Unofficial guide · Updated September 30, 2026
OpenAI dots vs Meta Muse: which always-on agent is right for you?
Meta launched Muse on September 8, 2026; OpenAI answered with dots three weeks later. Both are personal agents that run on their own cloud computer and keep working after you close the app. The differences are in price, who can get them, and where you talk to them.
By the Dots Playbook editors · Checked against 10 sources on September 30, 2026 · 6 min read
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The short answer
- Price: Muse has a free tier; dots comes with ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium.
- Availability: Muse is US-only for now; dots excludes Pro users in the UK, EEA and Switzerland but works on Business Premium there.
- Channels: Muse lives in its app and WhatsApp; dots lives in ChatGPT, Slack and Teams.
- Fit: Muse leans consumer (shopping, bills, plans); dots leans work (projects, code, documents).
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 | Meta Muse | |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | September 29, 2026 | September 8, 2026 |
| Model | GPT-6 Astra | Muse Spark |
| Where it works | Its own cloud computer and browser | Muse Secure VM, a dedicated cloud computer with its own browser |
| Talk to it via | ChatGPT (web, desktop, mobile), Slack, Teams, text (US Pro beta) | Muse app (iOS, Android), muse.ai, WhatsApp |
| Apps | 4,000+ through ChatGPT plugins | Email, calendar, shopping, payments and more; no published count |
| Price | Included with Pro or Business Premium | Free tier plus paid plans (reported $20 and $100/month) |
| Regions | Pro: not EEA, Switzerland or UK. Business Premium: all supported regions | US only at launch |
| Approvals | Custom rules plus an independent Auto-review | Asks before sensitive actions; a separate Sentinel agent approves anything that reaches the internet |
| Memory | Can’t delete individual memories; reset deletes the dot’s context | You can tell it to “forget” specific things |
Launched
- OpenAI dots
- September 29, 2026
- Meta Muse
- September 8, 2026
Model
- OpenAI dots
- GPT-6 Astra
- Meta Muse
- Muse Spark
Where it works
- OpenAI dots
- Its own cloud computer and browser
- Meta Muse
- Muse Secure VM, a dedicated cloud computer with its own browser
Talk to it via
- OpenAI dots
- ChatGPT (web, desktop, mobile), Slack, Teams, text (US Pro beta)
- Meta Muse
- Muse app (iOS, Android), muse.ai, WhatsApp
Apps
- OpenAI dots
- 4,000+ through ChatGPT plugins
- Meta Muse
- Email, calendar, shopping, payments and more; no published count
Price
- OpenAI dots
- Included with Pro or Business Premium
- Meta Muse
- Free tier plus paid plans (reported $20 and $100/month)
Regions
- OpenAI dots
- Pro: not EEA, Switzerland or UK. Business Premium: all supported regions
- Meta Muse
- US only at launch
Approvals
- OpenAI dots
- Custom rules plus an independent Auto-review
- Meta Muse
- Asks before sensitive actions; a separate Sentinel agent approves anything that reaches the internet
Memory
- OpenAI dots
- Can’t delete individual memories; reset deletes the dot’s context
- Meta Muse
- You can tell it to “forget” specific things
Source: Meta, “Introducing Muse: The World’s First Personal AI Agent Built for Everyone”; OpenAI, “Introducing dots”; OpenAI Help Center, “Getting started with your dot”. Verified September 30, 2026.
Price and plans
Meta says Muse is “free for most of what people need”, with subscription plans for heavier use (Meta). Media coverage puts those plans at $20 and $100 a month (GuruFocus via Yahoo Finance).
Dots has no free tier. Your first dot is included with ChatGPT Pro (plans from $100 to $500 a month) or a Business Premium seat, and for the first month dots usage doesn’t count toward plan allowances. See dots pricing for the tier details.
Who can get each one
Muse is rolling out in the US on iOS, Android and muse.ai, with AI glasses “coming soon” (Meta). Dots is rolling out to Pro users outside the EEA, Switzerland and the UK, to Business Premium in all supported regions, and to Enterprise as an admin-enabled beta (OpenAI Help Center).
Safety, privacy and memory
The two companies take similar approaches, with a few real differences:
- Approvals. Both ask before sensitive actions like sending email or buying something. Muse routes everything that reaches the internet through a separate “Sentinel” agent (Meta); dots uses custom rules plus an independent Auto-review check (OpenAI).
- Credentials. Both keep passwords out of the model’s view: Muse stores them in secure storage, and dots uses secure sign-in for supported logins.
- Memory. Muse lets you tell it to forget specific things. Dots doesn’t let you view or delete individual memories; you reset the whole dot (OpenAI Help Center).
- Training and ads. Muse lets you opt out of training and says it doesn’t share your data with Meta’s ad systems (Meta). Dots follows ChatGPT’s “Improve the model for everyone” setting on personal plans.
Launch coverage has also noted early growing pains for Muse, including Amazon blocking it from shopping on its site (Semafor).
Which should you choose?
Choose dots if…
- You already pay for ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium.
- Your work runs through Slack, Teams, docs and code.
- You’re in the UK or EU and have a Business Premium workspace.
Choose Muse if…
- You’re in the US and want a free option.
- You’d rather talk to your agent in WhatsApp.
- Your tasks are mostly personal: shopping, bills, plans.
Media coverage frames it the same way: Muse targets consumers, while OpenAI is aiming dots at work (The Decoder).
Frequently asked questions
Is Meta Muse free?
Meta says Muse is free for most of what people need, with subscription plans for people who want to do more. Media reports put the paid tiers at $20 and $100 a month. Dots has no free option: it comes with ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium.
Can I use Meta Muse or OpenAI dots in the UK or EU?
Muse launched in the US only. Dots isn’t available on the Pro plan in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK, but Business Premium users get it in all supported ChatGPT regions, which makes dots the only one of the two with an official route in Europe today.
Which is better, dots or Muse?
It depends on where you work. Dots fits people who already pay for ChatGPT and live in Slack, Teams and work apps. Muse fits US consumers who want a free agent in WhatsApp for everyday tasks like shopping, bills and plans.
Can Muse or dots have their own email address?
TechCrunch reported that Muse is getting its own email address. Dots can use your personal email account but can’t have a standalone address at launch.
Sources
- Meta: Introducing Muse: The World’s First Personal AI Agent Built for Everyone (official, published September 8, 2026, checked September 30, 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 September 30, 2026)
- OpenAI Help Center: Dots privacy, security, and safety FAQs (official, published September 29, 2026, checked September 30, 2026)
- OpenAI: How we build safety, security, and privacy into dots (official, published September 29, 2026, checked September 30, 2026)
- TechCrunch: Everything new coming to Meta’s AI agent, Muse (media report, published September 23, 2026, checked September 30, 2026)
- GuruFocus via Yahoo Finance: Meta’s Muse arrives with three pricing tiers (media report, published September 9, 2026, checked September 30, 2026)
- The Decoder: OpenAI launches always-on dots agents to rival Meta’s Muse (media report, published September 29, 2026, checked September 30, 2026)
- Semafor: OpenAI unveils its Muse competitor, dots (media report, published September 29, 2026, checked September 30, 2026)
- Trending Topics: Dots, Muse and Siri AI: not in Europe (media report, 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.