Claude Cowork
Desktop AI coworker that operates on your files to handle multi-step tasks.
OpenWork
Extensible desktop workflow engine for AI‑powered knowledge work
OpenWork delivers a native desktop interface for OpenCode, turning AI agents into guided, auditable workflows with templates, skill plugins, permission controls, and both local and remote execution.
Overview
Overview
OpenWork is a native desktop application that wraps the OpenCode engine in a guided, user-friendly workflow. Knowledge workers select a workspace, start a run, and watch a visual execution plan while the system handles prompts, streaming updates, and permission requests. The app runs in host mode (spawning a local OpenCode server) or client mode (connecting to a remote server), giving flexibility for both personal and team environments.
Capabilities
The platform is built to be extensible: skills and OpenCode plugins can be installed from OpenPackage or imported locally, and reusable templates let users repeat common flows. Every action is auditable, with real-time Server-Sent Events delivering progress and a log of what happened, when, and why. Permission dialogs surface privileged operations, allowing users to approve once, always, or deny, and the decision is recorded. OpenWork works on macOS via a pre-built DMG and can be compiled for other OSes through its Tauri-based codebase, requiring Node.js, the Rust toolchain, and the OpenCode CLI.
Deploying is straightforward: install dependencies, run pnpm install, then launch the desktop UI with pnpm dev. For headless usage, the web UI can be started with pnpm dev:web.
Highlights
Extensible skill and plugin system via OpenPackage
Auditable session logs with real-time SSE streaming
Permissioned workflow steps with granular approvals
Dual host and client modes for local or remote OpenCode servers
Pros
- Seamless desktop UI replaces CLI complexity
- Real-time progress visualization and plan timeline
- Easy reuse through templates and skill manager
- Works both locally and against remote OpenCode instances
Considerations
- Requires Node.js, Rust toolchain, and OpenCode CLI pre-installed
- Pre-built DMG targets macOS; other platforms need manual build
- Limited to the OpenCode ecosystem, not a generic AI platform
- Skill installation may fall back to command-line opkg usage
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Fit guide
Great for
- Knowledge workers who need AI assistance without coding
- Teams wanting auditable AI task execution
- Users preferring a guided UI over terminal commands
- Organizations requiring permission controls for privileged actions
Not ideal when
- Developers seeking low-level CLI control
- Environments without Node.js or Rust toolchains
- Projects that need non-OpenCode AI models
- Users requiring cross-platform native installers beyond macOS
How teams use it
Research summary generation
Automatically compiles literature notes into a structured summary, with editable templates and permissioned data access.
Automated code review assistance
Runs OpenCode plugins to analyze codebases, presents findings in a timeline, and lets reviewers approve suggested changes.
Project planning with AI
Generates task lists and milestones, streams progress, and allows team members to approve each planning step.
Data extraction from documents
Uses skill plugins to parse PDFs, extracts key fields, and stores results via reusable templates.
Tech snapshot
TypeScript71%
CSS16%
Rust8%
JavaScript4%
HTML1%
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install OpenCode separately?
Yes, OpenWork expects the OpenCode CLI to be available in your PATH; it does not bundle the engine.
Can OpenWork run on Windows or Linux?
The core is built with Tauri and can be compiled for other platforms, but the pre-built DMG is macOS-only; you can build from source for other OSes.
How does permission handling work?
When a workflow requests privileged access, OpenWork surfaces a dialog letting you allow once, always, or deny the request, and logs the decision.
What is the difference between host and client mode?
Host mode launches a local OpenCode server; client mode connects to an existing remote OpenCode instance via URL.
How are templates and skills managed?
Templates are saved locally and can be re-run; the Skills manager lists installed `.opencode/skill` folders, supports `opkg` installation, and allows importing local skill directories.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 5,362
- Watchers
- 5,362
- Forks
- 362
LicenseMIT
Repo age1 week old
Last commit7 hours ago
Primary languageTypeScript
Last synced 3 hours ago