EleosA Claude Desktop alternative for Windows
Anthropic's own Windows apps do a lot. This page says exactly what they do today, from their own documentation, and where a different tool is the better answer.
Eleos is an independent product. It is not affiliated with Anthropic, and everything below about Anthropic's products is taken from their own help centre and developer documentation on 19 September 2026, with links, because this kind of page goes stale fast.
What Anthropic ships on Windows today
| Thing | What it is | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Desktop | The chat app. Windows 10 or higher | — |
| Cowork | Agentic work "with no terminal required", on paid plans only | Its code and shell run in an isolated environment on Anthropic's servers, and it reads or writes only in folders you connect |
| Dispatch | Message Claude from your phone, it works on your desktop | Limited beta, Pro and Max only; needs the PC awake and the app open; one single thread, no second conversation |
| Computer use | Claude clicks and types on your machine | Beta, Pro and Max only; Team and Enterprise excluded; desktop must be awake and open |
| Scheduled tasks | Recurring jobs on all paid plans | Run remotely unless they touch local files — and those "will only run locally", so the PC must be awake |
| Remote Control | Reach a Claude Code session from claude.ai or the phone | A Claude Code feature, not a Desktop one; disabled by several common environment settings |
Sources: install, Cowork, Dispatch, computer use, scheduled tasks, Remote Control.
If that list covers what you need, use it. It is well made, and it is included in a plan you may already have.
Where people look for something else
- One plan at a time. Claude's apps run Claude. If you also pay for ChatGPT, Grok or Cursor, they stay in their own windows.
- Nothing runs without a Claude account. There is no offline route: Claude Code needs a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Console account, and the free plan does not include it.
- The folder fence. Cowork reaches the folders you connect, while the work itself happens on Anthropic's servers.
- Beta gates. Dispatch and computer use are limited betas on Pro and Max; Team and Enterprise have no computer use at all today.
- Windows is second for sandboxing. Claude Code's sandbox "runs on macOS, Linux, and WSL2. Native Windows is not supported."
What Eleos does instead
| Eleos | Anthropic's Windows apps | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the work runs | Always on your PC | Cowork runs on Anthropic's servers, reaching connected folders |
| Which AI | Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Cursor, or an open model on your PC — a different one per chat | Claude |
| Without an AI subscription | Open models on your own PC, offline | Not available |
| The system prompt | You can replace it | Custom instructions sit on top of theirs |
| Several accounts | Signed in side by side, chosen per chat (not Cursor: it keeps one login per machine) | One at a time |
| Price | $19.90/month after seven days free | Included in a paid Claude plan |
Both need the PC awake for anything that touches your files. Neither can change that: a file on your machine needs your machine.
Honest limits of Eleos
- Windows 10 and 11 only. No macOS app, no native iPhone app.
- The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows shows "Unknown publisher"; the SHA-256 of the file is published on the home page.
- Eleos has no model of its own. It runs the plan or the local model you choose, under that provider's terms.
- Usage through Eleos on a Claude plan draws on that plan's usage limits, the same pool as your own chats.
Questions
Can Eleos do what Cowork does, without the folder connections?
It works on the folder you point a chat at, on your own machine, and the work runs there rather than on a server. That is the main difference in practice.
Is this a replacement for Claude Code?
No. Claude Code is a terminal tool from Anthropic; Eleos is a desktop app that can run it for you, alongside other plans and local models, with a normal window instead of a console.
Do I need a Claude subscription to use Eleos?
No. An open model on your own PC needs no AI subscription at all. A Claude plan is only needed if you want to use Claude.
Does it work when I am away from the PC?
Yes, through a phone web app, as long as the PC is awake and Eleos is running. The same condition applies to Anthropic's local features.
Where to go next
- The AI plans you already pay for, in one app
- Local AI on Windows, offline and on your own machine
- Ten dead ends between download and first answer
Try it on Windows. Seven days free, no card, then $19.90/month for two PCs. The AI is whichever plan you already pay for, or an open model on your own PC, which needs no subscription.