Unofficial guide · Updated October 1, 2026
OpenAI dots vs Gemini Spark: which 24/7 agent is right for you?
Google’s Gemini Spark and OpenAI’s dots both promise an agent that keeps working when you close the app. They’re priced through each company’s top consumer plans, and both skip Europe on those plans for now. The real differences are which apps they live in and who can sign up.
By the Dots Playbook editors · Checked against 7 sources on October 1, 2026 · 6 min read
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The short answer
- Price: Spark needs Google AI Pro or Ultra; dots needs ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium.
- Europe: neither is on consumer plans in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK. Only dots has a work-plan route there.
- Apps: Spark is built around Gmail, Calendar, Drive and Docs; dots around ChatGPT plugins, Slack and Teams.
- Accounts: Spark is personal accounts only for now; dots also works in business workspaces.
Key facts
- Launched
- Sep 29, 2026
- Model
- GPT-6 Astra
- Included in
- Pro, Business Premium
- Create on
- Desktop only
- Minimum age
- 18
Side-by-side comparison
| OpenAI dots | Gemini Spark | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | OpenAI, inside ChatGPT | Google, inside the Gemini app |
| Plans | ChatGPT Pro, Business Premium; Enterprise beta | Google AI Pro or Ultra |
| Accounts | Personal and business workspaces | Personal Google Accounts only, for now |
| Regions | Pro: not EEA, Switzerland or UK. Business Premium: all supported regions | Not EEA, Nigeria, Switzerland or UK |
| Where you use it | Create on desktop; talk in ChatGPT web, desktop, mobile, Slack, Teams | Gemini mobile app, Gemini app on Mac, gemini.google.com |
| Apps | 4,000+ through ChatGPT plugins | Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, YouTube, Maps (off by default) |
| Running at once | Several ongoing projects | Up to 15 tasks |
| Usage | Chats with your dot don’t count toward limits; first month not counted | Uses your Gemini plan’s compute-based limits |
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 |
Made by
- OpenAI dots
- OpenAI, inside ChatGPT
- Gemini Spark
- Google, inside the Gemini app
Plans
- OpenAI dots
- ChatGPT Pro, Business Premium; Enterprise beta
- Gemini Spark
- Google AI Pro or Ultra
Accounts
- OpenAI dots
- Personal and business workspaces
- Gemini Spark
- Personal Google Accounts only, for now
Regions
- OpenAI dots
- Pro: not EEA, Switzerland or UK. Business Premium: all supported regions
- Gemini Spark
- Not EEA, Nigeria, Switzerland or UK
Where you use it
- OpenAI dots
- Create on desktop; talk in ChatGPT web, desktop, mobile, Slack, Teams
- Gemini Spark
- Gemini mobile app, Gemini app on Mac, gemini.google.com
Apps
- OpenAI dots
- 4,000+ through ChatGPT plugins
- Gemini Spark
- Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, YouTube, Maps (off by default)
Running at once
- OpenAI dots
- Several ongoing projects
- Gemini Spark
- Up to 15 tasks
Usage
- OpenAI dots
- Chats with your dot don’t count toward limits; first month not counted
- Gemini Spark
- Uses your Gemini plan’s compute-based limits
Minimum age
- OpenAI dots
- 18
- Gemini Spark
- 18
Source: Gemini Apps Help, “Use Gemini Spark to manage your tasks & workflows in Gemini Apps”; OpenAI Help Center, “Getting started with your dot”. Verified October 1, 2026.
Price and plans
Neither has a free tier. Spark needs a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription (Gemini Apps Help). It started on the top tier: PCMag’s June review notes it then required AI Ultra (PCMag). Chrome Unboxed has since reported it reaching the $20-a-month Pro tier in the US (Chrome Unboxed).
Dots comes with ChatGPT Pro (plans from $100 to $500 a month) or a Business Premium seat, and for the first month its usage doesn’t count toward plan allowances. See dots pricing for the tier details.
One practical difference: Spark draws on your Gemini plan’s compute-based limits, so heavy use competes with everything else you do in Gemini (Gemini Apps Help). Conversations with your dot don’t count toward ChatGPT limits at all, though tasks it starts in Codex or ChatGPT Work do (OpenAI).
Who can get each one
On consumer plans, the two have almost the same map. Spark is available wherever Gemini Apps are supported except the European Economic Area, Nigeria, Switzerland and the UK (Gemini Apps Help). Dots on Pro excludes the EEA, Switzerland and the UK (OpenAI Help Center).
Apps and where you use them
Spark is built around Google’s own apps: Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, YouTube and Maps. Those connections are off until you turn them on (Google). You use it in the Gemini mobile app, the Gemini app on Mac or at gemini.google.com, and it can run up to 15 tasks at a time (Gemini Apps Help).
Dots connects to 4,000+ apps through ChatGPT plugins, has its own cloud computer and browser, and can be reached in Slack and Microsoft Teams as well as ChatGPT (OpenAI). You have to create it on a computer first; see how to set up dots.
Safety and control
- Approvals. Google says Spark is designed to check with you before taking major actions (Google). Dots lets you set custom rules per action and runs an independent Auto-review before steps like sending email (OpenAI).
- Status. Google calls Spark an experimental feature in early development and asks you to supervise it closely (Gemini Apps Help).
- Turning it off. Turning Spark off deletes its remote browser and code-execution data but keeps your tasks and schedules paused (Gemini Apps Help). Resetting a dot deletes its context. More in is OpenAI dots safe?
Which should you choose?
Choose dots if…
- Your work runs through Slack, Teams and a wide mix of apps.
- You need it in a business workspace.
- You’re in the UK or EU and have Business Premium.
Choose Gemini Spark if…
- Your life runs on Gmail, Calendar and Drive.
- You already pay for Google AI Pro or Ultra.
- You want to use it from a phone without a desktop setup step.
Still deciding? Our dots alternatives list compares six more always-on and scheduled agents.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gemini Spark free?
No. Gemini Spark needs a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription. Dots isn’t free either: it comes with ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium.
Is Gemini Spark available in the UK or EU?
Not yet. Google says Spark is available wherever Gemini Apps are supported except the European Economic Area, Nigeria, Switzerland and the UK. Dots has the same exclusion on ChatGPT Pro, but works on Business Premium in Europe.
Can I use Gemini Spark with a work Google account?
Not for now. Google’s help article says you need to sign in with a personal Google Account. Dots, by contrast, is available on ChatGPT Business Premium and as an Enterprise beta.
Which is better, dots or Gemini Spark?
It depends on your apps. Spark connects natively to Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets and other Google apps. Dots reaches 4,000+ apps through ChatGPT plugins and lives in Slack and Teams too. Pick the one that matches where your work already happens.
Sources
- Google: Gemini Spark (official, published September 30, 2026, checked October 1, 2026)
- Gemini Apps Help: Use Gemini Spark to manage your tasks & workflows in Gemini Apps (official, published October 1, 2026, checked October 1, 2026)
- Chrome Unboxed: Google’s agentic AI Gemini Spark is now available on the $20 Pro tier in the US (media report, published July 27, 2026, checked September 30, 2026)
- PCMag: Gemini Spark is the best AI agent I’ve tested, but it has a big problem (media report, published June 14, 2026, checked October 1, 2026)
- OpenAI: Introducing dots (official, published September 29, 2026, checked September 30, 2026)
- OpenAI Help Center: Getting started with your dot (official, published September 29, 2026, checked October 1, 2026)
- OpenAI: How we build safety, security, and privacy into dots (official, published September 29, 2026, checked September 30, 2026)
Dots is new and changes fast. If something here is out of date, the official pages win.