",
        "checked": "2026-10-12",
        "notes": [
          "No company or legal entity is named for CowAgent. The licence names zhayujie, and the cowagent.ai footer reads Copyright 2026 CowAgent.",
          "The README lists sales@simple-future.tech and LinkAI (link-ai.tech) for enterprise services and managed hosting. link-ai.tech did not answer our robots.txt request on 12 October 2026, so none of its pages were read.",
          "cowagent.ai links no terms and no privacy policy. Its sitemap lists the home, download and blog pages only.",
          "cowagent.ai answers `/.well-known/security.txt` and `/llms.txt` with the home page, so neither file exists. docs.cowagent.ai serves an llms.txt.",
          "The registration date of cowagent.ai was not looked up."
        ],
        "score": 27
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cowagent.json"
    },
    "answer": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Dots's 28.3 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Dots leads on security \u0026 auth.",
    "b": {
      "slug": "openai-dots",
      "name": "Dots",
      "vendor": "OpenAI",
      "vendorUrl": "https://chatgpt.com",
      "kind": "platform",
      "category": "personal-assistants",
      "summary": "Dots is OpenAI's always-on agent inside ChatGPT, in beta. Each dot has a cloud computer and browser, keeps notes, works between conversations across connected apps, and answers in ChatGPT, by voice call, Slack and Teams.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openai-dots",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openai-dots.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openai-dots.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openai-dots.json",
      "license": "Proprietary hosted service. The governing terms were not read",
      "transports": [],
      "packages": [],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "A person signs in to ChatGPT on an eligible plan and creates a dot in the mobile app, desktop app or a desktop browser. No API key or other credential for outside programs was found. Apps are reached through plugins connected to the ChatGPT account, each with its own connected account and allowed actions. Website logins go through a private form to the cloud browser outside the conversation, sessions last until sign-out or expiry, and reusing a saved login needs confirmation. A local computer is connected with Allow access and removed with Revoke access. Where tokens and saved passwords are stored is not stated (https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/dots/computers-and-apps; https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/dots/getting-started).",
      "pricing": "paid",
      "pricingNotes": "Included with ChatGPT Pro at $100, $200 or $500 a month, Business Premium (price not found on the pages read) and Enterprise through sales. Conversations with a dot do not count towards ChatGPT usage limits. Tasks it starts in ChatGPT Work or Codex count towards those limits. The plan includes an allowance for deeper work with no figure given, extended for the first month after launch. No free tier or trial for dots was found (https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/dots#access; https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing, checked 2026-10-12).",
      "priceSummary": "$100 / mo",
      "where": "local",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the Dots docs, the admin guide or the pricing page (checked 2026-10-12).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": null,
        "npmWeekly": null,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-12"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/dots",
      "llmsTxt": "https://learn.chatgpt.com/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "assistant.proactive",
        "assistant.accounts",
        "assistant.memory",
        "assistant.messaging"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "hosted",
        "closed-source",
        "beta",
        "chatgpt",
        "slack",
        "teams",
        "voice",
        "cloud-browser",
        "approvals",
        "paid",
        "llms-txt"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-10-09",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 28.3,
        "grade": "F",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 973,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 986,
        "categoryRank": 17,
        "methodology": "0.4",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 22,
          "maintenance": 38,
          "payments": 10,
          "reliability": 3,
          "schema": 41,
          "security": 58,
          "transparency": 31
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "low",
          "date": "2026-10-12"
        },
        "negative": 0,
        "verdict": "Actions that affect accounts or share information pass an automatic review, and custom rules can require approval or a hand-off. Dots is a beta on Pro plans from $100 a month, and no status page, terms, privacy policy or way to delete individual saved notes was found in the pages we could read.",
        "bestFor": "A ChatGPT Pro or Enterprise user who wants ongoing work tracked across mail, documents, code and Slack with approval before sends.",
        "strengths": [
          "An automatic review checks each action that could affect accounts or share information against instructions, permissions and custom rules before it runs",
          "Custom rules have four settings, from acting without asking to handing the step to the owner, and app permissions can allow reading mail without sending",
          "Proactive research uses tools that cannot send messages, change app content or control a browser or computer, per the docs",
          "Website passwords are entered in a private form outside the conversation, and reusing a saved login needs the owner's confirmation",
          "Six docs pages with Markdown twins listed in llms.txt, and a dated release note for dots on 9 October 2026"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "Beta. The admin setting is labelled Use dots (Beta), access is rolling out gradually, and Teams access is an invite-only alpha",
          "No way to view or delete individual saved notes is documented. The admin guide's link to reset options lands on the section for deleting the whole dot",
          "Custom rules are described as instructions the dot tries to follow and can get wrong, and an authorised write can run without a prompt where policy allows",
          "Pro consumer accounts in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland are excluded, and the plan's allowance for deeper work has no published figure",
          "No status page, service terms or privacy policy is linked from the Dots docs, and openai.com and help.openai.com refused our reader",
          "No API, MCP endpoint or other documented way for an outside program to message a dot was found"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Say what may be sent. Asking a dot to draft replies does not permit sending them, and an action outside a stated scope needs another decision",
          "Stop three things separately. Pause stops the main task only, delegated tasks stop in Activity and recurring tasks in Scheduled, and completed actions are not undone",
          "Connect each thing separately. A messaging channel grants no access to an inbox, an app or a computer",
          "Sign out of websites and disconnect apps yourself when removing access. Revoking dots access or disconnecting an app does not delete information already obtained",
          "Keep the connected computer online with the ChatGPT app open for local work. Only one personal computer can be connected at a time"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "remote",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 0,
        "avgRating": 0,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "low",
            "grade": "F",
            "methodology": "0.4",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 28.3
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 22,
          "maintenance": 38,
          "payments": 10,
          "reliability": 3,
          "schema": 41,
          "security": 58,
          "transparency": 26
        },
        "provenanceScore": 36
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/openai-dots"
      },
      "area": "frameworks",
      "unitPrices": [
        {
          "item": "Pro 100",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 100,
          "note": "ChatGPT Pro plan, includes dots with an allowance for deeper work that has no published figure"
        },
        {
          "item": "Pro 200",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 200,
          "note": "ChatGPT Pro plan"
        },
        {
          "item": "Pro 500",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 500,
          "note": "ChatGPT Pro plan"
        }
      ],
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "",
        "domain": "chatgpt.com",
        "domainRegistered": "2022-11-30",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": null,
        "terms": "",
        "privacy": "",
        "statusPage": "",
        "changelog": "https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/whats-new",
        "securityTxt": "unknown",
        "checked": "2026-10-12",
        "notes": [
          "No page we read names the legal entity or the documents that govern Dots. The docs footer links https://openai.com/policies, which answered 403 to our reader, so `terms` and `privacy` are left out. OpenAI's other listings here link https://openai.com/policies/services-agreement/ and https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy/. Neither was read today, and whether the consumer Terms of Use govern Pro accounts was not established.",
          "No status page is linked from the Dots docs, the admin guide, the pricing page or the release notes we read.",
          "learn.chatgpt.com/.well-known/security.txt answered 404. chatgpt.com is closed to Anthropic agents by its robots.txt and openai.com answered 403 on the one page requested, so neither host's security.txt was requested.",
          "The .com registry's RDAP record gives 30 November 2022 as the registration date of chatgpt.com, registrar MarkMonitor Inc.",
          "learn.chatgpt.com/robots.txt answered 200 and allows every path. help.openai.com/robots.txt allows the article paths, and four linked articles answered 403 with a JavaScript check. cdn.openai.com/robots.txt answered 404."
        ],
        "score": 36
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openai-dots.json"
    },
    "facts": [
      {
        "a": "Agent harness",
        "b": "Platform",
        "name": "Kind"
      },
      {
        "a": "zhayujie",
        "b": "OpenAI",
        "name": "Vendor"
      },
      {
        "a": "no (local only)",
        "b": "no (local only)",
        "name": "Hosted endpoint"
      },
      {
        "a": "HTTP",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Transports"
      },
      {
        "a": "OAuth or key",
        "b": "OAuth or key",
        "name": "Auth"
      },
      {
        "a": "Free",
        "b": "Paid",
        "name": "Pricing"
      },
      {
        "a": "no",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "x402"
      },
      {
        "a": "MIT",
        "b": "Proprietary hosted service. The governing terms were not read",
        "name": "Licence"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "Read-only variant documented"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "yes",
        "name": "llms.txt"
      },
      {
        "a": "2026-09-30",
        "b": "2026-10-09",
        "name": "Last release"
      },
      {
        "a": "no document linked",
        "b": "no document linked",
        "name": "Terms last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "no document linked",
        "b": "no document linked",
        "name": "Privacy policy last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Customer content may train models"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Terms restrict automated access"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Terms or service can change without notice"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver"
      },
      {
        "a": "47k stars",
        "b": "none",
        "name": "Popularity"
      }
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "answer": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Dots's 28.3 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Dots leads on security \u0026 auth.",
        "question": "Which is better for AI agents, CowAgent or Dots?"
      },
      {
        "answer": "CowAgent is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for Dots.",
        "question": "Are CowAgent and Dots open source?"
      }
    ],
    "goodFor": [
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Reliability, 84 against 3",
          "Schema \u0026 documentation, 67 against 41",
          "Agent ergonomics, 59 against 22",
          "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 10",
          "Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 38",
          "Transparency \u0026 trust, 45 against 31"
        ],
        "also": [
          "Free to start without a card",
          "Open source"
        ],
        "goodFor": "One technical owner who wants an assistant on WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk, Telegram, Slack or Discord with memory in local files and a choice of Chinese and Western model providers.",
        "slug": "cowagent",
        "watchFor": "Source and Docker installs default to full-access, and no mode asks the owner before a shell command, a file send or an MCP call"
      },
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Security \u0026 auth, 58 against 43"
        ],
        "also": [
          "No incidents deducted, where CowAgent loses 5 points for them"
        ],
        "goodFor": "A ChatGPT Pro or Enterprise user who wants ongoing work tracked across mail, documents, code and Slack with approval before sends.",
        "slug": "openai-dots",
        "watchFor": "Beta. The admin setting is labelled Use dots (Beta), access is rolling out gradually, and Teams access is an invite-only alpha"
      }
    ],
    "job": {
      "capability": "assistant.proactive",
      "name": "Assistant proactive"
    },
    "others": [
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-cowagent.json",
        "title": "AstrBot vs CowAgent",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-cowagent"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "AstrBot vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs GAIA",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gemini-spark.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs Gemini Spark",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gemini-spark"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs Grok Bot",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-haven.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs Haven",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-haven"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-hermes-agent.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs Hermes Agent",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-hermes-agent"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-instinct.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs Instinct",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-instinct"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-ironclaw.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs IronClaw",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-ironclaw"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs Leon",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-lindy.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs Lindy",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-lindy"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanobot.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs nanobot",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanobot"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanoclaw.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs NanoClaw",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanoclaw"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openclaw.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs OpenClaw",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openclaw"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-picoclaw.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs PicoClaw",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-picoclaw"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-poke.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs Poke",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-poke"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs QwenPaw",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zeroclaw.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs ZeroClaw",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zeroclaw"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zo-computer.json",
        "title": "CowAgent vs Zo Computer",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zo-computer"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "GAIA vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "Gemini Spark vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "Grok Bot vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "Haven vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "Hermes Agent vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "Instinct vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "IronClaw vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "Leon vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "Lindy vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "nanobot vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openai-dots.json",
        "title": "NanoClaw vs Dots",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openai-dots"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-openclaw.json",
        "title": "Dots vs OpenClaw",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-openclaw"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-picoclaw.json",
        "title": "Dots vs PicoClaw",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-picoclaw"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-poke.json",
        "title": "Dots vs Poke",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-poke"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-qwenpaw.json",
        "title": "Dots vs QwenPaw",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-qwenpaw"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-zeroclaw.json",
        "title": "Dots vs ZeroClaw",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-zeroclaw"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-zo-computer.json",
        "title": "Dots vs Zo Computer",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-zo-computer"
      }
    ],
    "scores": [
      {
        "by": 81,
        "cowagent": 84,
        "edge": "cowagent",
        "key": "reliability",
        "name": "Reliability",
        "openai-dots": 3,
        "weight": 16
      },
      {
        "key": "performance",
        "name": "Performance",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 26,
        "cowagent": 67,
        "edge": "cowagent",
        "key": "schema",
        "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation",
        "openai-dots": 41,
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 37,
        "cowagent": 59,
        "edge": "cowagent",
        "key": "ergonomics",
        "name": "Agent ergonomics",
        "openai-dots": 22,
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 15,
        "cowagent": 43,
        "edge": "openai-dots",
        "key": "security",
        "name": "Security \u0026 auth",
        "openai-dots": 58,
        "weight": 14
      },
      {
        "by": 50,
        "cowagent": 60,
        "edge": "cowagent",
        "key": "payments",
        "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing",
        "openai-dots": 10,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "key": "tasks",
        "name": "Task success",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 45,
        "cowagent": 83,
        "edge": "cowagent",
        "key": "maintenance",
        "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community",
        "openai-dots": 38,
        "weight": 7
      },
      {
        "by": 14,
        "cowagent": 45,
        "edge": "cowagent",
        "key": "transparency",
        "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust",
        "openai-dots": 31,
        "weight": 7
      }
    ],
    "summary": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Dots's 28.3 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Dots leads on security \u0026 auth. Both do assistant proactive.",
    "verdicts": {
      "cowagent": "MIT software with seven releases in 90 days, memory kept as plain files in the owner's workspace and three per-session permission modes. Source and Docker installs default to full-access, no action asks for approval, and an open report of 31 July 2026 says group members could reach the owner's files through the bot.",
      "openai-dots": "Actions that affect accounts or share information pass an automatic review, and custom rules can require approval or a hand-off. Dots is a beta on Pro plans from $100 a month, and no status page, terms, privacy policy or way to delete individual saved notes was found in the pages we could read."
    }
  },
  "kind": "anchor.page",
  "links": {
    "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json",
    "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots",
    "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots.json",
    "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt",
    "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots.md",
    "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots.min.md"
  },
  "markdown": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Dots's 28.3 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Dots leads on security \u0026 auth. Both do assistant proactive.\n\n- CowAgent: grade C, 58.5/100, rank #591 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cowagent.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cowagent.json\n- Dots: grade F, 28.3/100, rank #973 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openai-dots.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openai-dots.json\n- Best AI personal assistants that act for one person: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/personal-assistants/index.md\n- All 190 assistants comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/personal-assistants/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### CowAgent (C)\n\nGood for: One technical owner who wants an assistant on WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk, Telegram, Slack or Discord with memory in local files and a choice of Chinese and Western model providers.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 84 against 3\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 67 against 41\n- Agent ergonomics, 59 against 22\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 10\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 38\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 45 against 31\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Free to start without a card\n- Open source\n\nWatch for: Source and Docker installs default to full-access, and no mode asks the owner before a shell command, a file send or an MCP call\n\n### Dots (F)\n\nGood for: A ChatGPT Pro or Enterprise user who wants ongoing work tracked across mail, documents, code and Slack with approval before sends.\n\nAhead on:\n- Security \u0026 auth, 58 against 43\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No incidents deducted, where CowAgent loses 5 points for them\n\nWatch for: Beta. The admin setting is labelled Use dots (Beta), access is rolling out gradually, and Teams access is an invite-only alpha\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | CowAgent | Dots | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 84 | 3 | CowAgent +81 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 67 | 41 | CowAgent +26 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 59 | 22 | CowAgent +37 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 43 | 58 | Dots +15 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 10 | CowAgent +50 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 83 | 38 | CowAgent +45 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 45 | 31 | CowAgent +14 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -5 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **58.5 · C** | **28.3 · F** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | CowAgent | Dots |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Platform |\n| Vendor | zhayujie | OpenAI |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | HTTP |  |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Free | Paid |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | Proprietary hosted service. The governing terms were not read |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-09-30 | 2026-10-09 |\n| Terms last updated | no document linked | no document linked |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no document linked | no document linked |\n| Customer content may train models |  |  |\n| Terms restrict automated access |  |  |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking |  |  |\n| Terms or service can change without notice |  |  |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver |  |  |\n| Popularity | 47k stars | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**CowAgent.** MIT software with seven releases in 90 days, memory kept as plain files in the owner's workspace and three per-session permission modes. Source and Docker installs default to full-access, no action asks for approval, and an open report of 31 July 2026 says group members could reach the owner's files through the bot.\n\n**Dots.** Actions that affect accounts or share information pass an automatic review, and custom rules can require approval or a hand-off. Dots is a beta on Pro plans from $100 a month, and no status page, terms, privacy policy or way to delete individual saved notes was found in the pages we could read.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### CowAgent\n\n1. Set `agent_permission_mode` to `workspace-write` or `read-only` before connecting any channel. Source and Docker installs default to `full-access`\n2. Keep the bot out of group chats that include other people. Any member who mentions it reaches the same tools as the owner\n3. Set `web_password` before changing `web_host` to `0.0.0.0`. The password is empty by default\n4. Set `external_api_token` to enable `POST /v1/chat/completions`, and send `conversation_id` to keep one session. The `model` field does not select a model\n5. Run it in a container for a hard boundary. The docs and the source both say the permission modes are not isolation\n\n### Dots\n\n1. Say what may be sent. Asking a dot to draft replies does not permit sending them, and an action outside a stated scope needs another decision\n2. Stop three things separately. Pause stops the main task only, delegated tasks stop in Activity and recurring tasks in Scheduled, and completed actions are not undone\n3. Connect each thing separately. A messaging channel grants no access to an inbox, an app or a computer\n4. Sign out of websites and disconnect apps yourself when removing access. Revoking dots access or disconnecting an app does not delete information already obtained\n5. Keep the connected computer online with the ChatGPT app open for local work. Only one personal computer can be connected at a time\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, CowAgent or Dots?\n\nCowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Dots's 28.3 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Dots leads on security \u0026 auth.\n\n### Are CowAgent and Dots open source?\n\nCowAgent is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for Dots.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"cowagent\", \"b\": \"openai-dots\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare cowagent openai-dots`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cowagent.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openai-dots.json\n\n## Other comparisons with CowAgent or Dots\n\n- [AstrBot vs CowAgent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-cowagent.md)\n- [AstrBot vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [CowAgent vs GAIA](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Gemini Spark](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gemini-spark.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Grok Bot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Haven](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-haven.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-hermes-agent.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-instinct.md)\n- [CowAgent vs IronClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-ironclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Lindy](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-lindy.md)\n- [CowAgent vs nanobot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanobot.md)\n- [CowAgent vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-picoclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-poke.md)\n- [CowAgent vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zeroclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [GAIA vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Gemini Spark vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Haven vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Instinct vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [IronClaw vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Leon vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Lindy vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [nanobot vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [NanoClaw vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Dots vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Dots vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-picoclaw.md)\n- [Dots vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-poke.md)\n- [Dots vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Dots vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-zeroclaw.md)\n- [Dots vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-zo-computer.md)\n",
  "meta": {
    "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)",
    "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/",
    "generatedAt": "2026-10-12",
    "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
    "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/",
    "methodology": "0.4",
    "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json",
    "preview": false,
    "run": "2026-10-01",
    "runLabel": "October 2026 research run"
  },
  "page": {
    "breadcrumbs": [
      {
        "name": "Home",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/"
      },
      {
        "name": "Compare",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/"
      },
      {
        "name": "CowAgent vs Dots",
        "url": ""
      }
    ],
    "description": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) to Dots's 28.3 (F) for assistant proactive. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.",
    "facts": [
      "CowAgent C 58.5",
      "Dots F 28.3",
      "scores"
    ],
    "h1": "CowAgent vs Dots",
    "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-cowagent-vs-openai-dots.png",
    "path": "/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots",
    "published": "2026-10-01",
    "section": "tools",
    "title": "CowAgent vs Dots for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices",
    "toc": null,
    "updated": "2026-10-12",
    "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots"
  },
  "tokens": {
    "markdown": 2600,
    "slim": 580
  },
  "version": 1
}