Claude Cowork vs Computer Use OOTB
Claude Cowork
claude.comComputer Use OOTB
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Claude Cowork | Computer Use OOTB |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · AI Computer Use Agents | 6.5 (#22) | 8.7 (#2) |
Plans
In their own words
Claude Cowork
Claude Cowork has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Computer Use OOTB
Computer Use OOTB is an open-source framework for automating desktop tasks through a graphical interface, using API-based or locally running models. It supports Windows and macOS and provides a Gradio interface without requiring Docker. Users can configure one model for a task or separate models for planning and computer control; listed options include Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, Qwen models, ShowUI, and UI-TARS. Local inference can avoid API costs, though a task using Claude 3.5 Computer Use may cost a few dollars. Setup requires Miniconda, Python 3.12 or newer, dependency installation, and starting the interface with `python app.py`. ShowUI local runs require a CUDA-enabled NVIDIA GPU with at least 6 GB of GPU memory on Windows, or an M1-or-newer Apple Silicon Mac with at least 16 GB unified RAM. A mobile browser can send commands to the computer running the software. The project uses an Apache-2.0 license. Its README warns that model actions can be unintended or harmful and recommends monitoring them; anyone with a public Gradio link may be able to control the computer.