Codex alternative for office work — open-source AI agent that makes files
Like Codex, but for documents: OpenWorkBuddy is an open-source agent that plans and verifies real PPTX, DOCX, XLSX and HTML files on your machine — and can drive the Codex CLI as its engine.
The short version
Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, available as a CLI, an IDE extension and a cloud service.
Codex is built for code. People who want the same agent loop for reports, slides, spreadsheets and research — with any model — look for something shaped like Codex but for office work.
OpenWorkBuddy brings the agent loop (plan, tools, approvals, resume, AGENTS.md) to office files, and can hand the heavy lifting to your installed Codex CLI.
What you get with OpenWorkBuddy
Real files on your disk
PPTX, DOCX, XLSX and HTML are written to your own folder. If the agent claims a file it didn't write, the run is stopped and redone.
Bring your own model
DeepSeek, Qwen (DashScope), Doubao (Volcengine Ark), GLM, Kimi, OpenAI, Claude, OpenRouter or a local Ollama model — switch in the settings, per task.
Runs on your machine
Sessions, files and keys stay local. The server listens on 127.0.0.1 by default; put it on your own server when a team needs it.
Uses Claude Code or Codex as an engine
Already have the Claude Code or Codex CLI installed? Pick it as the engine and keep your existing plan.
Skills are Markdown files
36 built-in skills, 43 tools, 52 connectors, MCP. Adding a skill means dropping a skill.md into a folder — no rebuild.
Desktop, web and command line
An Electron app, a browser UI and an openworkbuddy CLI share the same sessions. Scheduled tasks and chat bots (Feishu, QQ, WeChat; DingTalk, Telegram and Slack through a webhook) can drive it too.
When to stay with Codex
Your work is mainly writing and reviewing code in a repository — Codex is made for that.
Try it in three minutes
Download the installer, or clone the repo and run npm install && npm start. Add one model key in the setup wizard and ask for your first file.
Other comparisons
- Open-source Claude Cowork alternative — self-hosted, any model
- Open-source WorkBuddy alternative — local AI office agent
- Doubao office alternative — open-source, runs Doubao models locally
- Qwen office alternative — open-source agent that runs Qwen models
- DeepSeek agent harness — open-source AI agent that runs on DeepSeek