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ChatGPT Work tools: what can OpenAI's agent actually do in 2026?

Published 2026-09-02 · Researched and price-checked on official sources

ChatGPT Work tools: OpenAI's work agent ships with a built-in browser, code execution with internet access, document and spreadsheet creation, site publishing, sub-agents, and scheduled tasks, plus a bundled LibreOffice install for office file work, verified September 2, 2026 on the official docs. Work is included with ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) and up.

Key facts

What matters

ChatGPT Work's toolset covers a built-in browser, code execution with internet access, document and spreadsheet creation, site publishing, sub-agents, and scheduled tasks, per learn.chatgpt.com docs checked September 2, 2026.
The Codex desktop app, now rebranded to ChatGPT, bundles a full LibreOffice install, Python, Node.js, Poppler, and git binaries in a 1.7GB runtime, with documents skills that tell the agent how to use them, per Simon Willison's September 1 report.
Work is not on the cheap tiers: cloud browsing is available only on paid plans other than Free ($0) and Go ($8/mo), and Simon Willison's hands-on testing found Work restricted to $20/mo Plus and above.
Work draws on the same allowance as Codex: OpenAI's pricing docs state Work shares pricing, credits, and usage limits with Codex, so heavy use can push a team to Pro ($100/mo) or enterprise overage.

What is ChatGPT Work?

ChatGPT Work is OpenAI's agent mode for non-coding tasks, defined in the official docs as a way to delegate real work to ChatGPT. The docs draw the line: use Chat when you want an answer, explanation, brainstorm, or short draft, and use Work when you want ChatGPT to complete a task with a clear outcome, such as a brief, deck, analysis, recurring update, workflow, or file you can review and use.

Work runs in two places. Work Cloud executes in OpenAI's infrastructure and keeps running after you close the app or turn off your computer, and you can continue the chat from the web or mobile app. Work Local runs in the ChatGPT desktop app, the app formerly called Codex, and can use files, apps, and the browser on your computer, per the official get-started guide.

Simon Willison's August 30 hands-on write-up, which drew 346 points on Hacker News this week, calls Work Cloud the more interesting flavor because of its code execution environment with internet access.

The core ChatGPT Work tools

OpenAI's docs list the toolset that turns Work from a chat box into a task runner. All of the following are documented on learn.chatgpt.com as of September 2, 2026:

Built-in browser: opens websites, gathers current information, and takes action while you stay in control. In the desktop app it is a shared view of sites and local web apps, with its own profile, history, and downloads folder.
Computer Use: lets Work operate the built-in browser directly, opening pages, clicking, typing, inspecting rendered state, and taking screenshots.
Code execution with internet access: the agent runs in a cloud container that can install packages, clone repos, and call live APIs, per Simon Willison's testing.
Document and spreadsheet work: creates and refines documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and PDFs, with annotations for targeted revisions.
Sites: builds, hosts, and refines websites, web apps, and games without a separate deployment workflow. In public beta.
Sub-agents: delegates parallel work to spawned agents; the Ultra intelligence level delegates proactively when parallel work is useful.
Scheduled tasks: recurring work runs in the background, managed from the Scheduled view, including web tasks that research or check sites over time.
Skills and plugins: reusable workflows plus MCP-backed connectors that package skills and connected tools.

Document editing: the LibreOffice story

The freshest detail about Work's file tools surfaced on September 1, when Simon Willison reported that the Codex desktop app, since rebranded to ChatGPT, carries about 1.7GB of runtime in the ~/.cache/codex-runtimes/codex-primary-runtime folder. Inside sits a full Python installation, a full Node.js installation, and native binaries for Poppler, git, and the LibreOffice open source office suite. A plugins/documents folder includes skills that tell Codex how to find and use those binaries.

That bundling is how the desktop app handles office files locally: LibreOffice supplies the office-suite machinery, Poppler handles PDF rendering, and the documents skills wire them into the agent. OpenAI's own docs describe the user-facing side: the desktop app previews generated documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and PDFs alongside the chat, and annotations let you point at a specific part of a file and request a focused revision. On the web, Work creates those file types and lets you download and revise them.

The takeaway for buyers: if your team's work lives in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, Work can produce and refine them, and the office conversion machinery is bundled locally rather than outsourced to a cloud service.

Work Cloud vs Work Local: where each tool runs

The desktop app's composer has a control labeled Work locally, with Cloud as an option. Cloud keeps a task running after you close the app or turn off your computer, and lets you continue from the web or mobile app. Keep Work locally selected when the task needs files or apps on your computer, per the official guide.

Cloud browsing availability depends on plan: OpenAI's docs state it is available in all regions on paid plans other than Free and Go, and enterprise admins must enable it for their workspace. Scheduled tasks that research or check websites over time are a natural fit for Cloud, because their runs do not depend on your computer being awake.

Which ChatGPT Work tools need which plan

OpenAI's pricing docs list the plan ladder: Free at $0/mo, Go at $8/mo, Plus at $20/mo, Pro from $100/mo, Business at $20 per user per month billed annually with 2+ users ($25 monthly), and Enterprise via sales.

Work itself is not on the cheapest tiers. Simon Willison's hands-on testing found Work available only to $20/mo and up subscribers, with Free and Go users locked out. OpenAI's docs corroborate the pattern: cloud browsing is excluded from Free and Go, Sites is available with Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu during its public beta, and image generation is not on the Free plan. The Ultra intelligence level, which lets ChatGPT delegate proactively to sub-agents, is available only to eligible accounts and supported models.

For a business, the Business tier at $20 per user per month billed annually adds a dedicated workspace with admin controls, SAML SSO, and MFA, plus no training on your business data by default, per the pricing page.

The honest catch: usage is metered

Nothing in this article comes from hands-on use of Work. Feature and price claims trace to OpenAI's official docs and to Simon Willison's September 1 and August 30 reports, all checked September 2, 2026.

The cost catch: OpenAI's pricing page states that ChatGPT Work usage inside ChatGPT uses the same pricing, credits, and usage limits as Codex. The enterprise usage-and-cost page explains the mechanics: Work activity draws from a shared pool of workspace credits, and when credits run out, overage behavior depends on your agreement. Alerts provide notice but do not stop spending. A $20 Plus seat is the entry ticket, not the ceiling.

Work is also young. Sites is in public beta, cloud browsing availability depends on plan and workspace settings, and both execution surfaces changed names within the past year. Re-verify the tool list against your own plan before committing a team.

At a glance

Tool	What it does	Where it runs	Plan note
Built-in browser	Opens sites, gathers info, takes actions with your approval	Desktop app and web	Cloud browsing excluded from Free and Go
Computer Use	Operates the browser directly: click, type, screenshot	Desktop app	Optional tool
Code execution	Runs code with internet access in a cloud container	Work Cloud and Local	Shares the Codex usage allowance
Document and spreadsheet work	Creates and refines documents, presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs	Desktop app and web	LibreOffice bundled in desktop runtime
Sites	Builds, hosts, and refines websites and web apps	Web and desktop app	Public beta; Plus and up
Sub-agents	Delegates parallel work; Ultra delegates proactively	Web and local	Ultra for eligible accounts
Scheduled tasks	Runs recurring work in the background	Web and desktop app	Web tasks cannot touch local folders

ChatGPT Work tools, verified September 2, 2026

FAQ

Is ChatGPT Work free?

No. OpenAI's docs price ChatGPT plans from Free at $0 and Go at $8, but cloud browsing is available only on paid plans other than Free and Go, and Simon Willison's hands-on testing found Work restricted to $20/mo Plus and above. Work is included with Plus, Pro, and Business rather than sold separately.

Can ChatGPT Work edit Word and Excel files?

Yes. OpenAI's docs describe Work creating and refining documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and PDFs with annotation-based revisions. Simon Willison verified on September 1 that the desktop app bundles a full LibreOffice install plus Poppler and git binaries in its runtime, with documents skills that tell the agent how to use them.

Does ChatGPT Work cost extra on top of my plan?

There is no separate Work subscription fee, but Work usage draws from the same allowance as Codex. OpenAI's pricing page states that Work shares pricing, credits, and usage limits with Codex, so heavy use can consume your credits or, under enterprise agreements, incur overage charges.