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Best AI agents for small business

The best AI agent for a small business is the one that can reach the apps your work lives in, runs without you watching, and stops before anything you'd regret. This page puts eight agents side by side on those questions, using each product's own website. We make Krafty Bot, one of the eight, so we don't score or rank the others; the table and fit notes are there so you can decide.

How we compared them

Every product is described on the same five questions, using only its own site or documentation. Where a source doesn't answer a question, the table says so instead of guessing.

  • Where it works: its own cloud computer and browser, or only through app integrations.
  • Your apps: how it reaches the tools you already use.
  • What waits for you: what it says needs a person's approval before it acts.
  • Scheduled work: whether it runs on a schedule or when something happens.
  • How you get it: free plan, free trial, or paid plans only.

Eight AI agents at a glance

Read the cells as each vendor's own description, not as a test result.

From each product's own site. Krafty Bot from its code; Zapier Agents, Duet, and Zo Computer read on October 30, 2026; the others on October 27, 2026.
ProductWhere it worksYour appsWhat waits for youScheduled workHow you get it
Krafty BotOne persistent cloud computer per account, with a desktop and browser, shared by all its BotsConnected apps through your own sign-insWrites to your connected apps, unless you always-allow that action for that BotRoutines on a schedule, or when something happens in a connected appFree plan; Pro is $20 a month
Grok Bot (xAI)One cloud computer shared by all Bots, with a browser, file system, and terminalConnected apps where available, the computer for the restBots come back when something needs approvalSaved skills rerun on a scheduleIncluded with SuperGrok, Cursor, and Grok Business plans
ChatGPT agent (OpenAI)Its own virtual computer with a browserConnectors to your appsActions with real-world consequencesNot described in the sources we readChatGPT's paid plans
ManusAn isolated cloud computer with a browser, file system, and command lineA Slack integrationNot described in the sources we readNot described in the sources we readWeb, desktop, and mobile apps, and an API
LindyPlugs into your tools, with browser use on higher plansMore than 1,500 integrationsIrreversible actionsTriggers on a schedule or an eventFree credits to start, then pricing per user
Zapier AgentsYour connected apps, with web browsing and a Chrome extensionMore than 9,000 appsOnly steps you tell it to confirm, or tools set to require approvalOn demand, on a schedule, from a Zap, or when something happens in an appFree plan, then paid plans
DuetA private cloud server per workspace, with its own memory and task listMore than 10,000 integrationsDrafts come back for approval under your review rulesA schedule, a Slack or email trigger, or a ruleSeven-day free trial, then monthly plans
Zo ComputerA cloud computer that stays on, with a remote browser and a terminalMore than 1,000 integrations, plus text, email, and chat appsNot described in the sources we readA schedule, or an event such as an email arriving14-day free trial, then paid plans

The eight agents, and who each one fits

Krafty Bot

Named Bots with their own memory, one persistent cloud computer per account shared by all of them, connected apps through your own sign-ins, routines on a schedule or when something happens in an app, and approval before any write to a connected app. Runs in a browser on any device. Fits a founder or small team that wants jobs done in Gmail, Sheets, Slack, or a CRM with a free plan to try one first. Free to start; Pro is $20 a month.

Grok Bot (xAI)

AI teammates with names and jobs on a shared cloud computer with a browser, file system, and terminal. Workflows can be taught once and rerun on a schedule, and Bots come back when something needs approval. Fits people who already pay for Cursor, SuperGrok, or Grok Business and want desktop apps. We are not affiliated with xAI.

ChatGPT agent (OpenAI)

An agent mode inside ChatGPT that works on its own virtual computer with a browser, uses connectors to your apps, and asks permission before actions with real-world consequences. Fits teams already on a paid ChatGPT plan who want one-off tasks done while they wait.

Manus

A general agent that carries out a goal in an isolated cloud computer with a browser, file system, and command line, with starting points for slides, websites, and video. Fits people who mainly want finished deliverables rather than ongoing work in their apps.

Lindy

Describes itself as an AI employee with more than 1,500 integrations, triggers on a schedule or an event, browser use on higher plans, and approval before irreversible actions. Fits teams that want a wide integration catalog and per-seat pricing.

Zapier Agents

Agents that work across more than 9,000 apps on command or on a schedule, with web browsing and a Chrome extension. Tools run without pausing unless you tell the agent to confirm or set a tool to require approval. Zapier's help center says Agents is moving to AI by Zapier, with no shutdown date set. Fits teams already running their business on Zaps.

Duet

A cloud workspace where an AI coworker has its own private server, memory, and task list, with more than 10,000 integrations, cron and Slack or email triggers, and drafts sent back for approval. Fits small businesses that want industry examples, such as agencies and local services. Its homepage was a placeholder when we read it; facts come from its pricing and use-case pages.

Zo Computer

A personal cloud computer that stays on, with a remote browser, a terminal, more than 1,000 integrations, and automations triggered by a schedule or an event. You can message it by text, email, or chat apps. Fits people who want a general-purpose computer in the cloud more than a task-by-task assistant.

Descriptions of other products come from their own websites and documentation. Zapier Agents, Duet, and Zo Computer were read on October 30, 2026; Grok Bot, ChatGPT agent, Manus, and Lindy on October 27, 2026. We don't score vendors, quote their prices, or run benchmarks, and their features may have changed since.

Which AI agent should a small business choose?

Match the agent to where your work happens and how much you want checked.

  • Your work lives in Gmail, Sheets, Slack, or a CRM, and you want changes to wait for your approval: Krafty Bot holds every app write by default, and Duet describes sending drafts back under your review rules.
  • You already automate with Zaps and want agents inside that setup: Zapier Agents.
  • You need the widest integration catalog with team seats: Lindy.
  • You want one-off research, slides, or websites: Manus or ChatGPT agent.
  • You already pay for Cursor, SuperGrok, or Grok Business: Grok Bot is included.
  • You want a general computer in the cloud you can script yourself: Zo Computer.

How to test an AI agent before you commit

Give every candidate the same small, real job and judge the result, not the demo.

  • Pick one job you do weekly that takes under an hour and has a clear finish, such as triaging ten emails or logging the week's receipts.
  • Write it as one paragraph with the apps, the scope, and what it must not do.
  • Run it on each agent's free plan or trial, and note what it asked you before acting.
  • Check the output against the source: wrong numbers and invented facts are the common failures.
  • Ask it to run again next week on a schedule, and see whether it still works without you.

Starter prompts to test any agent with

FAQs

The one that reaches the apps your work lives in, runs on a schedule without you watching, and holds risky actions for your approval. Run the same small job on two or three agents' free plans or trials and compare the results.

Try an AI teammate

Start free with one Bot and one connected app. Pro is $20 a month for up to 50 Bots and 50 hours of computer time. App writes wait for approval unless an eligible rule allows them.