# Self-hosted Grok Bot alternative

Updated October 12, 2026.

SulusAssist is just chat. You create a bot and manage it from that conversation. Routines, memory, and approval boundaries stay with the bot.

Grok Bot is xAI's hosted product for that kind of work: named bots, a computer they can use, routines, and approvals. SulusAssist is the version you use at assist.sulus.ai. You bring the model key.

![SulusAssist chat with the Inbox bot. The sidebar lists Inbox, Chief, and Sales. The message asks the bot to file demo mail and not send anything.](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/chat.webp)

The chat. The roster is the sidebar, and you manage the bot from this conversation.

## What Grok Bot is

Grok Bot is xAI's hosted product for persistent bots. The public docs describe named bots, a computer they can use, routines, and approvals. The computer in the default setup is a cloud computer on your account. Bots on that account share it, including files and logins. An optional local computer can run approved commands on the machine in front of you. That local computer is not the same thing as installing the Grok Bot service on a server you operate. The docs do not describe that install.

The model comes with the plan. The Grok Bot docs do not describe connecting OpenAI, Anthropic, a custom server, or a local model. Training opt-out follows the Cursor account settings. Desktop apps exist for macOS, Windows, and Linux, plus iOS and Android.

Price follows the plan, not a separate Grok Bot seat. The docs and pricing page used here say Grok Bot is included with paid individual Cursor plans, Cursor Teams, and SuperGrok subscriptions. SuperGrok is listed at $30 a month and includes Grok Bot access. Plans include weekly usage, and extra usage can be billed. The free plan on the pricing page does not list Grok Bot.

Two other xAI releases are easy to mix up with the bot. Grok Build, the coding-agent CLI, is The older Grok-1 model weights were released under Neither of those is the Grok Bot service, and neither one is a self-hosted Grok Bot.

## What SulusAssist keeps from that shape

SulusAssist is an AI agent for persistent teammates, and a self-hosted AI assistant. It is in beta. Each bot keeps conversations, memory, routines, and history. It can use a browser, a terminal, files, and a graphical desktop, and it can hand work to another bot or a short-lived subagent. The clients are the web app, the Electron desktop app, and the Expo mobile app.

Like Grok Bot, SulusAssist is just chat once it is running. You set up the bot and manage it from that chat. A new bot interviews you about the work. Routines are readable Markdown and can run on a schedule. A bot can pause for approval when a task crosses a boundary you set, and actions are recorded in an audit log. Optional connectors can attach Slack, WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage via Sendblue, and Feishu/Lark. They are not required.

The parts that are not Grok Bot are the ones you operate. You self-host with published Docker images or from source. Hosted SulusAssist Cloud is in beta. Sign in with Claude Pro/Max, ChatGPT Plus/Pro, or SuperGrok, or bring a key for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway, an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, or a local model server such as Ollama or LM Studio. SulusAssist does not pay the model bill. Each bot can use a different model. Connector credentials are encrypted on your server and are not returned by the API.

Computers are separate from the chat product. Local Docker is the default. E2B, Daytona, CreateOS, and Boat are optional remote computers. An explicit desktop provider can run on the host, and it is not the default. Team computers are shared. Private computers are isolated. That split is the opposite of Grok Bot's shared cloud computer for every bot on the account.

![A routine editor for a weekday inbox check, with the instruction written as text and a weekday 8:00 AM schedule.](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/routine.webp)

A routine is the instruction and the schedule.

## Setup, then the chat

Published images need Docker Engine 26 or newer, the Compose plugin, curl, and OpenSSL. You do not need Node.js for that path. A source checkout needs a supported Node.js line and pnpm, plus Docker. The desktop app can install the published images on this computer, or connect to an instance you already run.

On this computer, open the local web app, create an account, and connect a model. The first registered user becomes the deployment owner. Local Docker computers are on by default. From there the product is the chat. You do not keep a gateway process running, and you do not edit a config file to change the bot's routines.

On a server, the installer can stop before startup so you can set the public HTTPS origin and create the owner account before anyone else can reach it. The self-hosting guide covers backups, upgrades, secrets, and restricted networks. Voice, if you want it, uses a key you bring for ElevenLabs, OpenAI, Cartesia, or Fish Audio.

The [self-hosted AI agent](https://assist.sulus.ai/self-hosted-ai-agent/) page is that install. [How to self-host an AI agent](https://assist.sulus.ai/blog/self-host-an-ai-agent/) walks through the published images.

![SulusAssist model settings with Anthropic selected, Claude Sonnet 5.5 in the model menu, and a button to sign in with Claude Pro/Max. The provider list also shows OpenAI Codex and xAI.](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/models.webp)

Sign in with Claude Pro/Max, ChatGPT Plus/Pro, or SuperGrok. An API key works too.

## How they compare

| Topic | SulusAssist | Grok Bot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Source | The application source is on GitHub. | The Grok Bot app does not publish source you can run. Grok Build and the Grok-1 weights are separate releases. |
| Self-hosting | Docker Compose images, or a source checkout, on a machine you control. | A cloud computer on your account. An optional local computer can run approved commands. The docs do not describe deploying the service yourself. |
| Data and computers | You run the deployment. Team computers are shared; private computers are isolated. Connector credentials are encrypted on your server and are never returned by the API. | Requires cloud data storage. Bots on one account share one cloud computer, including files and logins. Training opt-out follows the Cursor account settings. |
| Model | Sign in with Claude Pro/Max, ChatGPT Plus/Pro, or SuperGrok, or bring a key. Documented providers include OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway, Cursor, custom servers, and a local model (Ollama, LM Studio). SulusAssist does not pay the model bill. | Included with paid Cursor plans and SuperGrok subscriptions. The Grok Bot docs do not describe connecting your own model provider. |
| Price | No license fee to self-host. You pay your model provider and the computer you run. Hosted SulusAssist Cloud is in beta. | Included with paid individual Cursor plans, Cursor Teams, and SuperGrok subscriptions. SuperGrok is listed at $30/month and includes Grok Bot access. Plans include weekly usage; extra usage can be billed. The free plan on the pricing page does not list Grok Bot. |
| Apps | Web, Electron desktop, and Expo mobile. | Desktop apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux, plus iOS and Android. |

The Grok Bot column follows xAI's public Grok Bot docs and pricing page.

- [Grok Bot overview](https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/overview)
- [Grok Bot FAQ](https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/faq)
- [xAI pricing](https://x.ai/pricing)
- [Grok Build source](https://github.com/xai-org/grok-build)
- [Grok-1 weights](https://github.com/xai-org/grok-1)
- [OpenMausBot](https://www.openmausbot.com/)
- [OpenMausBot docs](https://docs.openmausbot.com/docs)
- [OpenMausBot providers](https://docs.openmausbot.com/docs/providers)
- [OpenMausBot source](https://github.com/milind-soni/OpenMausBot)
- [OpenMuse](https://www.copilotkit.ai/openmuse)
- [OpenMuse source](https://github.com/CopilotKit/openmuse)

## Self-host SulusAssist

Published images need Docker Engine 26+ (API 1.45+ for bot home volume subpaths), the Compose plugin, curl, and OpenSSL.

```bash
Open https://assist.sulus.ai and create an account.
```

On this computer, open http://127.0.0.1:5173, create an account, and connect a model. That address is only on the machine running SulusAssist. Local Docker computers are on by default.

On a server, run the installer with --prepare-only, set the public HTTPS origin, and create the owner account before anyone else can reach it. The self-hosting guide covers that setup. The desktop app can install the stack on this computer, or connect to an instance you already run.

- [Self-hosting guide](https://assist.sulus.ai/docs/self-host/)

## Other alternatives

Hosted assistants and agents are both on the [alternatives roundup](https://assist.sulus.ai/alternatives/). [OpenClaw vs Hermes Agent vs SulusAssist](https://assist.sulus.ai/blog/openclaw-vs-hermes-vs-sulusassist/) compares the three you run yourself, and [best AI agents in 2026](https://assist.sulus.ai/blog/best-ai-agents-2026/) includes libraries as well as apps.

![Meta Muse homepage](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/alts/muse.webp)

- [Meta Muse](https://assist.sulus.ai/muse-alternative/) — Meta's hosted agent, introduced September 8, 2026, on a virtual machine Meta operates. You talk to it in the Muse app or WhatsApp.

![OpenAI Dots](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/alts/dots.webp)

- [OpenAI Dots](https://assist.sulus.ai/dots-alternative/) — Always-on agents on eligible ChatGPT plans, announced September 29, 2026. OpenAI says each dot has its own cloud computer.

![Instinct homepage](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/alts/instinct.webp)

- [Instinct](https://assist.sulus.ai/instinct-alternative/) — The hosted assistant at instinct.com that you text or call. Spear Street Technology, Inc. operates it.

![Claude Duet](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/alts/claude-duet.webp)

- [Claude Duet](https://assist.sulus.ai/claude-duet-alternative/) — Anthropic's proactive personal agent, released as a research preview on October 21, 2026. It runs on a cloud computer Anthropic operates and comes with Claude Pro and Max in the US.

![Hark Pro](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/alts/hark.webp)

- [Hark Pro](https://assist.sulus.ai/hark-alternative/) — The hosted personal agent at hark.com, launched October 6, 2026, with a free tier. $20 a month is twice the usage, and $100 a month is ten times the usage.

![OpenClaw homepage](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/alts/openclaw.webp)

- [OpenClaw](https://assist.sulus.ai/openclaw-alternative/) — An MIT-licensed agent you run yourself. The docs add a Gateway and a config file.

![Hermes Agent homepage](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/alts/hermes.webp)

- [Hermes Agent](https://assist.sulus.ai/hermes-alternative/) — Nous Research's MIT-licensed agent, with a desktop app and a separate messaging gateway.

![OpenMausBot homepage](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/alts/openmausbot.webp)

- [OpenMausBot](https://www.openmausbot.com/) — An Apache-2.0 desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Ubuntu. Its [docs](https://docs.openmausbot.com/docs/providers) say bots can run a signed-in agent CLI, or Mistral from an API key with no CLI, and that application data stays on your machine.

![OpenMuse homepage](https://assist.sulus.ai/graphics/grok/alts/openmuse.webp)

- [OpenMuse](https://www.copilotkit.ai/openmuse) — CopilotKit's MIT-licensed personal agent, with a chat, a persistent browser, and an optional Linux terminal. The project site says those surfaces run in the alpha.

- [All comparisons](https://assist.sulus.ai/alternatives/) — The 2026 roundup, with the license, price, and setup table.

## FAQ

### Can I run Grok Bot on my own server?

Grok Bot, the hosted teammate app, does not publish its source for you to run. Other xAI releases are separate from that service. SulusAssist is the hosted teammate you use at assist.sulus.ai, and you choose the model.

### Can I self-host Grok Bot?

The Grok Bot docs describe a cloud computer assigned to your account. They also describe an optional local computer, where a bot runs approved commands on the machine in front of you. They do not describe installing the Grok Bot service on a server you operate. SulusAssist can be self-hosted.

### How is SulusAssist different from Grok Bot?

Both are persistent bots that can use a computer, sign in to tools, keep context, and run routines. Grok Bot hosts that computer for you and comes with paid Cursor plans and SuperGrok subscriptions. With SulusAssist you choose the model, and you can use SulusAssist Cloud, in beta. Team computers and private computers stay separate.

### Is SulusAssist just chat, like Grok Bot?

After the install, yes. You create an account, connect a model, and manage the bot from that chat. A new bot interviews you. Routines, memory, and approval boundaries stay with the bot. SulusAssist is that chat plus the computer you run. Grok Bot is also a chat for named bots. The difference is who hosts the service and who picks the model.

### Can I use my Claude Pro/Max or ChatGPT Plus/Pro subscription?

Yes — sign in with that subscription, or use an API key / OpenRouter / a local OpenAI-compatible server (Ollama, LM Studio, etc.). SulusAssist does not pay the model bill.

### What are the other alternatives?

Meta Muse, OpenAI Dots, Instinct, Claude Duet, and Hark Pro are hosted assistants. OpenClaw and Hermes Agent are agents you can run yourself, with a gateway and a config file in their docs. OpenMausBot is an Apache-2.0 desktop app; its docs say bots can run a signed-in agent CLI, or Mistral from an API key with no CLI, and that application data stays on your machine. OpenMuse is CopilotKit's MIT-licensed personal agent, with a chat, a persistent browser, and an optional Linux terminal, and those surfaces run in the alpha. The comparisons page lists licenses, prices, and setup side by side. None of them imports a Grok Bot account.

- [SulusAssist](https://assist.sulus.ai/)
- [Sitemap](https://assist.sulus.ai/sitemap-index.xml)