Grokbot guide
Muse vs Grokbot, plus Dots and Hermes
Last updated October 10, 2026 · By Joe Apfelbaum
Muse, Grokbot, dots and Hermes are all "always-on" AI agents that do tasks for you, but they are built for different people. Meta's Muse is a free-for-most personal agent you talk to in an app or WhatsApp. (Meta) Grokbot runs a team of work Bots on their own cloud computer. (xAI Docs) OpenAI's dots come with ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium. (OpenAI) Hermes Agent is free, open source and self-hosted. (Nous Research)
Last updated October 10, 2026. All four products are new and change often. Check each official site before you buy.
What is Muse?
Meta introduced Muse on September 8, 2026 as "a secure, private personal AI agent." It runs on "Muse Secure VM, a dedicated, virtual machine" with its own browser, and you talk to it in the Muse app or in WhatsApp. It checks with you before sensitive actions like sending an email or making a purchase, and a separate "Sentinel" agent must approve anything Muse sends to the internet. Meta says it is rolling out in the US on iOS, Android and muse.ai, and "it's free for most of what people need, with subscription plans for people who want to do more." (Meta) Meta's announcement does not list subscription prices.
Muse vs Grokbot: which is better?
| Grokbot | Meta Muse | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Work: sales, ops, research, reporting, follow-up | Personal life: errands, bills, travel, shopping, goals |
| How many agents | As many named Bots as you want, each with a job (x.ai/bot) | One personal agent (Meta) |
| Where you talk to it | Grok Bot desktop and phone apps | Muse app, muse.ai and WhatsApp |
| Price | Included with plans from $20/month (x.ai/bot) | Free for most uses. Paid plans exist but prices were not in Meta's announcement. |
| Availability | Desktop on Mac, Windows, Linux. iPhone and Android. (Cursor Help) | Rolling out in the US (Meta) |
Simple rule: if the job is for your business, Grokbot. If the job is for your personal life and you live in WhatsApp, Muse.
What are OpenAI dots?
OpenAI announced dots on September 29, 2026: "always-on agents" with "their own cloud computer" that connect to "over 4,000 apps" through plugins. You reach your dot in ChatGPT, Slack or Teams. They are rolling out to Pro and Business Premium users in eligible markets, and "your first dot is included in your Pro or Business Premium plan at no extra cost." (OpenAI) ChatGPT's pricing page shows dots on Pro but not on Plus, Go or Free. (ChatGPT pricing) Dots are the closest match to Grokbot. The biggest practical difference is which ecosystem you already pay for.
What is Hermes Agent?
Hermes Agent from Nous Research is "free and open source under the MIT license." You install it on your own computer or server, connect your own model provider and talk to it through Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email or the command line. It has persistent memory, skills and scheduled automations. (Nous Research, GitHub) You pay for the AI model you plug in, and optional hosted plans exist through Nous Portal. The trade-off: you handle setup, hosting, updates and security yourself.
Are there free or open-source alternatives to Grokbot?
Yes. Hermes Agent is the best-known open-source option. A Reddit post in r/AI_Agents describes a builder who made a free, open-source version because they "wanted the functionalities without being locked and having the advantage of being local with sandboxes and VMs." (r/AI_Agents) Muse is free for most personal uses. Open-source tools are great if you are technical. If you are not, a managed product like Grokbot is usually the faster path.
Which AI agent should I choose?
- Grokbot: you want a team of work Bots in your business apps, and you are fine with a monthly plan.
- Dots: you already pay for ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium.
- Muse: you want a free personal helper in WhatsApp, and you live in the US.
- Hermes: you are technical, want full control and want to choose your own model.
Learn Grokbot live with Joe
Joe Apfelbaum teaches Grokbot step by step in live sessions, with the exact words to type. No tech skills needed. See the next class and apply for a seat.
Sources
Checked October 10, 2026. Grokbot School is independent and not affiliated with xAI. Always confirm details on the official sites.