Grok Bot vs Dots
Which Dots? This page covers dots, OpenAI's always-on agents in ChatGPT, the product people compare with Grok Bot. It is not about other apps that share the name.
Short answer: Dots are OpenAI's always-on agents inside ChatGPT, reachable in Slack and Teams, best if you already pay for ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium. Grok Bot gives you a team of named Bots on a shared cloud computer with routines, event triggers and their own email. Pick by where you work and how many agents you need.
- Both have their own cloud computer and keep working while you are away.
- Dots: one dot per person at launch, ChatGPT memory, Slack and Teams, 4,000+ apps.
- Grok Bot: many Bots, routines on events, own email, Pages, Vault.
- Unverified cells are marked "not confirmed". No benchmarks quoted.
What each one is
Grok Bot
SpaceXAI's app for persistent AI teammates. You can run many named Bots that share one cloud computer, message each other and run routines (docs). Explainer: what is Grok Bot.
Dots
OpenAI announced dots on 29 September 2026 as "always-on agents" in ChatGPT. Powered by GPT-6 Astra, a dot has its own cloud computer and browser, connects to over 4,000 apps through plugins, and you reach it in ChatGPT, Slack or Teams, including by voice call (OpenAI).
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Grok Bot | Dots (ChatGPT) |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | SpaceXAI, running on Cursor's cloud | OpenAI |
| Its own computer | Persistent cloud computer shared by your Bots | Its own cloud computer and browser |
| Keeps working while you are away | Yes | Yes, between conversations |
| How many agents | Many named Bots, group chats, Team Bots | One dot included at launch; more dots planned; background agents for parallel work |
| Where you talk to it | Desktop apps, iPhone, Android; Team Bots in Slack | ChatGPT (desktop app, desktop web, mobile app), Slack, Teams; texting by iMessage or RCS in beta for US Pro users (from 28 Oct 2026) |
| Voice | Voice calls and voice notes | Voice calls |
| Apps | Plugins, MCP servers, computer use | Over 4,000 apps via plugins |
| Own email address | Yes | Not at launch: you can connect your personal email, but not give a dot its own address (OpenAI Help) |
| Scheduling | Routines on schedules and events | Decides when to pause and wake up; fixed-schedule details: not confirmed |
| Coding | Cursor cloud agents | Uses Codex |
| Controls | Approval cards, Auto-review, allow and block rules | Automatic approval checks, custom rules, permissions, pause or delete |
| Password and card store | Vault and 1Password | not confirmed |
| Shareable documents | Pages | not confirmed |
| Access (official) | Eligible Cursor, SuperGrok or Grok Business plans | ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium; Enterprise beta if admin enables |
| Regions | Check your plan | Pro: 18+, not in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK |
"Not confirmed" means not found in official sources on 1 Nov 2026.
Where Grok Bot is the better fit
- Several specialists today: a coordinator Bot with workers (Start with a chief of staff Bot, Pick a main Bot so it can see and delegate across your team).
- Routines on events like a webhook, Slack message or GitHub event (Make routines cheaper: events, slow schedules, change checks).
- An inbox of its own (Ask for plus-addressed aliases on your Bot's email).
- Teaching by demonstration (Teach a task by doing it once).
- If you aren't on ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium, or live where Pro dots aren't offered.
Where Dots are the better fit
- You already live in ChatGPT: a dot starts with context from ChatGPT memory (OpenAI Help).
- Slack and Teams with the same context in every channel (OpenAI).
- A very large app catalogue of over 4,000 apps.
- One agent that manages its own timing instead of fixed schedules (ChatGPT Learn).
Safety and control
Both ask before decisions that need you. Grok Bot uses approval cards, Auto-review and the Vault; remember all your Bots share one computer and its logins. OpenAI says built-in safeguards, app permissions and automatic approval checks apply from the start, and you can add custom rules, pause or delete a dot (ChatGPT Learn). See security tips.
Getting started
- Pick one ongoing responsibility, like a weekly report.
- Grok Bot: start with Make your first task boring and the beginner's guide.
- Dots: create your dot in the ChatGPT mobile app (iOS or Android), the desktop app or desktop web, then connect apps. Mobile web is not supported (OpenAI Help).
- Give it clear outcomes (Write the outcome, not the recipe) and keep approvals on.
The key differences, explained
1. One dot vs many Bots
At launch, your first dot is included in your plan, and OpenAI says you will be able to add more dots later and scale each one's speed or monthly workload (OpenAI Help). A dot can already use background agents to work on several things in parallel (ChatGPT Learn). Grok Bot lets you create many named Bots today, each with its own job and memory, and put them in group chats where they pass work between themselves (x.ai).
2. How work moves forward
A dot decides when to pause and wake up to continue, so you don't need a fixed schedule for every follow-up (ChatGPT Learn). Grok Bot uses explicit routines: you or the Bot set a schedule or a trigger such as a Slack message, GitHub event, email or webhook, and you can press Test to run it now (our routines guide). One is more self-directed; the other is more predictable and easier to audit.
3. Context you already have
A dot starts with context from your ChatGPT memory and carries the same context across ChatGPT, Slack and Teams (OpenAI). A new Bot starts fresh and learns as you work; you can speed that up by telling it its job in the description (Keep lasting rules in the description, not memory). If you have years of ChatGPT history, that head start is real.
4. Apps and the browser
OpenAI says dots connect to over 4,000 apps through plugins (OpenAI). Grok Bot uses plugins and MCP servers, and leans on its persistent signed-in computer for sites with no clean API (x.ai). Our tip on choosing between the two routes: Connectors before the browser.
5. Usage
OpenAI says conversations with your dot don't count toward ChatGPT usage limits, while tasks it starts in Codex or ChatGPT Work do (OpenAI). Grok Bot has its own weekly usage, separate from your Grok and Cursor plan usage (x.ai). In both, busy automations are what use the allowance fastest (Check usage and update your Bot's computer in Settings).
Questions to ask before you choose
- Do I want help doing the work, or do I want it handed off? Shaping a document together and delegating a standing job are different needs.
- Where does the work live? If it lives in web tools with no clean connector, a persistent signed-in computer matters. If it lives in files and documents, file access matters more.
- Does it need to start on its own? A schedule is enough for briefings. A reaction to a new email, Slack message or webhook needs event triggers.
- One agent or several? One generalist is simpler. Several specialists keep instructions short and make mistakes easier to trace.
- What can it never do without me? Decide this first, then check the approval settings of whichever tool you try.
- What do I already pay for? Trying the tool included in a plan you have is the cheapest experiment.
- Where do I live? Both products roll out by region and plan, so check availability on the official pages before you commit.
Run the same small, real job in both for a week and compare how much of your time each one saved after review. That will tell you more than any table, including ours.
A fair one-week test
Pick a job you already do every week, such as a Monday summary of your inbox or a price check on things you buy. Write the outcome in one paragraph: what finished looks like, where the inputs are, and what the agent must not do. Give the same paragraph to both tools on day one. Each day, note how long you spent checking and fixing the result, and whether it asked before anything risky. By day five you will know which one you trust with that job. Keep the winner for that job only, and repeat the test before you hand over the next one.
Our verdict (a judgement call)
If your work already runs through ChatGPT, Slack or Teams and you have an eligible plan, a dot is the low-friction choice. If you want several specialist agents, event-driven routines and an inbox of their own, Grok Bot fits better today. See Grok Bot use cases, multi-Bot tips, connectors tips and top posts on X.
More comparisons: Grok Bot vs Claude · Grok Bot vs Muse · New to it? Read what is Grok Bot.
Frequently asked questions
What are Dots in ChatGPT?
Dots are OpenAI's always-on agents in ChatGPT, powered by GPT-6 Astra. Each has its own cloud computer and keeps working between conversations.
Is Grok Bot better than Dots?
It depends on the work. Dots centre on one agent inside ChatGPT, Slack and Teams. Grok Bot centres on a team of Bots with routines and their own email.
Can I have more than one dot?
OpenAI says your first dot is included and you will be able to add more in the future. A dot can already use background agents for parallel work.
Which plans include Dots?
ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium, with an Enterprise beta that admins enable. See ChatGPT pricing for prices.
Are Dots available in the UK or EU?
OpenAI says Pro dots are not available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the UK at launch.
Do Dots work in Slack?
Yes, OpenAI says you can message your dot in Slack and Teams. Grok Bot Team Bots also work in Slack.
Can I text my dot?
Texting by iMessage or RCS started rolling out in beta to ChatGPT Pro users in the US on 28 October 2026. It is one to one only, and approvals open in ChatGPT (ChatGPT Learn).
Can a dot have its own email address?
Not at launch, per OpenAI Help. You can connect your personal email account instead. A Grok Bot can claim its own address.
Do Dots use my ChatGPT limits?
OpenAI says conversations with your dot don't count toward ChatGPT usage limits, but tasks it starts in Codex or ChatGPT Work do.
Is there a benchmark comparing them?
We didn't find an independent, reproducible head-to-head test we could rely on, so we haven't quoted one.
Is this comparison official?
No. It is independent, from official sources checked on 1 November 2026.