ChatGPT Desktop App Alternatives for Developers in 2026

The ChatGPT desktop app gives developers ChatGPT and Codex in one window on macOS, Windows and Linux, working in a local folder inside a sandbox. Open-source alternatives include Jan, Chatbox, AnythingLLM and OpenCode Desktop. Safeguard's desktop app and CLI add an assistant that knows your vulnerabilities, and ChatGPT can connect to Safeguard over MCP.

If you want to switch, you do not lose what you already pay for. Bring the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for and use it inside the Safeguard CLI. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage; your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply. You can also connect ChatGPT to the Safeguard MCP server and use Safeguard from the chat you already have open.

Below: what OpenAI's docs say the app does, four open-source alternatives, a facts-only table, the Safeguard setup and a step by step walkthrough. No rankings; every third-party fact comes from a page we read on 21 October 2026.

What the ChatGPT desktop app does for developers

OpenAI's docs describe the app as one desktop workspace to "run projects in parallel, work with files, use your computer, and keep long-running work moving." For developers, the key point is that Codex lives in the same app as Chat.

Platforms and install

The app is available for macOS and Windows, with a Linux version in preview.

• Windows. Installed from the Microsoft Store or with winget (command below). The agent runs natively in PowerShell with the Windows sandbox, or you can switch it to run in WSL2.
• macOS. Downloaded from OpenAI's download page.
• Linux (preview). Packages for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and 26.04 LTS, Debian 13, Fedora 43 and 44, and Arch Linux, each for x64 and ARM64. You install the .deb with apt or the .rpm with dnf, then run chatgpt.

winget install --id 9PLM9XGG6VKS -s msstore

How you sign in and start

You open the app and sign in with your ChatGPT account. Codex also accepts an OpenAI API key, though OpenAI says some features might not be available that way, and API key usage is billed at standard API rates rather than from plan credits.

Then you choose where to work: a chat, a project, or a folder. The quickstart says "ChatGPT can read and modify files in the folder you choose." Above the composer you pick ChatGPT (with a Chat or Work toggle) or Codex.

Developer features in the app

According to the Windows page, the app supports worktrees, scheduled tasks, Git functionality, a built-in browser, file previews, plugins and skills. You can set a preferred editor for the Open menu and a default integrated terminal (PowerShell, Command Prompt, Git Bash or WSL on Windows).

Computer Use is a separate plugin. In supported regions it lets ChatGPT see and operate desktop apps on macOS or Windows, with ChatGPT Work and Codex. On macOS you grant Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions.

Sandbox and approvals

OpenAI's security page says the agent runs with network access turned off by default, and that locally Codex "uses an OS-enforced sandbox that limits what it can touch (typically to the current workspace)." That sandbox is Seatbelt on macOS, the native Windows sandbox in PowerShell, and bubblewrap on Linux and WSL2.

In the Auto preset, Codex can read files, edit and run commands in the working directory, and asks before it edits outside the workspace or runs commands that need the network. /permissions switches to read-only when you only want to chat or plan. On Windows, the docs say to select Ask for approval beneath the composer to apply sandbox protections.

MCP in the desktop app

The ChatGPT desktop app, the Codex CLI and the IDE extension share MCP configuration in ~/.codex/config.toml. In the app you open Settings, then MCP servers, then Add server, choose STDIO or Streamable HTTP, and restart. OAuth servers show an Authenticate button. In ChatGPT on the web, remote MCP tools arrive through plugins instead.

Plans

OpenAI's pricing page lists Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise and Edu options for Codex, plus API key sign-in; on Free and Go the desktop app entry is marked "subject to rollout." For a wider look at OpenAI's coding tools, see our guide to OpenAI Codex alternatives.

Alternatives to the ChatGPT desktop app, tool by tool

Developers look at other desktop apps for ordinary reasons: an open-source licence, local models, a different provider, or a tool built around their security workflow. Each open-source app below was confirmed from its own repository or docs. Safeguard is the commercial option, and it is not open source.

Jan

Jan's README calls it "an open source alternative to ChatGPT that runs 100% offline on your computer." It ships for Windows, macOS and Linux, runs open models downloaded from Hugging Face, and can also connect to OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, Groq and MiniMax. It is Apache 2.0 licensed and lists MCP integration. Before adopting it for local models, check the README's memory guidance: 8 GB of RAM for 3B models, 16 GB for 7B and 32 GB for 13B.

Chatbox Community Edition

Chatbox is a desktop client for ChatGPT, Claude and other models. The repository is the Community Edition under GPLv3, and the README says code is synced with a separate pro repository in both directions. It supports OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Ollama and ChatGLM-6B, on Windows, macOS and Linux. The pages we read do not mention MCP, so test that before you plan around it.

AnythingLLM

AnythingLLM is an MIT-licensed app for chatting with documents and running agents, with desktop builds for Mac, Windows and Linux and a Docker version. It supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, LM Studio, Mistral and a built-in local engine, and lists MCP compatibility. Know that it sends anonymous telemetry by default; you can turn it off in Privacy settings or by setting DISABLE_TELEMETRY to true.

OpenCode Desktop

OpenCode is "the open source coding agent," MIT licensed, with a terminal interface, an IDE extension and a desktop app. The download page lists OpenCode Desktop for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows (x64 and ARM64) and Linux (.deb and .rpm). Its providers docs list 75+ providers and a ChatGPT Plus/Pro option under /connect. Set permissions on purpose: its docs say most permissions default to allow, with external_directory and doom_loop set to ask.

Safeguard desktop app and CLI

Safeguard is a software supply chain security platform with a desktop app (3.2.2, for Windows, macOS and Linux) where you ask your supply chain anything in plain English, and a CLI whose assistant writes and fixes code on your machine with your approval. It is commercial, not open source. The assistant knows your vulnerabilities, and you keep the ChatGPT plan you already have. Details below.

Comparison table

Facts only, from each project's own pages. "Not covered" means we did not find it in the pages we read, not that the feature is missing.

Do the work properly with the Safeguard desktop app and CLI

Here is the plain version. Bring the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for and use it inside the Safeguard CLI. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage; your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply. Or keep ChatGPT open and connect it to the Safeguard MCP server, covered in the next section. Either way you are not giving anything up to switch.

The Safeguard CLI scans code, container images and SBOMs on your own machine, sends only the results to the platform, and includes an assistant that can fix what it finds. It writes code too, not only scans.

Install

On macOS and Linux:

curl -fsSL https://cli.safeguard.sh/install | bash

On Windows PowerShell:

irm https://cli.safeguard.sh/install.ps1 | iex

It is a single static binary, with no Node, Python or JVM needed. It runs on macOS, Linux and Windows, on x86_64 or arm64 (Windows is x86_64 only). The download page lists CLI 1.4.0.

First session

Run safeguard with no arguments to open the interactive terminal. Type /login to sign in through the browser, then /scan . to scan the current folder. After that, ask in plain language:

how many critical vulns do we have
fix the lodash CVE in this repo
what's the latest file in ~/Downloads

Type @ to attach a file from the folder you started in. /resume picks up the last session in that folder.

Writing and fixing code on your machine

The assistant has tools for your local files and for your Safeguard data, and picks whichever the question needs. It can write files, edit code and run commands, with your approval. So you can use it as a general terminal assistant for work on your machine (find and read files, edit code, run commands) that also knows which of your dependencies are vulnerable. More on that in our post on the Safeguard CLI as an AI assistant on your machine.

This demo attaches a computer running the Safeguard CLI and a folder, asks for a fix, reviews the diff and approves the command before it runs. The demo itself notes that computer work from Search is available and expanding.

Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.

Using your ChatGPT or Claude plan

/model shows or switches the AI model. To connect your ChatGPT, Codex or Claude plan, see the CLI docs or run /model. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage, and your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply.

Approvals

Tools that change things ask before they act. /permissions sets the approval mode:

• Ask prompts before every action.
• Auto approves known actions and asks for anything new. This is the default.
• Yolo approves everything.

On a repository you care about, start with Ask and move to Auto once you know what the assistant tends to do.

Scanning what any agent changed

Whatever wrote the code, the CLI can check it before merge:

safeguard scan --dir .
safeguard scan --repo https://github.com/your-org/your-repo
safeguard scan --image your-image:latest
safeguard scan --sbom ./sbom.cdx.json
safeguard validate ./sbom.cdx.json

Each scan builds an SBOM and matches it against vulnerability databases. Results land as JSON files under ./output, such as vuln.json and license.json. safeguard validate checks CycloneDX, SPDX and VEX documents. When the local runner runs platform scan jobs, your source code never leaves the machine; only SBOMs and findings are uploaded. Policies and gates are evaluated in the platform, which also offers reachability analysis and autonomous remediation with fix PRs (off by default). Our guide to checking coding agent changes with the Safeguard CLI goes deeper.

CI with safeguard exec

safeguard exec "summarise the critical findings in this repository"

That runs one non-interactive assistant turn, so it fits as a pipeline step after any agent or build.

The desktop app, and every other surface

The Safeguard desktop app 3.2.2 is where you ask your supply chain anything in plain English, in a native window. The download page lists:

• Windows 10 and 11: one installer covering x64 and ARM, installed per user with no admin rights. It is not yet code-signed, so SmartScreen may warn. Verify the SHA-256 first, then choose More info and Run anyway.
• macOS: an Apple Silicon build for macOS 12 and later, signed and notarized, with an Intel build linked.
• Linux: an AppImage for x86_64, which needs the Safeguard CLI on your PATH.

Start in the terminal, continue on the desktop, and check findings on your phone with the iOS app or the Android app (Google Play, or a direct APK 1.0.2 with a SHA-256 to check). There is also an IDE extension for VS Code, JetBrains and Open VSX, a Chrome browser extension, and a web interface. With nothing to install, use the Cloud CLI on Safeguard's infrastructure or a cloud sandbox tenant against a seeded demo repo, free for seven days with no card.

Connect ChatGPT to Safeguard over MCP

If ChatGPT is where you already work, you do not have to leave it. Safeguard's MCP server lets ChatGPT read your projects, vulnerabilities and findings from the same chat.

This demo connects ChatGPT to the Safeguard MCP server with OAuth and chooses which tools ChatGPT can use.

Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.

Route 1: a ChatGPT plugin (Safeguard's documented route)

Safeguard's ChatGPT guide uses the server URL https://mcp.safeguard.sh/mcp.

1. Create or sign in to your Safeguard account at app.safeguard.sh.
2. In ChatGPT, open Plugins, select the plus button and choose Add custom MCP server.
3. Enter a name and description.
4. Under Connection, enter the server URL above.
5. Set authentication to OAuth. There is no client ID or key to copy. Accept the risk warning and create the plugin.
6. When ChatGPT sends you to Safeguard, sign in, confirm the app name and the host that will receive the authorization code, and select Authorize access.

If you do not see the option, account and workspace policies control whether custom MCP servers can be added, so ask your ChatGPT workspace administrator.

Route 2: the desktop app's MCP settings

OpenAI's MCP docs say the desktop app accepts Streamable HTTP servers with OAuth under Settings, MCP servers, Add server, followed by Authenticate. Safeguard's own guide documents the plugin route, so start there and treat this one as something to test.

Which tools ChatGPT gets

The Safeguard server offers hundreds of tools. A new workspace starts with a small read-only set, and an administrator turns on the rest one tool at a time, so you decide what ChatGPT can touch.

A working setup, step by step

This walkthrough pairs whatever desktop app you choose with Safeguard, so every change gets checked before it ships.

Step 1: install the Safeguard CLI and take a baseline

curl -fsSL https://cli.safeguard.sh/install | bash
cd ~/code/your-repo
safeguard scan --dir .
cp output/vuln.json /tmp/vuln-before.json

Do this before any agent touches the repository.

Step 2: open the folder in your desktop app

In the ChatGPT desktop app, select Codex and open the same folder. In OpenCode Desktop or another alternative, open the same path. Check the approval setting first: in the ChatGPT app keep the default sandbox and Ask for approval; in OpenCode, set edit and shell to ask in opencode.json:

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "edit": "ask",
    "shell": "ask"
  }
}

Step 3: give the agent one small task

Pick something reviewable, such as updating one dependency or adding a test. Read every diff before you accept it.

Step 4: scan again and compare

safeguard scan --dir .
diff /tmp/vuln-before.json output/vuln.json

Anything new in the second file arrived during the session. Then run safeguard, and ask the assistant to fix the new finding and show you the diff before it writes anything.

Step 5: put the check in CI

safeguard exec "summarise the critical findings in this repository"

Run it after the build so every pull request gets the same summary.

Common mistakes when switching desktop AI apps

• Granting full access to save clicks. OpenAI's Windows page warns that full access mode means Codex is not limited to the project directory and "might perform unintentional destructive actions." Keep the sandbox and use rules for exceptions.
• Assuming defaults match across tools. The ChatGPT app sandboxes by default; OpenCode's permissions mostly default to allow; Safeguard's default is Auto. Check each one before the first task.
• Pointing an agent at a folder that is not in git. Without version control you cannot see or undo what changed. Commit first.
• Plugging a Claude Pro or Max plan into a third-party tool. OpenCode's providers page says plugins exist for this and that "Anthropic explicitly prohibits this." Read your provider's terms.
• Adding unverified MCP servers. Connect only servers you trust and start with read-only tools.
• Skipping the scan because the diff looked fine. A one-line version bump can pull in a vulnerable transitive dependency that only the SBOM shows.

FAQ

What does the ChatGPT desktop app do for developers?

It puts ChatGPT and Codex in one app on macOS, Windows and Linux (preview). Codex works in a folder you choose inside an OS-enforced sandbox, with worktrees, Git, an integrated terminal, a built-in browser, plugins, skills and MCP servers. Computer Use is an optional plugin in supported regions.

Is there an open-source alternative to the ChatGPT desktop app?

Yes. Jan (Apache 2.0), Chatbox Community Edition (GPL-3.0), AnythingLLM (MIT) and OpenCode Desktop (MIT) are open source, confirmed from their own repositories. Jan and AnythingLLM can run local models.

Can I switch to Safeguard and keep my ChatGPT plan?

Yes. Bring the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for and use it inside the Safeguard CLI. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage; your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply. You can also connect ChatGPT to the Safeguard MCP server and keep working in ChatGPT.

How do I connect ChatGPT to Safeguard?

Add a custom MCP server in ChatGPT's Plugins page with the URL https://mcp.safeguard.sh/mcp and OAuth, then authorize access in Safeguard. A new workspace starts with read-only tools, and an administrator enables more.

Does the Safeguard CLI ask before changing files?

Tools that change things ask before they act, under the mode you pick with /permissions. Ask prompts before every action; Auto, the default, approves known actions and asks for anything new; Yolo approves everything, so keep it for throwaway environments.

Does my source code leave my machine?

The CLI scans on your machine and sends only results to the platform. When the local runner runs platform scan jobs, only SBOMs and findings are uploaded. If you connect a cloud model, your prompts go to that provider under its terms.

Try it yourself

This walkthrough sets up the runner on your own machine: pick the platform, start it, approve it with its device code, then use the same CLI to scan from the terminal.

Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.

When you are ready, download Safeguard for your desktop and terminal, and read the CLI docs to connect your plan.

Quick check

Sources

• ChatGPT desktop app, OpenAI docs
• ChatGPT quickstart, OpenAI docs
• ChatGPT desktop app for Windows, OpenAI docs
• ChatGPT desktop app for Linux, OpenAI docs
• Authentication, OpenAI docs
• Agent approvals and security, OpenAI docs
• Sandboxing, OpenAI docs
• Computer Use, OpenAI docs
• Model Context Protocol, OpenAI docs
• Connect and test your plugin, OpenAI developer docs
• Codex pricing, OpenAI docs
• Jan repository
• Chatbox Community Edition repository
• AnythingLLM repository
• OpenCode repository
• OpenCode docs
• OpenCode download page
• OpenCode providers docs
• OpenCode permissions docs
• OpenCode MCP servers docs
• Safeguard MCP guide for ChatGPT
• Safeguard download page
• Safeguard CLI docs
• Safeguard CLI interactive terminal docs

Last reviewed: 21 October 2026.