Guide

Grok Bot vs OpenAI Dots: which AI agent fits a small business?

Updated · by Rosh Perera

Grok Bot and OpenAI Dots are both always-on agents with their own cloud computer, so the real choice comes down to plans, regions and how you split the work. OpenAI says your first dot comes with a Pro or Business Premium plan, while Grok Bot comes with Premium, Super or Ultra on The X Subscription and runs one Bot per job. Owners on X keep asking where Dots stands next to Grok Bot, so this page puts the two side by side for a small business. It uses only xAI's Grok Bot docs, Cursor's Grok Bot help and OpenAI's own Help Center and ChatGPT Learn pages on dots, checked 20 Oct 2026. Where a page is silent, we write not stated rather than guess. Features change fast, so check both before you pay. Want a pick for your exact business? Try our free What should my bot do? planner. We're an independent site, not part of xAI.

Pick your first 3 bots in 5 quick questions →

How do Grok Bot and OpenAI Dots compare?

  • Who each one is for

    OpenAI describes Dots this way: "Your dot is an always-on agent in ChatGPT that can help you take a project from an idea to work you can use." It has its own computer, starts from your ChatGPT memory and keeps working between conversations (OpenAI Help Center: Getting started with your dot). Grok Bot gives you Bots that work on a shared cloud computer, and xAI's docs suggest giving each Bot a short name and one primary job (xAI's Get started docs). One is built around a single agent that learns you; the other around a small team of focused Bots.

  • Plans and where it's available

    OpenAI: "Dots are rolling out today in ChatGPT to Pro users in markets excluding the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the UK." Business Premium has them across supported regions, and Enterprise can try a beta that an admin must turn on. Rollout is gradual (OpenAI Help Center). Grok Bot: on The X Subscription it's included on Premium, Super and Ultra, not on Plus or Free, and on every paid individual legacy Cursor plan (Grok Bot help: Plans and billing). Prices: we don't list them here; check each maker's own pricing page, plus local tax where it applies. Grok Bot regional limits beyond @bot tagging: not stated on the pages we used.

  • One dot, or many Bots

    OpenAI: "Your first dot is included in your Pro or Business Premium plan at no extra cost." It adds that in the future you'll be able to add more dots (OpenAI Help Center). Grok Bot lets you run several Bots, and xAI's Grok Bot 101 describes one specialist asking another for help, and several Bots in a group chat. For a business that wants separate jobs, like inbox drafts and invoice reminders, that split is the biggest practical difference today.

  • Apps, email and messaging

    Dots connect to apps through plugins, with Gmail, Google Drive and GitHub as OpenAI's examples, and you can message a dot in Slack and Microsoft Teams (ChatGPT Learn: dots). OpenAI also says: "At launch, you cannot give your dot its own standalone email address." Texting is a limited beta for Pro users in the US (OpenAI Help Center). Grok Bot connects Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive and Slack, and you can connect multiple accounts per service (Grok Bot 101). Your Bots can also have their own address at mail.grokbot.com (Grok Bot help: Give your Bot an email address), and you can hand a post to your Bot by tagging @bot on X (xAI's Tag @bot docs).

  • Calls and voice

    You can call your dot from its conversation with the phone button. OpenAI says: "Calls initiated by your dot are planned for after launch." (ChatGPT Learn: dots). Grok Bot has voice chat: "A voice chat is a live spoken conversation with one Bot." It works in the desktop and phone apps (Grok Bot help: Voice chat). Calls to other people, like phoning a supplier: not stated by OpenAI, and not built in to Grok Bot. Our phone calls guide covers the connector route.

  • Using your own computer

    Both work on a cloud computer first. A dot can use your own computer only after you allow it in the ChatGPT desktop app, and OpenAI says to keep that computer online with the ChatGPT app open while your dot uses it. You can connect one personal computer at a time (ChatGPT Learn: dots). Grok Bot has Execution on Local Computer for the Mac or Windows computer in front of you, with Ask every time as the default (xAI's Approvals docs).

  • Approvals and control

    Dots have custom rules with four behaviours: take action without asking, take action if pre-approved, ask before taking action, or hand off to you (OpenAI Help Center). OpenAI adds: "Asking your dot to draft replies doesn't give it permission to send them." (ChatGPT Learn: Control your dot). Grok Bot uses rules you write in Settings → General → Auto-review, and email and Slack drafts wait for you to choose Send or Discard (xAI's Approvals docs, Grok Bot changelog). Both let you keep sending on approval; do that while you learn.

  • Which to pick for your first job

    Pick Dots if you already pay for ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium, work mostly in Slack or Teams, and want one agent that learns your projects. Pick Grok Bot if you want separate Bots for separate jobs, a Bot email address, or work that starts from X. Either way, start with one job that ends in a draft you approve, like a morning summary or inbox replies. Our Grok Bot vs Muse guide compares Meta's agent the same way.

  • Start from a template, not a blank page

    xAI's Use cases page lists 56 jobs and its official Marketplace lists 90 public templates, as of 20 Oct 2026 (our Grok Bot template stats page). Our templates page has drafts-first versions with copy-ready prompts, and our free What should my bot do? planner picks a first job for a business.

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4 copy-paste agent prompts, a business brief template and a 7-day plan, as a PDF. Plus this guide's templates.

Ready-made use cases

  1. 01CEO morning brief in 5 minutes
    One message each morning: calendar, urgent emails, money in/out, and the 3 things that move the business today.
    ~3h/week · estimate
  2. 02Inbox triage with drafted replies
    The agent sorts your inbox into reply / FYI / ignore and drafts replies in your voice for you to approve.
    ~5h/week · estimate
  3. 03Invoice chaser, with your OK on every reminder
    Every Monday the agent lists unpaid invoices and drafts polite, escalating reminders. You approve each one before it sends. Sending friendly first reminders without review is an optional upgrade.
    ~2h/week · estimate

Example: Grok Bot setup

Grok Bot routine: CEO morning brief in 5 minutes
Schedule: Daily 7:30

Every morning, read my calendar for today, my unread emails from the last 24h and yesterday's revenue. Send me a brief: (1) meetings with one prep note each, (2) emails that need my reply with a suggested one-line answer, (3) money in/out, (4) the 3 highest-leverage tasks for today. Keep it under 200 words.

Rules: draft first, never send or post anything external without my approval. Keep summaries short.

Grok Bot, ChatGPT, Claude and n8n versions: all templates

Email me this template + the Starter Kit

How do you try one without risk?

  1. Write down the one job you most want off your plate.
  2. Check access: Dots needs Pro or Business Premium and your region; Grok Bot needs Premium, Super or Ultra on The X Subscription or a paid Cursor plan.
  3. Set approvals before you connect anything: custom rules in Dots, Settings → General → Auto-review in Grok Bot.
  4. Connect only the apps that one job needs.
  5. Run it for a week, approve every action, and count what you had to fix.

What should stay with you in either tool?

  • Both act inside your accounts. OpenAI says: "Your dot can make mistakes, including when following your rules." Review its work before you rely on it (OpenAI Help Center).
  • Keep anything customers see as a draft you approve, in either tool.
  • This is a 20 Oct 2026 snapshot. OpenAI says Dots are rolling out gradually, and both products change often.
  • Never paste a password or one-time code in chat. Sign in yourself with Take over, then choose I'm done (xAI's Approvals docs).
  • Start in draft mode: the agent prepares, you approve, then you loosen the leash routine by routine.

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Built by Rosh Perera, who has set up AI automations for more than 40 businesses over about 3 years.

FAQ

"Anyone using OpenAI Dots. Where it stands compared to Grok Bot?"

Both are always-on agents with their own cloud computer. Dots gives you one agent on ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium today (OpenAI Help Center). Grok Bot lets you run several Bots, each with one job, and give them their own email address (xAI's Get started docs, Grok Bot help).

What is OpenAI Dots?

OpenAI's always-on agent in ChatGPT. OpenAI says it has its own computer, works with the apps you connect, and keeps making progress between conversations (OpenAI Help Center).

Which plans include Dots?

Pro, in markets outside the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK, and Business Premium across supported regions. Enterprise can try a beta when an admin turns it on (OpenAI Help Center).

Can I have more than one dot?

Not yet. Your first dot is included in your plan, and OpenAI says you'll be able to add more dots in the future (OpenAI Help Center).

Can a dot or a Grok Bot make phone calls?

You can call your dot, and OpenAI says calls started by the dot are planned for after launch (ChatGPT Learn). Grok Bot has voice chat with your own Bot. Neither documents calls to other businesses; see our phone calls guide.

Which is better for a small business?

It depends on the job. For one agent that learns your projects inside ChatGPT, Dots. For several focused Bots on repeating business jobs, Grok Bot. Start with one job that ends in a draft you approve.

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