WorkBuddy

What is WorkBuddy?

WorkBuddy is a system-level desktop AI agent workbench officially launched by Tencent Cloud's CodeBuddy team on March 9, 2026. Unlike traditional AI chatbots that only provide suggestions, WorkBuddy can directly operate files on your computer—read and write Excel, generate Word documents, create PPTs, execute commands, and even run scheduled automated tasks. Built on the OpenClaw Agent framework, its core positioning is "action-oriented AI". It completely solves the pain points of complex environment configuration and high deployment barriers of previous OpenClaw tools, delivering a "download-and-use, go-live-in-1-minute" experience. It natively supports Chinese scenarios and integrates seamlessly with enterprise communication platforms like WeCom, QQ, Feishu, and DingTalk.

Global Usage

WorkBuddy's growth has been phenomenal. In its launch month (March 2026), it reached 8.85 million PC monthly visits with a staggering 831% month-over-month growth. By June 2026, that number exceeded 20.97 million, ranking first in the domestic PC-side AI-native office agent market and surpassing the combined total of the second and third place competitors. On the mobile side, after the app launched on May 23, 2026, its download ranking jumped from outside the top 300 to the top 100 within three days and stabilized in the top 60. In July 2026, WorkBuddy was officially listed on the Huawei App Market, surpassing 50,000 downloads within half a month. As of August 2026, Sensor Tower estimated approximately 900,000 monthly downloads. According to the "2026 Q2 China Office Agent Platform Market Insight Report," WorkBuddy's June single-month visits exceeded 20 million, maintaining a clear market leadership. On the user side, WorkBuddy has covered 12 industries with over 140 AI consultants. It has become the most popular efficiency AI agent service in China by daily active accounts.

Key Features and Highlights

Local file operations are its most fundamental capability. WorkBuddy can directly read, edit, and generate local files—Word document editing and modification, Excel data filtering and pivot analysis, PPT generation and layout, PDF extraction and merging—all accomplishable with a single natural language sentence. It can also execute commands and run code directly, not just "suggest how to do it" but actually do it for you.

Scheduled automation tasks let you set up cron-style automation—generate daily reports at 6 PM every day, summarize weekly sales data and create PPT reports every Monday. Set it up once and it runs automatically.

Multi-Agent parallel processing allows you to enable multiple AI agents to work simultaneously. For example, to write a viral article, one AI can research, one can outline, one can write the draft, and one can create the cover image—parallel processing dramatically speeds up complex task delivery.

Remote control is one of WorkBuddy's most differentiated features. Through built-in remote control, you can connect your desktop WorkBuddy to WeCom, QQ, Feishu, or DingTalk. While commuting or in a meeting, just send a message from your phone, and WorkBuddy on your computer will execute the task automatically and send the finished product back to your phone.

Flexible model selection is another highlight. It has built-in multiple major domestic models including Tencent Hunyuan, DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi, and MiniMax, allowing free switching based on task type.

Skills ecosystem and MCP protocol support let WorkBuddy's capabilities expand infinitely. It has over 20 built-in Skills skill packs and supports the MCP protocol for scenario-based capabilities. Users can import skills with one click or create new skills with zero code.

Security is also a priority. Based on the same Tencent CodeBuddy architecture, it has a unified account and billing system with comprehensive security auditing capabilities, addressing the enterprise-level security and management gaps of open-source tools.

How to Use and Installation

WorkBuddy requires downloading a desktop client. Visit the official website (workbuddy.cn) and click "Download WorkBuddy," selecting the version for your system. It currently supports Windows and macOS dual systems. Windows requires Windows 10 or above. Mac requires macOS 12 Monterey or above—M-series Macs download ARM64, Intel Macs download X64. After installation, launch the client and scan the QR code with WeChat or WeCom to log in.

The interface is divided into three main areas: the left sidebar for capability management (new tasks, assistants, projects, experts, automation, knowledge base, Skills, etc.), the middle area for task execution (input requirements, upload files, select models and Skills), and the right side for results management (generated files, workspace files, change logs, and web preview).

WorkBuddy offers three working modes. Craft mode is "you say, I do"—you give a clear task and the AI executes immediately and delivers results. Plan mode is "think first, then do"—the AI generates a step-by-step plan for you to confirm before execution, suitable for complex projects. Ask mode is "ask only, no action"—the AI only answers questions without modifying any files, suitable for knowledge queries and consultations.

Usage Tips

Write prompts like you're assigning work to a colleague—don't just say "analyze the data," say "analyze the sales data on my desktop, generate a report with charts, and save it to the Reports folder." For file paths, use absolute paths for more accurate AI operations. For complex tasks, break them down into small steps and describe them separately—this yields better results. Use Plan mode first to review the approach, then switch to Craft mode for execution. Different models suit different scenarios—Hunyuan for general office work, DeepSeek for code development, Kimi for long document analysis. Take advantage of the "Inspiration" feature—it's an AI task case library where you can see how others use WorkBuddy and learn by imitation.

Pricing

WorkBuddy and CodeBuddy share the same account credits, no separate subscription needed. As of July 1, 2026, the personal version was upgraded from a single Professional plan to a three-tier "Standard/Advanced/Flagship" system.

Free Trial: 500 credits/month, 3 automated tasks (limited-time free upgrade to 99).

Standard: 99 RMB/month (70 RMB/month with monthly auto-renewal at 30% off), 840 RMB/year (672 RMB/year with annual auto-renewal), 4,000 credits/month (2,000 base + 2,000 bonus).

Advanced: 199 RMB/month (140 RMB/month with monthly auto-renewal), 1,680 RMB/year (1,344 RMB/year with annual auto-renewal), 9,000 credits/month (4,000 base + 5,000 bonus).

Flagship: 999 RMB/month (700 RMB/month with monthly auto-renewal), 8,400 RMB/year (6,720 RMB/year with annual auto-renewal), 50,000 credits/month (20,000 base + 30,000 bonus).

Enterprise: SaaS Enterprise Edition at 198 RMB/person/month (minimum 1 seat), includes 2,000 credits/person refreshed monthly.

Who It's For

WorkBuddy is suitable for almost everyone who uses a computer for office work. Office workers and knowledge workers are the core users—daily reports, weekly summaries, data aggregation, file organization, meeting minutes, all can be automated. Enterprise teams can use it to standardize office processes and reduce repetitive labor costs. Developers can use it for code writing, debugging, and project builds. Non-technical users can get started easily—no coding or command templates needed, just speak in everyday Chinese. It's less suitable for users who are extremely sensitive about data security and unwilling to authorize any local operations, or for light users completely unwilling to pay.

Common Questions

What's the difference between WorkBuddy and regular AI chatbots? Regular AI only gives suggestions and plans—you still have to do the work. WorkBuddy can directly operate your computer—read and write files, execute code, generate documents, and deliver finished products directly to you.

What's the difference between WorkBuddy and CodeBuddy? Both belong to the Tencent Cloud CodeBuddy team, sharing the same underlying architecture. WorkBuddy is for "office" scenarios, CodeBuddy is for "development" scenarios.

Is the free version enough? The free trial has 500 credits/month, enough for basic file operations and simple tasks. For daily high-frequency use, at least the Standard plan (70 RMB/month with auto-renewal) is recommended.

Is my data secure? WorkBuddy uses local execution with sandbox isolation. All file operations are completed within locally authorized scope—sensitive data is not uploaded to the cloud.

How does remote control work? Bind WeCom or QQ in the WorkBuddy settings on your computer, then send commands through the corresponding chat app on your phone.

What should I do if WorkBuddy doesn't respond? Check your network connection, wait 1-2 minutes during peak hours, break complex tasks into smaller steps, or check if your credits are insufficient.

How do I write file paths correctly? Use full absolute paths like "C:\Users\YourUsername\Desktop\report.xlsx," or use natural language like "the report.xlsx in the '2026' subfolder under the 'Finance' folder on the D drive".