Comparison Cereal vs ChatGPT agent
Cereal vs ChatGPT agent: the free AI browser agent that runs on your machine.
ChatGPT agent, formerly Operator, is now part of ChatGPT Work: OpenAI’s models in a cloud browser on OpenAI’s side, on a ChatGPT plan. Cereal’s AI browser agent runs in your own Chrome, with your model and your key.
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Goal Notify me when the PS5 Pro on bol.com drops below €450
- ✓ Opened bol.com in your Chrome
- ✓ Rejected cookie banner
- ✓ Searched “PS5 Pro”, opened product
- ✓ Learned: price below €450
● Repeat · 0 model calls
[ 01 / compare ]
How they compare.
OpenAI has folded ChatGPT agent into ChatGPT Work, so the column below describes ChatGPT Work.
| Cereal (coming soon) | ChatGPT agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your machine, in the free Cereal desktop app. | OpenAI’s cloud, in ChatGPT Work. Computer Use in the ChatGPT desktop app can also drive your own computer. checked 2026-10 · help.openai.com |
| Which browser | Your own Chrome, in a window you can watch, with a separate profile per task. No extension, no new browser. | A cloud browser on OpenAI’s side, not your Chrome. checked 2026-10 · help.openai.com |
| Model / BYOK | Bring your own model: Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or any OpenAI-compatible server. Your API key goes only to the AI provider you pick. | OpenAI’s models only. No own key. checked 2026-10 · help.openai.com |
| Local models | Yes: Ollama and LM Studio (best effort; tested on Claude, other models may vary). | No. checked 2026-10 · help.openai.com |
| Repeats without the model | Yes, after the first run: Repeat replays what it learned without calling the AI. If the site changes, the AI picks up where replay stopped. | Not stated by vendor. checked 2026-10 · help.openai.com |
| Asks before buying/sending | Asks for your OK before it buys, pays, deletes or sends anything, including on repeat runs. | Asks for confirmation in chat before bookings and payments. checked 2026-10 · help.openai.com |
| Price | Free. You pay your AI provider directly, or nothing with a local model. | Cloud browser on paid plans except Go: Plus $20/mo, Pro from $100/mo. checked 2026-10 · help.openai.com |
| Platforms | Tested on macOS and Linux · needs Google Chrome | Web, iOS, Android, and the ChatGPT desktop app for macOS and Windows. checked 2026-10 · help.openai.com |
[ 02 / fit ]
When to pick ChatGPT agent instead.
- You already pay for ChatGPT Plus or Pro and want browsing in the same assistant.
- You’d rather the browser run in OpenAI’s cloud than on your machine.
[ faq ]Questions.
Questions.
Answered.
Q/01 Is it free?
Yes. Free, and free to run: use a free tier such as Gemini’s, a local model, or your own paid key. You pay your AI provider directly, typically cents to a few tens of cents per run (an estimate). Hard limits stop every run at $2 and every task at $5 by default, and you can change them. Free tiers may let the provider use your data; a paid key or local model keeps it private.
Q/02 Where do my pages and key go?
Nothing passes through Cereal: your key and pages go only to the model provider you pick, or stay on your machine with a local model. Your passwords are typed by Cereal, not the AI: the model only sees a placeholder, and secret values are removed from logs.
Q/03 What happens when the site changes?
After the first run, Repeat replays what it learned without calling the AI, so routine checks cost nothing. If the site changes, the AI picks up where replay stopped.
Q/04 What happened to Operator and ChatGPT agent?
Operator became ChatGPT agent, and OpenAI has since folded ChatGPT agent into ChatGPT Work, rolling out from July 2026. OpenAI’s help page now says ChatGPT agent is no longer available and points to ChatGPT Work (checked 2026-10).
Q/05 Can I use a model other than OpenAI’s?
Not in ChatGPT. In Cereal, bring your own model: Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or any OpenAI-compatible server, including local ones like Ollama and LM Studio.