Toby
One AI coworker the whole workspace shares in Slack or Teams, with no vendor or model lock-in.
- No vendor or model lock-in
- US$25 a month per workspace, no seat fees
- Hosted in Australia
ChatGPT Dots alternative
Toby vs ChatGPT Dots: an AI coworker with no lock-in
Toby is a ChatGPT Dots alternative for teams that want one AI coworker in Slack or Microsoft Teams. It isn't affiliated with any model lab, it costs US$25 a month for the whole workspace, and it is hosted in Australia.
Start with 2,000 free credits, no card needed. US$25 a month after that.
OpenAI's description: "always-on agents that understand your priorities and proactively move work forward." [4]
What Toby and ChatGPT Dots each do
ChatGPT Dots are OpenAI's always-on agents [4]. Each dot has its own cloud computer, works across the apps you choose to connect, and keeps context from one conversation to the next [2]. You talk to it in ChatGPT on the web, on mobile or on desktop, and you can bring it into a Slack or Microsoft Teams channel to pick up the next steps there [1]. Its default handle is @yourname-dot [2].
Toby is an AI coworker for the whole workspace. Add it to the Slack or Teams channels you pick and ask for something in plain English. It works through the job in the tools you have connected, such as Gmail, Xero, HubSpot or Deputy, then replies in the thread. It isn't affiliated with any model lab.
Both can take on real work, and both can sit in a team channel. Where OpenAI Dots and Toby part ways is lock-in, how the price is set, and where each is hosted.
Where Toby differs from ChatGPT Dots
The day-to-day work overlaps. These three points don't.
01
No vendor or model lock-in
OpenAI says dots run on GPT-6 Astra, which it calls its most aligned model [1]. Toby isn't affiliated with any model lab and supports multiple models, including frontier open models, so there is no vendor or model lock-in.
02
Lower cost for the whole team
Toby is US$25 a month for the whole workspace, with no seat fees. A dot comes with ChatGPT Pro, from US$100 a month, or with Business Premium at US$125 per user a month, or US$100 billed annually, with a two-seat minimum [3][5]. Those plans include the rest of ChatGPT too. Toby runs on frontier open models, which can cost a fraction of closed models. These are list prices.
03
Hosted in Australia
Toby is hosted in Australia. OpenAI's data residency article lists the ChatGPT features it covers, and dots are not listed [6]. Where residency applies, Australia is listed for storing data for new Enterprise and Edu customers, but not for where the model runs, which names the US, Europe and the UAE [6].
Shared jobs teams give Toby
Each of these starts with a message in a channel. The finished work is posted back to the thread.
Morning brief
A short read at 7:30 covering what is on today and anything that moved overnight.
Invoice chasing
Toby works out who is late, sends the follow-ups, and tells you which accounts it left alone.
Meeting prep
Before a call, Toby writes up the account so you are not reading the CRM in the car park.
Inbox triage
It sorts whatever came in overnight and drafts the replies you would have written anyway.
Toby vs ChatGPT Dots, side by side
Toby's facts come from hitoby.ai. Each Dots fact is cited to an OpenAI page, checked on 12 October 2026.
| What matters | Toby | ChatGPT Dots |
|---|---|---|
| Lock-in | No vendor or model lock-in | |
| In Slack and Teams | Slack and Microsoft Teams, in the channels you pick | |
| Other places to use it | Works inside Slack and Teams | ChatGPT on web, mobile and desktop[1] |
| Who it works for | One coworker the whole workspace shares | |
| Connected tools | 3,000+ over MCP, each approved by name | The apps you choose to connect, plus your computer if you allow it[1] |
| Asks before acting | Approve or Reject before anything goes out | Custom Rules to allow, require approval for, or block actions[1] |
| Scheduled work | Runs a job at the time you set | Reminders and recurring tasks you schedule[2] |
| List price | First 2,000 credits free, then US$25 a month per workspace | |
| Hosting and residency | Hosted in Australia | Dots not listed for data residency; AU not listed for inference residency[6] |
Trying Toby alongside ChatGPT Dots in Slack or Teams
Nothing has to change for the people who use a dot. Start Toby on one shared job.
1
Invite Toby to one channel
Pick a Slack or Teams channel where shared work comes up. Toby only sees channels it is invited into, never private channels or DMs between teammates.
2
Approve the tools it needs
Connect Xero, HubSpot, Deputy, Gmail or another of the 3,000+ tools over MCP, approving each one by name.
3
Give it a shared job
Mention @Toby with something the team waits on, like the Monday numbers, and check what comes back in the thread.
Toby or ChatGPT Dots: which fits your team
Choose Toby when
- You want one coworker the whole team shares in Slack or Teams, on a single workspace plan.
- You want no vendor or model lock-in.
- Clients ask where your AI runs, and you want to tell them it is hosted in Australia.
Choose ChatGPT Dots when
ChatGPT Dots pricing: the plans that include a dot
ChatGPT Pro starts at US$100 a month, with a choice of three usage tiers, and includes a dot [3].
On ChatGPT Business, dots come with Premium seats at US$125 per user a month, or US$100 per user a month billed annually [4][5]. A Business workspace needs at least two seats, which can mix Standard and Premium [5]. OpenAI says your first dot is included in Pro or Business Premium at no extra cost [2]. Both plans cover the rest of ChatGPT as well.
Your first 2,000 Toby credits are free, with no card. After that it is a paid plan: Starter is US$25 a month for 20,000 credits and Plus is US$50 for 40,000, and everyone in the workspace draws on the same balance. A credit measures the model work behind a job, so a quick question uses little and a scheduled job across three systems uses more. Toby warns you in the thread before the balance runs out. Every tier is on Toby's pricing page.
All of these are US dollar list prices. Usage is counted differently on each side, so run the same week of jobs on both and compare the bills.
Why would we choose Toby over ChatGPT Dots?
Choose Toby if you want one AI coworker for the whole team. OpenAI says dots run on GPT-6 Astra [1]. Toby isn't affiliated with any model lab, so there is no vendor or model lock-in. One US$25 monthly plan covers the whole workspace, with no seat fees, and Toby is hosted in Australia.
What can Toby actually do for our team?
Ask Toby in a Slack or Teams channel. It breaks the request into steps, does the work in the tools you have connected, and posts the finished result in the thread. Jobs include chasing overdue invoices in Xero, writing the Monday report and preparing account briefs before calls. Give it a schedule and it runs the same job without being asked again.
How do we get started with Toby?
Setup takes about two minutes. Add Toby to Slack or Microsoft Teams, pick the channels it can see, approve the tools you want it to use, then ask it something. Your first 2,000 credits are free and no card is needed, so you can try Toby on a live job before you choose a plan.
How much does Toby cost compared with ChatGPT Dots?
Your first 2,000 Toby credits are free. After that, Starter is US$25 a month for 20,000 credits and Plus is US$50 for 40,000, shared across the workspace with no seat fees. Dots come with ChatGPT Pro, from US$100 a month, or Business Premium at US$125 per user a month, or US$100 billed annually, with a two-seat minimum [3][5]. These are list prices.
Which tools does Toby work with?
More than 3,000, because anything with an MCP server is reachable. Common ones include Gmail, Outlook, Google Drive, Notion, Xero, HubSpot, Salesforce, Deputy and Jira. You approve each connection by name before Toby can use it, and you can disconnect a tool from the dashboard.
Can we use Toby alongside a dot?
Yes. Each dot is set up by one person in ChatGPT, and its owner can bring it into a Slack or Teams channel [1][2]. Toby is the coworker the whole team shares in the channels you invite it into, so a dot can keep handling one person's work while Toby takes the shared jobs. To see Toby with your own tools, book a demo.
Where is Toby hosted, and who can see our data?
Toby is hosted in Australia. It only sees the channels you invite it into, never private channels or DMs between teammates, and you can remove a channel, a tool or Toby itself from the dashboard. OpenAI's data residency article does not list dots among the features it covers. Where residency applies, Australia is listed for storage for new Enterprise and Edu customers, but not for where the model runs [6].
Sources
- ChatGPT Dots, accessed 12 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: Getting started with your dot, accessed 12 Oct 2026
- ChatGPT pricing, accessed 12 Oct 2026
- ChatGPT Business, accessed 12 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: Managing billing and seats in ChatGPT Business, accessed 12 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: Data residency and inference residency for ChatGPT, accessed 12 Oct 2026
Hand Toby a job the whole team is waiting on.
Add it to one Slack or Teams channel, connect a tool, and read what it posts back.
Start with 2,000 free credits, no card needed. US$25 a month after that.