Cowork OS
Local-first personal agentic OS and everything app for coding, knowledge work, web design, automations, and artifacts.
What is Cowork OS?
Cowork OS is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to local-first personal agentic os and everything app for coding, knowledge work, web design, automations, and artifacts.
Local-first personal agentic OS and everything app for coding, knowledge work, web design, automations, and artifacts.
This server falls under the Coding Agents category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Local-first personal agentic OS and everything app for codin
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx cowork-osConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Cowork OS
CoWork OS is a local-first personal agentic operating system distributed as an Electron desktop app and npm CLI that integrates 35 LLM providers, 47 MCP connectors, and 338 bundled skills into a unified workspace for coding, knowledge work, web design, document creation, and automation. It runs agents in five execution modes (Chat, Execute, Plan, Analyze, Verified), supports parallel task fan-out via /multitask, maintains a local Knowledge Graph memory, and can connect to 17 messaging channels including Slack, Discord, and WhatsApp. All task data, memories, and API keys remain on your machine — nothing sensitive is sent to the cloud.
Prerequisites
- macOS or Windows (Linux desktop app is planned; CLI build is possible)
- Node.js LTS if installing via npm (for the CLI interface)
- An AI provider account: Claude (Anthropic API key), OpenAI, Gemini, or a free-tier option like OpenRouter or Groq
- Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 with C++ workload and Python 3 on Windows (for native module compilation)
- Optional: Ollama installed locally if you want fully offline/local LLM operation
Download and install the desktop app
Download the latest release for your platform from GitHub Releases. On macOS, open the .dmg and drag CoWork OS to Applications. On Windows, run the .exe installer.
Handle macOS unsigned app warning
On first launch, macOS blocks unsigned apps. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Security and click 'Open Anyway' next to the CoWork OS warning, then confirm the dialog.
Alternatively, install via npm
Install CoWork OS globally via npm to use both the desktop GUI and the terminal UI. On Windows, run this command from your user home directory (%USERPROFILE%).
npm install -g cowork-os
cowork-os # Launch desktop app
cowork # Launch terminal UIConfigure your AI provider on first launch
On first launch, the onboarding screen asks you to choose an AI provider. Enter your Anthropic API key (for Claude), OpenAI API key, or sign in with a ChatGPT subscription. Free options include OpenRouter, Gemini (Google AI Studio), and Groq.
Run a one-shot task from the CLI
Use 'cowork run' to execute a task non-interactively from the terminal. This is useful for scripting and automation pipelines.
cowork run "Build a weekly planning spreadsheet and save it to ~/Documents/weekly-plan.xlsx"Explore available tools and MCP connectors
Check which tools, MCP connectors, and sessions are active using the CLI status commands.
cowork tools list
cowork mcp list
cowork sessions listCowork OS Examples
Client configuration
CoWork OS is itself an AI client/agent runtime. To use it as an MCP server from another client, or to configure which AI backend it uses, set up the provider in the app settings. The CLI launch command is shown below.
{
"mcpServers": {
"cowork-os": {
"command": "cowork-os",
"args": ["--mcp"]
}
}
}Prompts and CLI commands to try
Try these within the CoWork OS terminal UI or desktop app to explore its agentic capabilities.
- cowork run "Analyze the Python files in ~/projects/myapp and generate a dependency diagram"
- cowork run "Draft a project proposal document for a mobile app and export it as a .docx file"
- "/multitask: research competitor pricing AND draft a summary email AND create a comparison spreadsheet"
- "Enable Heartbeat to monitor system health every hour and alert me if disk usage exceeds 90%"
- cowork backup create
- cowork security auditTroubleshooting Cowork OS
npm install -g cowork-os fails with native module compilation errors on Windows
Install Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 with the Desktop development with C++ workload and Python 3, then retry from the %USERPROFILE% directory (not from a node_modules subdirectory). ARM64 Windows systems may need extra time on first launch for native module rebuilding.
macOS blocks the app and 'Open Anyway' option is not visible in Security settings
The 'Open Anyway' button appears only after you attempt to launch the blocked app at least once. Open the .dmg, drag to Applications, try to launch, then immediately go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Security to see the button.
AI provider connection fails or returns authentication errors
Open the app settings and re-enter your API key. Ensure the key is for the correct provider and has not expired. For Anthropic Claude, the key must start with 'sk-ant-'. For OpenRouter or Groq free tiers, rate limits may cause intermittent failures — switch to a paid provider key for production use.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cowork OS
What is Cowork OS?
Cowork OS is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that local-first personal agentic os and everything app for coding, knowledge work, web design, automations, and artifacts. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Cowork OS?
Follow the installation instructions on the Cowork OS GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Cowork OS?
Cowork OS works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Cowork OS free to use?
Yes, Cowork OS is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
Cowork OS Alternatives — Similar Coding Agents Servers
Looking for alternatives to Cowork OS? Here are other popular coding agents servers you can use with Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
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Browse More Coding Agents MCP Servers
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Set Up Cowork OS in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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