Comparison · as of September 2026
Vassal Agent vs ChatGPT agent
ChatGPT's agent is a general-purpose assistant from OpenAI that works across apps, files and the web, included in ChatGPT plans. Vassal Agent is a desktop browser built for B2B prospecting and browser work that runs in your own signed-in browser, stops before every send, and costs $499 a month with setup and support.
A note on names. OpenAI launched Operator in January 2025, then ChatGPT agent in July 2025, then the ChatGPT Atlas browser with an agent mode in October 2025. In 2026 it folded these into ChatGPT itself, and it launched ChatGPT Work on July 9, 2026 as its agent for multi-step tasks. People still search for "ChatGPT agent", so this page uses that name for OpenAI's current agent.
The short answer
Choose ChatGPT's agent if you want one general assistant for many kinds of work, like research that ends in a document, slides or a spreadsheet, and you already pay for ChatGPT.
Choose Vassal Agent if your revenue depends on repeated browser work inside sites you are signed in to, like job boards, LinkedIn, your ATS or CRM and your inbox, and you want every send to wait for your approval, with a person to set it up for you.
Side by side
| Vassal Agent | ChatGPT agent (ChatGPT Work) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A desktop browser with an AI agent built in | An agent inside ChatGPT that works across apps, files and the web |
| Made by | Vassal Agent | OpenAI |
| Where the browsing happens | In a real Chromium browser on your computer, in your own signed-in sessions | In ChatGPT's own browser environment; see OpenAI's help center for details on your plan |
| AI model | Yours: Claude, ChatGPT Codex, Gemini, Cursor and other MCP clients | OpenAI's models |
| Before sending or paying | Always stops and asks; rules in plain words; audit log of every action | OpenAI says you can approve important actions and set when it checks in |
| Repeat work | Workflows recorded by doing a job once; schedules; triggers on page changes or new email | Scheduled tasks |
| Price | $499/month or $4,990/year, plus your AI plan | Included with ChatGPT plans; limits vary by plan |
| Setup and support | Private setup call, one custom workflow, same-day human support | Self-serve, with OpenAI's help center |
Where ChatGPT's agent is better
- Breadth. It is a general assistant: it writes documents, builds slides and sheets, and works across connected apps, not only the browser.
- Price. If you already pay for ChatGPT, there is no extra cost to try it.
- Nothing to install on the web, and it is available on phones as well as desktops.
- Scale of the company behind it. OpenAI ships fast and its models are among the strongest available.
Where Vassal Agent is better
- Your real sessions. It works in the browser on your computer where you are already signed in to LinkedIn, job boards, your ATS and your email, so jobs do not stall at a login wall. Your cookies and passwords never leave your computer.
- A hard stop before anything leaves. Every send, post, submit, payment and delete waits for Allow. You can add rules like "Never press Send on linkedin.com", owners can lock rules for staff, and every action is written to a log.
- Built for repeat prospecting. Do a search once and it becomes a workflow; run it by hand, on a schedule, or when a page changes or an email arrives. Results come out as tables, spreadsheets or Google Sheets.
- Your choice of AI. It runs on Claude by default and can be driven by ChatGPT's Codex, Gemini, Cursor and others. You are not tied to one model vendor.
- A person sets it up with you. Every plan includes a private setup call and one custom workflow built for your business.
Can you use both?
Yes, and many people will. ChatGPT is a good place to think, write and plan. Vassal Agent is where the browser work gets done, and you can even connect Codex from your ChatGPT plan to drive it.
Questions
Is ChatGPT agent still available?
OpenAI's agent features have been renamed and merged several times. As of September 2026, OpenAI points people to ChatGPT Work, launched on July 9, 2026, for multi-step agent tasks. Check OpenAI's help center for the current name, plans and limits.
Can I use ChatGPT with Vassal Agent?
Yes. Vassal Agent can be driven by ChatGPT's Codex, as well as by Claude, Gemini, Cursor and other tools that speak MCP. You keep your ChatGPT plan and add a browser that works in your own logins.
Which is cheaper?
ChatGPT's agent features come with a ChatGPT plan, so if you already pay for ChatGPT, it costs nothing extra. Vassal Agent is $499 a month on top of your AI plan, and includes a setup call, a custom workflow and same-day human support.
Which is better for recruiting and sales prospecting?
For repeated prospecting inside sites you are signed in to, such as LinkedIn, job boards, your ATS and your inbox, Vassal Agent is built for it: it works in your own sessions, saves workflows and asks before each send. For one-off research that ends in a document or slides, ChatGPT is strong and cheaper.
See it on your own work.
Try it free for 7 days with no card. After that it is $499 a month or $4,990 a year, with a private setup call and one custom workflow built with you.