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Choose Rakazo if you want to run the AI-teammate platform on infrastructure you control and take responsibility for operating it. Choose ChatGPT dots if you want an always-on agent managed by OpenAI, and your account, region, and workspace are eligible for access. They are different kinds of products: Rakazo is self-hostable software, while a dot runs on an OpenAI cloud computer. Your decision comes down to infrastructure ownership, model choice, data handling, operational effort, and the controls you need.
What is the main difference between Rakazo and ChatGPT dots?
With a self-hosted Rakazo deployment, you operate the application and its supporting services on your own infrastructure. You choose how to connect it to a model and, where configured, which computer provider it uses. Rakazo’s self-hosting documentation says its hosted Rakazo Cloud service is not generally available.
ChatGPT dots are always-on agents that run on cloud computers managed by OpenAI. They can keep working between conversations, but they are not a self-hosted Rakazo installation. OpenAI announced dots on September 29, 2026; access and availability depend on plan, region, workspace, and rollout.
How do setup and ongoing work compare?
Running Rakazo yourself
Rakazo documents two installation routes with different prerequisites. For its published-image installation, you need Docker Engine 26 or newer, the Docker Compose plugin, curl, and OpenSSL. That route does not require Node.js. Building from a source checkout is a separate process: the current guide calls for a supported Node.js version, pnpm 9, and Docker. Check the current installation guide for the precise supported Node.js version before using the source route.
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Self-hosting also makes you responsible for the environment after installation: updates, secrets, backups, network restrictions, and secure access. Rakazo’s guide says the web app binds to loopback by default, recommends terminating TLS on the host and proxying traffic to the app, and warns not to publish port 3100. Those are deployment instructions, not proof that every self-hosted setup is secure by default.
Rakazo’s local Docker computer is the default, so a separate remote-computer account is not required for that setup. Its documentation also describes optional remote-computer providers. Model connections can be configured separately, including supported provider credentials and compatible endpoints; the available integrations may change, so consult the current guide for the live list.
Using ChatGPT dots
Dots do not require you to install or maintain a Rakazo-like stack. OpenAI’s onboarding documentation says to create a dot in the desktop app or on desktop web. After creation, it can be used in the mobile app where mobile access is available; mobile web is not supported.
Who can access ChatGPT dots?
Access is not universal. OpenAI’s Help Center describes the first dot as included with eligible Pro or Business Premium plans, subject to the rollout. Its published eligibility description lists Pro users in supported markets, excluding the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the UK, and Business Premium users. Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare access is described as beta access that depends on an administrator enabling it.
These are the conditions in OpenAI’s documentation as of October 2026, not a guarantee that a particular account already has the feature. Check the current Help Center and workspace settings for availability, especially if you are outside the listed markets or use an organization-managed account.
Where does data go, and who chooses the model?
Rakazo: deployment control, with an external-provider caveat
Rakazo lets the operator configure model credentials and, where supported, use a local or OpenAI-compatible model endpoint. Its documented options include connections to hosted model providers as well as local model servers. This gives the operator more choice over model and infrastructure than a service tied to its own model ecosystem, but it does not mean every task stays on the operator’s machine.
Rakazo says that Postgres data, bot files, browser profiles, and the audit log stay on the deployment you run. It also says content sent to a model provider is processed by that provider under its terms. In practice, the data boundary depends on the configuration: distinguish information stored by your Rakazo deployment from information transmitted to a model provider or any optional computer provider.
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A dot runs on an OpenAI cloud computer and is powered by OpenAI’s model within ChatGPT. Dots can use connected apps; OpenAI also documents optional access to a local computer. For the applicable privacy and security details, consult OpenAI’s current documentation rather than assuming that data handling is equivalent to a self-hosted deployment.
What controls do you get over an AI teammate?
Both products document ways to oversee agent activity, but the mechanisms are not identical.
- Rakazo: its documentation describes approval boundaries and an audit log that is stored with the deployment. This is useful when the operator wants to define permission boundaries and retain an operator-controlled record.
- ChatGPT dots: OpenAI documents connected-app permissions, optional local-computer access, and action rules that can allow, block, or require approval for actions.
Neither description alone establishes how a particular agent will behave in every workflow. Review the actual permissions, approval settings, and actions available in your configuration before giving an agent access to sensitive systems or consequential tasks.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do the costs compare?
The cost structures differ, but the available information does not establish a like-for-like total cost for a given workload.
| Cost factor | Rakazo self-hosting | ChatGPT dots |
|---|---|---|
| Software or plan charge | Rakazo says its open-source software has no seat fee. | OpenAI says the first dot is included at no extra cost with eligible Pro or Business Premium plans. |
| Model use | You pay the model provider you configure, if applicable. A local model avoids a hosted-model provider charge but still uses your own computing resources. | Dots use OpenAI’s model through ChatGPT; plan allowances and limits apply. |
| Computer infrastructure | The local Docker computer is the default. An optional remote-computer provider may add a cost. | OpenAI provides the dot’s cloud computer as part of the managed service; plan terms and allowances apply. |
| Comparable workload total | Not stated in Rakazo’s cited self-hosting information. | Not stated in OpenAI’s cited Help Center information. |
OpenAI’s Help Center also describes an allowance for deeper work and extended limits for the first month after launch. That does not establish a recurring allowance or a total cost for a particular workload. Compare the current terms for your intended plan and usage; the cited information does not support a precise savings claim for either option.
Which one should you choose?
Rakazo is a better fit when
- You or your organization can operate a server and want the deployment’s application data and audit log to remain on infrastructure you run.
- You need to choose or change model connections, including a local endpoint where your setup supports it.
- You want to manage network exposure, backups, updates, credentials, and approval boundaries directly.
ChatGPT dots are a better fit when
- You prefer a managed agent that runs on an OpenAI cloud computer rather than maintaining the application stack yourself.
- You want an agent that can continue working between conversations within ChatGPT.
- Your plan, region, and workspace are eligible, and the available app permissions and action controls meet your needs.
If neither set of trade-offs fits, decide first which constraint is non-negotiable: keeping the deployment under your operational control, or avoiding the work of running it. Then verify model-provider data terms, current dot eligibility, and the specific permissions your intended tasks require.
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