Cicada vs OpenAI dots
Cicada gives every person on your team their own agents, and they already work together: in iMessage and WhatsApp group chats, Slack and email, on the phone and in your meetings. Dots are OpenAI's always-on agents, launched in September inside ChatGPT, Slack and Teams.
Cicada's agents already work as a team: every person gets their own agents, a coordinator splits each job between specialists, and teammates' agents check with each other, in iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack and email, on the phone and in meetings. Dots are OpenAI's always-on agents, one primary dot per person, inside ChatGPT, Slack and Teams.
A team of agents for a team of people.
Today each person starts with one primary dot; OpenAI says teams of dots working together are something it envisions over time. Cicada's agents already work as a team.
Agents for every person
Each person in your workspace gets their own agents. The apps the team shares are connected once; personal ones, like your inbox, stay under your own login.
A coordinator and specialists
A big job is split between specialists that work at the same time, and you get one answer back from the agent you asked.
Agents that work together
Teammates' agents know what each other covers, use each other's fresh figures and check with each other through the apps you share, never through anyone's private notes.
Know-how the whole team shares
What one agent learns about the business, every agent in the workspace knows, and a skill one agent proves is shared with the rest.
Cicada and OpenAI dots, feature by feature.
| Feature | Cicada | OpenAI dots |
|---|---|---|
| Agents across your team | Every person gets their own agents, a coordinator running specialists, and they work together across the team | One primary dot per person today; teams of dots are planned, and specialist dots are in enterprise pilots |
| Where you use it | iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack, email and a web app | ChatGPT on desktop, web and mobile, Slack and Microsoft Teams |
| Text it from your phone's messages | Yes, iMessage and WhatsApp, including group chats | Coming soon, per OpenAI |
| Works on its own | Schedules, app events and proactive checks | Always on, with background research using read-only tools |
| Real phone calls for you | Yes, in a natural voice, from your number if you like | You can call your dot; calling other people isn't in OpenAI's announcement |
| Joins your meetings | Yes, Meet, Zoom, Teams and Webex, notes by text | Not that we could find |
| Connected apps | 1,000+, plus any MCP server | 4,000+ apps through ChatGPT plugins |
| Its own computer | Its own browser with logins from your vault, which you can take over | Its own cloud computer and browser; it can also use your laptop if you allow it |
| Permissions | Per app: Full, Ask first or Read-only, plus the autonomy level you set | Built-in rules, plus Custom Rules to allow, require approval for or block actions |
| Training on your data | Your workspace content isn't used to train models | Not by default on Business and Enterprise; your choice on personal plans |
| Price | Free to start with 300 credits, no card; credit packs, or plans from $99 a month. Credits are shared across the workspace and roll over. | Included with ChatGPT Pro (from $100 a month) and Business Premium; Enterprise in beta |
OpenAI dots details checked against its own site and docs on 16 October 2026. Products change fast; see the sources below.
In your texts today
Dots work in ChatGPT, Slack and Teams, and OpenAI says texting is coming soon. Cicada is already in iMessage and WhatsApp, one-to-one and in your group chats, where it speaks when someone names it, as well as Slack and email.
It picks up the phone, and it joins the call
You can call your dot to talk something through. Cicada calls other people for you: suppliers, venues and support lines, in a natural voice, from your own number if you like, and sends the transcript and recording. It also joins your Meet, Zoom, Teams and Webex calls and texts you the notes. We couldn't find either in OpenAI's announcement.
A lock on every app, for every agent
Dots follow rules you set for when to act and when to ask. In Cicada any member sets an app to Full, Ask first or Read-only once, and it holds for every agent in the workspace, on every channel.
Where Cicada is stronger
- Every person on the team gets their own agents, and they work together.
- A coordinator splits big jobs between specialists that work at the same time.
- What one agent learns about the business, every agent in the workspace knows.
- You text it today on iMessage or WhatsApp, including in group chats.
- Real phone calls to businesses, and a notetaker that joins your meetings.
- A Read-only or Ask-first lock per app for every agent in the workspace.
Choose Cicada if you want agents for your whole team that already work together, in iMessage, WhatsApp and Slack, that call people and join meetings.
Where OpenAI dots fit
- GPT-6 Astra, and a cloud computer of its own that can also use your laptop.
- 4,000+ apps through ChatGPT plugins, and Microsoft Teams as well as Slack.
- Part of ChatGPT: your first dot is included with Pro and Business Premium.
OpenAI dots may suit you if you live in ChatGPT, already pay for Pro or Business Premium, and want one always-on agent for your own work.
Or use both. They work well together. Add Cicada as a connector in ChatGPT to search what your agents know, send one of them a job, or save what ChatGPT knows about you into Cicada.
Cicada vs OpenAI dots, answered.
Is Cicada an alternative to OpenAI's dots?
For a team, yes. Today each person gets one primary dot inside ChatGPT, Slack and Teams; Cicada gives every person agents that already work together, in iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack and email, with phone calls and meetings. Many people use ChatGPT and Cicada side by side.
Can I have more than one dot?
Not yet: OpenAI says you start with one primary dot and will be able to add more in the future, and it is piloting specialist dots with some companies. In Cicada each person can have several agents today, a coordinator and the specialists it hands work to.
Can I text a dot?
Not yet: OpenAI says texting is coming soon. Today you message dots in ChatGPT, Slack and Teams. Cicada works in iMessage and WhatsApp now, including group chats.
Do dots make phone calls for you?
You can call your dot to talk, but OpenAI's announcement doesn't describe it calling other people. Cicada calls businesses for you and joins your meetings.
Which plans include dots?
ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium, in eligible markets, with a beta for Enterprise. Cicada is free to start with 300 credits, no card, and credits are shared across the workspace.
Sources, checked 16 October 2026
Spotted something out of date? Tell us at support@cicadalabs.io and we'll fix it.
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