Cowork is a mode inside the Claude app. It takes a task of several steps and carries it to a result: sorts files into folders, builds a spreadsheet with working formulas, turns notes into a slide deck. According to Anthropic it runs on the same architecture as Claude Code, minus the terminal. You need a paid plan: Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise.
What Claude Cowork is and how it evolved
Cowork started as a research preview on 12 January 2026, on macOS only and only for the Max plan. Access then widened step by step. The key dates, taken from Anthropic's official release notes:
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| 12 January 2026 | Preview in Claude Desktop for macOS, Max plan |
| 9 April 2026 | General availability on macOS and Windows through Claude Desktop |
| 7 July 2026 | Cowork on the web and in the mobile apps, starting with Max |
| 16 September 2026 | Cowork capabilities available from any conversation, gradual rollout to Pro and Max |
The last row has a practical consequence: the line between chat and Cowork is fading. Anthropic's help pages describe a single input box where you switch between "Chat" and "Cowork", and on some accounts the agentic features are already switched on inside an ordinary conversation. So the interface may look different from one account to the next.
Work runs in the cloud or locally. Sessions sync with your account and continue while the laptop is closed. Tasks that touch local files, the browser or computer control still need the Claude Desktop app to be open.
How Cowork differs from Chat and Code
The short answer, if you searched "what is the difference between Chat and Cowork in Claude": Chat answers messages, Cowork does work with files and tools, Code writes and edits programs.
| Chat | Cowork | Code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Answers each message, explains how to do something | Carries out a multi-step task and produces files | Writes, debugs and ships code |
| File access | Manual upload | Direct access to folders on your computer | The project repository |
| Terminal | Not needed | Not needed | The main environment, with an app as well |
| Plan | Any, including Free | Paid | Pro and above, or Console and cloud providers |
Chat and Cowork share one memory, so Cowork builds on what Claude has remembered from your chats. For the coding agent, see Claude Code: installation, payment and pricing; for an overview of the whole family, see Claude AI: what it can do, versions and access.
What tasks Cowork handles
Examples from Anthropic's help pages and product page, grouped by type of work:
- Files: sort the Downloads folder, turn photos of receipts into an expense report, rename a batch of files.
- Research: merge web sources and notes into a report, pull an action list out of a call transcript.
- Documents: Excel spreadsheets with working formulas, PowerPoint decks built from notes, formatted documents made from drafts.
- Data: statistical analysis, charts, dataset cleanup.
- Recurring work: scheduled tasks, such as a weekly metrics summary. The product page adds more examples: reconciling regional exports against a budget and a first pass over contracts using a checklist.
Inside a session Claude can start sub-agents that work in parallel. Browser actions run in the app's built-in browser or in the user's Chrome. Our assessment: Cowork pays off on tasks where you can check the result by eye in a minute (a spreadsheet, a summary, a folder of files). Legal and financial documents should not go to it without a human check.
Plans, operating systems and where to download Cowork
Cowork has no installer of its own. It is part of Claude Desktop, and you download the app from Anthropic's download page.
| Platform | What is known as of 29 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| macOS | macOS 13 or newer, generally available since 9 April 2026 |
| Windows | Windows 10 or newer, builds for x64 and ARM64 |
| Linux | Beta, Ubuntu 22.04+ or Debian 12+ on x64 and arm64 |
| Web and mobile | Pro and Max, Team in beta, Enterprise when the owner turns it on |
For Cowork on Linux the help pages list KVM hardware virtualization, QEMU packages, about 25 GB of free disk space and at least 8 GB of RAM. The "Claude Cowork on Windows" question has a simple answer: install the regular Claude Desktop build for Windows 10 or newer.
How to start your first task
The steps follow Anthropic's help pages. Install or update Claude Desktop and sign in to an account with a paid plan. In the input box choose "Cowork" and describe the result you want. A specific wording beats a vague one: instead of "sort the files", write "sort the PDFs in the Invoices folder by month and build a table of the totals". Claude shows a plan, you read it and allow the run. For the first attempt, give it a test folder with copies of your files.
How much Anthropic's plans cost
Prices from the pricing page as of 29 October 2026: Pro from $17 a month billed yearly ($20 month to month), Max from $100 (5x) and $200 (20x), Team from $20 per seat billed yearly. A full price breakdown is in how much a Claude subscription costs in 2026.
Security and limitations
Anthropic itself calls the risks of Cowork special: the agent acts on its own and reaches the internet. The threat is concrete. An instruction hidden on a web page or in a file can push the agent into doing something extra (prompt injection). That is why the mode has three permission levels.
| Mode | How it works |
|---|---|
| Manual | Claude asks before every action and you pick Allow or Deny |
| Auto | Claude checks each action for leaks and injections itself and blocks unsafe ones. The default on Pro, Max and Team |
| Skip | No confirmations and no checks. Fits only if you fully trust every file, app and connector |
Before any permanent file deletion Claude always asks for explicit permission. Other limits from the help pages: a session cannot be shared (the artifacts it creates can), some features work only in the app, and multi-step tasks use up your limit noticeably faster than ordinary chat. Check your usage under Settings, Usage.
One more caveat about the sandbox. It protects your computer, but it does not restrict what Claude can do with the access you grant. Hand over a folder for the task, not the whole disk.
Cowork from Russia and through codexkey
You cannot buy an Anthropic subscription from Russia: the country is not on the list of supported countries; the details are in Claude API from Russia without a VPN. codexkey does not sell subscriptions and does not open Claude Pro accounts. There is another route, and Anthropic's own documentation describes it.
Claude Desktop can run in third-party inference mode ("3P"): every model request goes to a gateway you specify, one with an Anthropic-compatible API. In the Claude Desktop on 3P feature matrix Cowork is listed among the available features. The unavailable ones include mobile and web access, Anthropic cloud sessions and sharing between users. Sessions are local, and the device has to stay awake to run long tasks and schedules.
The codexkey gateway connects with the steps from the Claude Desktop guide: Help, Troubleshooting, Enable Developer Mode, then Developer and Configure Third-Party Inference…, mode Gateway, address https://api.codexkey.online without /v1, turn on Model discovery and press Apply Changes. You do not sign in to an Anthropic account. Installing the app and adding MCP servers are covered separately in Claude Desktop: install and connect MCP.
A fair caveat: we did not measure Cowork itself through codexkey for this article. Anthropic's documentation says the mode exists under 3P, and our gateway provides an Anthropic-compatible address and a model list. Try it on a small task before you let the agent near working folders. Tokens are paid here, and agent sessions pull in a lot of context, so for first experiments use claude-sonnet-5-5: at the codexkey price list of 29 October 2026 it costs $0.52 per million input tokens and $2.6 per million output tokens. Current prices are on the models page.
Alternatives to Claude Cowork
We found no direct twin with the same set (a local virtual machine, files, schedules, Chrome), so compare by task.
- For code, take Claude Code or its counterparts: Codex, OpenCode, Kimi Code.
- In the ChatGPT app, OpenAI has a Work mode next to Chat and Codex. According to the app documentation it can create and review files, work with the browser and apps on the computer, and run scheduled tasks. Access to ChatGPT from Russia is restricted; see ChatGPT with GPT-6 from Russia.
- If you want your own agent on a computer, codexkey has a route through OpenClaw: OpenClaw installation and setup. An agent with system access is dangerous on its own, so grant minimal rights.
FAQ
What is Claude Cowork in simple terms?
It is a Claude mode that carries out a work task from start to finish: opens files, builds a document, reconciles data, and shows you the result. The foundation is the same as Claude Code's, but you do not need to program or open a terminal.
What is the difference between Chat and Cowork in Claude?
Chat answers messages and explains how to do something, while Cowork works with files and tools and runs a task through many steps in a row. They share memory. Since September 2026 Anthropic has been merging the interface gradually, and Cowork features are appearing in ordinary conversation.
Claude Cowork on Windows: is there a version?
Yes. Cowork reached general availability on macOS and Windows on 9 April 2026 through the Claude Desktop app. You need Windows 10 or newer, and installers exist for x64 and ARM64.
Do I need a paid plan for Cowork?
Yes. According to Anthropic's help pages, Cowork is available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. Free has no Cowork. For Claude Desktop on a 3P gateway no Anthropic plan is needed, but the 3P limits apply: sessions are local, with no mobile or web access.
Can I download Claude Cowork separately?
No, there is no standalone app. Cowork is part of Claude Desktop, which you download from claude.com/download. Watch out for installers from dubious sites: the genuine one lives only at Anthropic.
What are the alternatives to Claude Cowork?
The closest in purpose is from OpenAI: Work mode in the ChatGPT app. For code, Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode fit. You can also run your own agent on a computer through OpenClaw, but then security is on your side.