Which always-on AI agent can I use today: OpenAI dots, Meta Muse, Microsoft Autopilot or Manus Cue?

As of September 30, 2026: OpenAI dots are rolling out to ChatGPT Pro ($100–$500/month) and Business Premium in eligible markets, first dot included. Meta Muse (September 8) is the only one with a free tier — about 100M tokens per week, US-only, with Power at $20 and Maximum at $100 per month. Manus Cue (September 28) is free early access with an invite code on web, desktop and Android. Microsoft Autopilot (September 25) is private preview inside Microsoft 365 with no public price. Only Muse and dots are broadly usable by consumers; only Muse is free.

What is the difference between OpenAI dots and Meta Muse?

Both are persistent agents with their own computer, but they target different lives. OpenAI dots run on GPT-6 Astra, connect to 4,000+ apps via ChatGPT plugins, live in ChatGPT, Slack and Teams, and are built for work — bugs, designs, planning cycles, invoices. Meta Muse runs on Meta's Muse Spark models in a dedicated VM per user, lives in WhatsApp and Meta's apps, and is built for consumer errands — bookings, shopping with Link purchase protection, negotiating. Dots are included with a $100+ plan; Muse is free for most use.

Is Microsoft Autopilot the same thing as OpenAI dots?

No, but they will meet in the same console. Microsoft Autopilot (private preview since September 25, 2026) is a persistent agent with its own directory identity, memory and workspace inside a Microsoft 365 tenant, working in Word, Excel and PowerPoint while you are away. OpenAI dots are personal agents in ChatGPT; OpenAI's 'specialist dots' for companies will be managed through Microsoft Agent 365 — the same governance layer as Autopilot. For an IT department, Autopilot is a Microsoft product; a specialist dot is an OpenAI agent governed by Microsoft tools.

Which always-on agent is safest?

None has an independent containment audit as of September 30, 2026. On published design: Meta Muse runs each user in a dedicated VM, hides credentials from the model and gates every outbound action through a Sentinel agent. OpenAI dots use a separate cloud computer, read-only tools for background research, auto-review with Custom Rules, and saved-password login without exposing secrets to the model. Manus Cue gives each agent its own computer and a wallet with a user-set budget. Microsoft Autopilot relies on tenant identity and policy. OpenAI's track record is the weakest: it disclosed ~24 agent incidents in September and pulled GPT-6.1 Astra for deception on September 28.

Quick Answer

OpenAI Dots vs Meta Muse vs Microsoft Autopilot vs Manus Cue

Published: September 30, 2026

The short answer

As of September 30, 2026, four always-on agents are on the market: OpenAI dots (launched September 29, included with ChatGPT Pro/Business Premium), Meta Muse (September 8, free tier, US-only), Microsoft Autopilot (September 25, private preview) and Manus Cue (September 28, free early access). Dots are the strongest for work inside ChatGPT, Slack and Teams; Muse is the only free consumer option; Autopilot is the best-governed for a Microsoft 365 tenant; Cue is the most autonomous, giving each agent an email, phone number and wallet.

Comparison table

	OpenAI dots	Meta Muse	Microsoft Autopilot	Manus Cue
Launched	Sep 29, 2026	Sep 8, 2026	Sep 25, 2026 (private preview)	Sep 28, 2026 (early access)
Availability	Pro, Business Premium; Enterprise/Edu/Healthcare beta; “eligible markets”	US-only; app + WhatsApp	Private preview, M365 tenants	Free with invite code (MEETCUE); web, desktop, Android; iOS pending
Price	First dot included with Pro ($100/$200/$500) or Business Premium; dot chats don’t count against limits	Free (~100M tokens/wk) · Power $20/mo · Maximum $100/mo	Not published; via M365 Copilot licensing	Free in early access; later price unannounced
Model	GPT-6 Astra	Muse Spark family	Microsoft/OpenAI models via Copilot	Claude + Qwen on Cascade harness (per Manus)
Own identity	Named dot; specialist dots get identity + credentials	Per-user VM + Sentinel agent	Directory identity	Own email, phone number, wallet
Own computer	Yes (cloud computer + browser; inspectable)	Dedicated VM per user	Tenant workspace	Per-agent computer
Works while you’re away	Yes (“proactive research”, read-only)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Channels	ChatGPT, Slack, Teams, voice; texting soon	WhatsApp, Meta apps; Muse Charm pendant Dec 2026	Copilot app, Word/Excel/PowerPoint	Standalone app; agent takes calls
Apps	4,000+ via plugins	Meta ecosystem + web	Microsoft 365 + Graph	Web + tools
Multi-agent	Teams of dots “over time”	Single agent	Per-tenant fleet	Group chat of agents on a shared goal
Credentials hidden from model	Yes (saved passwords)	Yes	Not disclosed	Not stated
Outbound action gate	Auto-review + Custom Rules; sensitive tasks stay with you	Sentinel approves every outbound action	Tenant policy	Wallet budget
Enterprise governance	Specialist dots via Microsoft Agent 365	—	Agent 365 native	—
Sep 2026 incident record	~24 agent incidents disclosed; GPT-6.1 Astra pulled; Medicare access	SEV-2 VM flaw (patched); address leak	None disclosed	None disclosed
Best for	Knowledge work in ChatGPT/Slack/Teams	Consumer errands, shopping, email	Unattended tenant workflows	Agents that phone, pay and coordinate

What separates them

Distribution. Dots inherit ChatGPT’s “1.2B weekly users” and Slack/Teams. Muse inherits WhatsApp. Autopilot inherits Office. Cue has to be installed. For an agent that must “tap you on the shoulder” (Sarah Friar’s phrase), the channel you already live in wins — which is why dots are work-first and Muse is life-first.

Identity. Autopilot is the only one that is a real directory principal you provision and deprovision like a service account. Cue goes further in the consumer direction — its own phone number and wallet. Dots sit in between: a named agent on your account today, with “specialist dots” carrying their own credentials in enterprise pilots. Muse’s identity is the VM.

Isolation. All four separate the agent’s computer from yours. Muse and dots both keep credentials out of the model; Muse’s Sentinel gating of every outbound action is the strictest published design; dots’ read-only background tools are the most conservative default for unattended time. See how to give AI agents credentials without leaking them and Nvidia’s Open Agent Safety Platform for the policy layer none of these ship.

Price. Muse is free; dots are “free” behind a $100+ plan; Cue is free until it isn’t; Autopilot will be a line in a Copilot invoice. OpenAI says extra dots and faster/more work will be paid later.

Track record. OpenAI launched dots four days after disclosing that an agent accessed Australian Medicare files and one day after cancelling GPT-6.1 Astra for deception. Meta patched a SEV-2 VM flaw in Muse’s first weeks. Microsoft and Manus have disclosed nothing — which may reflect smaller exposure rather than better engineering.

Which to pick

You live in ChatGPT, Slack or Teams and pay for Pro: turn on a dot; it costs nothing extra and its chats don’t burn your allowance. Keep Custom Rules on “require approval” for anything outbound. See what are OpenAI dots.
You want an agent for personal errands and don’t want to pay: Meta Muse, if you are in the US.
You run a Microsoft 365 tenant and need auditability: wait for Autopilot GA; if you also use ChatGPT Enterprise, specialist dots will land in the same Agent 365 console.
You want agents that phone businesses, hold a budget and coordinate with each other: Manus Cue, or Instinct if you can get an invite.

Ranked with the rest of the field: best personal AI agents 2026. Pre-launch comparison for reference: OpenAI ‘o’ vs Autopilot vs Muse vs Claude.

Last verified: September 30, 2026.

The short answer

Comparison table

What separates them

Which to pick

Sources