- OpenAI has retired “ChatGPT agent”. It now points people to ChatGPT Work and its cloud browser (from $20 per month on Plus). Separately, Pro subscribers can use always-on “dots”.
- Best free picks: Meta Muse (US and Canada) and Perplexity Comet, a free AI browser whose heavier tasks need a paid plan.
- Around $20 per month: ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, Google AI Pro, Microsoft 365 Premium and Opera Neon.
- Cloud agents keep working when your laptop is shut. Browser agents use your signed-in tabs, which is handier but riskier.
- Five of the seven vendors say their agents ask before payments or sending messages; several admit “prompt injection” is not solved.
If you are trying to pick the best AI agent in 2026, many lists are out of date: OpenAI retired ChatGPT agent in August 2026. An AI agent does tasks for you, like filling in forms or sorting email, instead of only answering questions. Below are seven options for everyday people, most from free to about $20 per month (OpenAI’s always-on dots need Pro, from $100 per month), based on vendor documentation and published reporting, as our editorial policy describes.
First, the big change: “ChatGPT agent” is gone
OpenAI’s help page now says “ChatGPT agent is no longer available”. It sends users to ChatGPT Work for long, multi-step tasks and to the cloud browser for web tasks. Advice about its “agent mode” limits no longer applies. Our ChatGPT plans guide explains the current tiers.
Two kinds of AI agent
A chatbot talks; an agent acts. If you mainly want answers and writing help, see the best AI chatbots of 2026. Consumer agents come in two designs:
- Cloud-computer agents (ChatGPT’s cloud browser and dots, Meta Muse, Gemini Spark) run on the vendor’s computers and keep going when your device is off. Most sign in separately from your own browser, though Spark can use your Chrome logins with permission. Copilot Cowork, for now, browses in your own Edge browser.
- In-your-browser agents (Claude in Chrome, Perplexity Comet, Opera Neon) can use the tabs you are already signed in to. That is convenient, but it puts your real accounts within reach of “prompt injection”, where a web page hides instructions meant to trick the agent.
Developers should see the best AI coding agents and best AI agent frameworks.
The best AI agents at a glance
| Agent | Type | Cheapest way in | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Muse | Cloud | Free (US and Canada) | Phone errands |
| ChatGPT Work + cloud browser (dots on Pro) | Cloud | ChatGPT Plus, $20/month (dots: Pro, from $100/month) | All-round web tasks |
| Gemini Spark | Cloud, 24/7 | Google AI Pro, $19.99/month | Gmail and Calendar chores |
| Claude in Chrome | In your browser | Claude Pro, $20/month | Sites with no app |
| Perplexity Comet | In your browser | Free; Work mode needs a paid plan | Free AI browsing |
| Copilot Cowork | Cloud + your Edge browser (preview) | Microsoft 365 Premium, $19.99/month | Outlook and Office files |
| Opera Neon | Agent browser | Free; Standard $19.90/month | Several AI models in one browser |
1. Meta Muse: best free agent on your phone
Meta introduced Muse on 8 September 2026. It sends emails, books travel, fills out forms and negotiates for you. It launched in the US on iOS, Android, muse.ai and in WhatsApp, and Meta says it is now available in the US and Canada. Meta describes it as free for most needs, with paid plans for heavier use, but lists no prices.
Muse runs in an isolated cloud computer, and a separate “Sentinel” agent must approve anything it sends to the internet. Meta says Muse itself cannot see your passwords or payment methods, which sit in secure storage. It can already check out with Link by Stripe, which uses a one-time card number so your real card stays hidden; Shop Pay and 1Password support are “coming soon”.
Choose it if you live in the US or Canada and want a free agent that runs errands from your phone, even after you close the app.
2. ChatGPT Work with cloud browser: best all-rounder
The cloud browser gives ChatGPT Work its own browser on a separate cloud computer. It fills in forms on public and signed-in sites, keeps working after you close your computer, and pauses for sign-ins or confirmations. OpenAI’s examples include finding flights and preparing a DMV appointment booking for your approval. Free and Go are excluded, so Plus at $20 per month is the cheapest way in. Sign-ins go through a secure form the model cannot see.
Heavier users can look at dots, launched on 29 September 2026: always-on agents, each with its own cloud computer, that connect to over 4,000 apps. They are rolling out on Pro and Business Premium (Pro excludes the EEA, Switzerland and the UK at launch), with an opt-in beta for Enterprise. ChatGPT Pro costs $100, $200 or $500 per month.
Choose it if you already pay for ChatGPT and want one agent that browses, signs in and lines up bookings for your approval.
3. Google Gemini Spark: best for Gmail households
Gemini Spark is a 24/7 agent on Google’s cloud. Google’s examples include sorting school emails, adding events to your calendar and drafting emails for you to review.
Spark launched on 19 May 2026 to trusted testers, with a beta for US Google AI Ultra subscribers aged 18 and over following weeks later. On 30 July Google opened it to AI Pro subscribers in over 160 more countries and added Chrome auto browse (US-only at first), which can use your saved passwords with permission and hands payments back to you. Google AI Pro costs $19.99 per month in the US; Ultra starts at $99.99. See our Google AI plans explainer.
Choose it if your household runs on Gmail, Google Calendar and Docs and you want recurring chores handled in the background.
4. Claude in Chrome: best agent inside your own browser
Claude in Chrome is a generally available extension that works on pages you are signed in to, clicking, typing and filling in forms across several tabs. It needs a paid plan: Claude Pro costs $20 per month, and Max starts at $100. In Permissions Mode you grant access one site at a time, and purchases wait for your approval. Anthropic recommends avoiding banking, health records and credentials. For a broader comparison, see Copilot vs Claude.
Choose it if you want an agent that uses your existing logins on sites that have no app, with the option to approve access one site at a time in Permissions Mode.
5. Perplexity Comet: best free AI browser
Comet has been a free download since 2 October 2025. It runs on Mac and Windows, and Engadget reports it is also on Android and iPhone. Its side-panel Assistant summarizes pages and takes actions on websites. The catch: Work mode hands tasks to Perplexity Computer, which needs a paid plan; Pro includes some weekly Computer usage, and heavier use draws on credits. Pro costs $20 per month, per a CloudZero pricing breakdown; Max costs $200 per month. You can block Comet from acting on sites such as your bank. More in our Comet browser review.
Choose it if you want to try an AI agent for free and mostly need page summaries plus light help on websites.
6. Microsoft Copilot Cowork: best for Microsoft 365 users
Microsoft is moving Copilot Tasks on personal accounts to Cowork over the next few weeks. Cowork edits Office and PDF files, drafts and sends email, manages your calendar and OneDrive, runs scheduled prompts and clicks through websites while you watch or take over. It is in Preview and needs Microsoft 365 Premium; Microsoft says Personal and Family subscribers will lose access when Tasks moves to Cowork. Until Microsoft’s remote browser arrives, web tasks run in your own Microsoft Edge browser. Microsoft 365 Premium costs $19.99 per month, according to this pricing explainer.
Choose it if your email, calendar and files already live in Outlook, OneDrive and Office, and preview software does not bother you.
7. Opera Neon: best dedicated agent browser
Neon is free for Windows and macOS, with basic AI chat, an ad blocker and a free VPN. The Standard plan, $19.90 per month, adds Neon’s web agents, deep research, scheduled tasks and models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. Opera says logins, passwords and card details stay on your device as much as possible and are never sent to its AI engine.
Choose it if you want a browser built around agents, with several AI models in one subscription.
How to choose
- Pay nothing: Meta Muse in the US or Canada, or Perplexity Comet.
- Already on a $20 plan: use the agent it includes (ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, Google AI Pro or Microsoft 365 Premium).
- Work while your device is off: pick a cloud agent such as ChatGPT’s cloud browser, Muse or Gemini Spark.
- Use sites you are logged in to: Claude in Chrome, Comet or Neon, with your bank kept off-limits.
- Always-on help across many apps: ChatGPT Pro with dots, or Gemini Spark on Google AI Pro.
- Outside the US: check availability first. Muse is available only in the US and Canada, and dots on Pro are not yet offered in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK.
Staying safe with AI agents
Most vendors here ask before the riskiest steps: OpenAI before bookings and payments, Google before spending money or sending emails, Meta before email and purchases, Anthropic before purchases, and Microsoft before purchases, messages and account changes. Opera says Neon will not complete certain actions without your final approval, and Perplexity lets you block Comet from specific sites. But OpenAI says its safeguards “do not eliminate every risk”, and Microsoft warns Copilot “may be deceived by malicious hidden instructions”.
Simple habits help: block your bank in Comet, grant Claude one site at a time, never paste passwords or card numbers into a chat, and clear the agent’s cloud-browser cookies after sensitive sessions. For more, read Is ChatGPT safe?
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI agent for most people in 2026?
If you already pay for ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work with the cloud browser is the simplest choice, from $20 per month on Plus. For free, try Meta Muse (US and Canada) or Perplexity Comet. Gmail households should look at Gemini Spark, and Microsoft 365 users at Copilot Cowork.
Is there a free AI agent?
Yes. Meta says Muse is free for most needs, and Comet is a free browser, though its Work-mode tasks need a paid plan. Opera Neon’s own web agents need the Standard plan.
What happened to ChatGPT agent mode?
OpenAI says ChatGPT agent is no longer available. It points users to ChatGPT Work and the cloud browser. Pro subscribers can also use dots, OpenAI’s always-on agents launched on 29 September 2026.
Are AI agents safe to use with my accounts?
Most say they ask before payments or messages, and several hide your passwords from the AI. But vendors admit hidden page instructions can still mislead an agent, so keep banking and health sites out of reach.
Can an AI agent keep working when my computer is off?
Cloud agents can: ChatGPT’s cloud browser, dots, Muse and Gemini Spark run on the vendor’s computers. In-browser agents such as Claude in Chrome work on your own device.