Image: MausBot
MausBot, the free and open-source alternative to Grok Bot, now has a paid way to keep your AI bots busy while you sleep. The new MausBot Pro plan runs your bots on an always-on cloud machine, so they keep working even with your laptop closed.
Co-creator Milind Soni pitched it as the easy route for people who don't want to run their own server. You could already self-host MausBot, he wrote, "but you shouldn't need to be so technical to get started." His team now handles the hosting and server setup.
you can already self-host @mausbot_
— Milind S (@milindlabs) October 3, 2026
We’ve worked hard to make the developer experience great.
but you shouldn’t need to be so technical to get started.
we are launching one-click cloud deployment. We handle the hosting and server setup, with priority support whenever you need… pic.twitter.com/D1iBJEKZCb
What MausBot Pro gets you
Pro is the middle tier of three new Cloud plans. For $49 a month, one person gets a 4 vCPU machine with 4 GB of RAM, up to 50 GB of storage and up to four cloud computers working at once. That comes with 200 computer-hours a month, about an hour of spoken voice replies and priority email support. Personal costs $29 a month and runs one computer at a time, while Max costs $99 and allows up to eight.
Every plan includes cloud computers with a live desktop you can watch or take over, plus scheduled routines that run even when your own computer is off. Bots in Slack are listed as coming soon.
One catch: the AI itself isn't included. You still connect your own Claude or ChatGPT account, or an API key, and pay that provider. MausBot warns that heavy round-the-clock use can hit your plan's limits, and it recommends Claude Max or an API key.
Why it matters
MausBot started out as OpenGrokBot, an Apache 2.0 take on Grok Bot that runs on the Claude, Codex and Grok tools already on your computer, according to its own comparison. Its GitHub project has passed 4,000 stars.
Local-first has a weak spot, though. Grok Bot runs your Bots on a persistent cloud computer, so work carries on after you shut your laptop. A local app naps when your laptop does. Pro closes that gap without making you rent and babysit a server, and the free app still works locally without an account.
It isn't the cheap option. Grok Bot comes with every paid individual Cursor plan or a linked SuperGrok subscription, while MausBot Pro costs $49 on top of your AI plan. What you're paying for is choice: you pick the models your bots use, and you can read the app's code.
Even OpenBot offers the same thing
MausBot isn't alone. OpenBot, another free, open-source Grok Bot rival we've covered before, now offers OpenBot Servers. These are hosted Linux machines, powered by boat.dev, that keep your agents and routines running 24/7 when your computer is off. OpenBot actually announced its version first.
Introducing OpenBot Servers
— OpenBot (@OpenBot_) October 1, 2026
Your bots can now run 24/7, independently of your computer.
Keep agents and routines working - even when your machine is off. pic.twitter.com/2jxCvfKWfU
OpenBot's server plans start at $25 a month, or $20 a month billed yearly, with the top Pro tier at $120 a month. Its changelog says a hosted server goes to sleep when idle and wakes up before its next scheduled routine. OpenBot agents can already answer in Slack, and technical users can now install OpenBot on their own Linux server from the terminal.
When two open-source rivals land on the same paid add-on almost back to back, that's a trend. A free app with a paid always-on cloud looks like how these projects plan to pay the bills. If your bots only need to work while you do, the free versions are still enough. If you want them working overnight, that's now a monthly fee.
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