Claude Duet vs Teebots
Claude Duet is Anthropic's cloud personal agent (US research preview, Opus 5.5). Teebots takes a third path: a small, swappable-model team on your Mac.
Claude Duet is Anthropic's cloud personal agent (US research preview, Opus 5.5), typically reached via Claude Pro/Max. Teebots is a free local macOS multi-bot team with BYOK and no required login. Key contrast: one Anthropic cloud assistant vs a third-path small team on your Mac that asks before sensitive browser and schedule steps.
Comparison
| Comparison | Teebots | Claude Duet |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Local macOS desktop | Anthropic cloud VM |
| Model choice | BYOK; many providers | Opus 5.5 only |
| Multi-bot | Yes; group chat | One Duet agent |
| Scheduled tasks | Yes; confirmation cards | Morning brief & periodic checks |
| Browser visible & controllable | On your Mac; asks before sensitive steps | Cloud browser; you can't take over mid-task |
| Pricing | App free; you pay the model | Bundled in Pro/Max (US waitlist preview) |
Where it runs
- Teebots
- Local macOS desktop
- Claude Duet
- Anthropic cloud VM
Model choice
- Teebots
- BYOK; many providers
- Claude Duet
- Opus 5.5 only
Multi-bot
- Teebots
- Yes; group chat
- Claude Duet
- One Duet agent
Scheduled tasks
- Teebots
- Yes; confirmation cards
- Claude Duet
- Morning brief & periodic checks
Browser visible & controllable
- Teebots
- On your Mac; asks before sensitive steps
- Claude Duet
- Cloud browser; you can't take over mid-task
Pricing
- Teebots
- App free; you pay the model
- Claude Duet
- Bundled in Pro/Max (US waitlist preview)
Who it's for
Choose Claude Duet if you already pay for Claude Pro/Max, are in the US preview, and want one proactive cloud agent deep in Anthropic's stack.
Choose Teebots if you want the work on your Mac, BYOK without a required login, and a few bots that split work in a group—not one big-tech assistant doing everything.
FAQ
What is Teebots?
Teebots is a free macOS desktop app for a local team of AI bots. You run several named bots in group chat on your Mac, bring your own model keys (BYOK), and keep chats, files, and browser sessions on your computer. Login is optional. Positioning: third path — big tech gives you one assistant; we give you a small team.
Local vs cloud — where does Teebots run?
Teebots runs as a local macOS desktop app. Work happens on your Mac rather than a vendor cloud VM or rented cloud PC. Sensitive actions ask you first; the browser runs on your Mac and asks before sensitive steps. Cloud products (many big-tech agents) keep the session on their infrastructure—that can be convenient if you want always-on remote compute.
What does BYOK mean?
BYOK means bring your own key. You add API keys from model providers you already use; requests go to those providers. You choose models per bot. The Teebots app is free; model usage is billed by your provider. There is no required Teebots login to start with your own key.
How does multi-bot group chat work?
A group can hold several bots. You @ a bot to assign work; bots can hand off steps and split the job. This is the “small team” model—not a single assistant doing everything.
Is Teebots free? How does pricing work?
The Teebots software itself is completely free. You pay your model provider for API usage via your own keys. There is no required Teebots seat fee described here. Competitor cloud agents may bundle access into Pro / Max / Premium / Business plans—see each compare page for fair, high-level notes.
Teebots vs Grok Bot / Hermes — short?
Grok Bot (Cursor × xAI) is a cloud multi-bot crew on Cursor's cloud computer, typically tied to platform / Premium plans—strong if you already live in that ecosystem. Teebots also does multi-bot, but the team lives on your Mac with BYOK and confirmation before sensitive steps. Hermes Agent (Nous Research) is MIT open source: self-host or Hermes Cloud, any model, multi-agent—best if you want to operate that stack. Teebots is install-and-go on signed, notarized macOS without standing up self-hosting first. Full tables: https://teebots.ai/compare/teebots-vs-grok-bot and https://teebots.ai/compare/teebots-vs-hermes
Is Teebots macOS only?
Yes. As of 2026-10-23, Teebots is a macOS local desktop app (signed and notarized). Do not assume Windows, Linux, or mobile apps are available as product claims on compare pages.