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Most users just use the desktop app. This guide covers self-hosting OpenWork via the CLI so you can run tasks on your own server and connect the desktop app to it remotely. Want hosted workspaces, team skill hubs, or shared providers without running infra? Use OpenWork Cloud instead. Rolling this out across a company? Book a call about Enterprise.

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Step 1: Install on your server

npm install -g openwork-orchestrator

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Step 2: Start OpenWork in your workspace

Run it where your code lives: 
openwork start --workspace /path/to/your/workspace --approval auto
OpenWork CLI terminal output showing URL and owner token
Copy:
  • OpenWork URL
  • OpenWork Owner Token

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Step 3: Connect the desktop app

On your local machine, open the OpenWork desktop app and connect to the remote workspace:
  • Click + Add workspace (bottom left)
  • Click + Connect Remote workspace
  • Paste the OpenWork URL and OpenWork Owner Token from Step 2
Add Remote Workspace dialog in OpenWork desktop app

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What this gives you

  • Your code, data, models, and credentials stay on your machine.
  • Your local machine stays light — work runs on the server.
  • A fast path from install to a connected remote OpenWork workspace.

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Don’t want to run infra?

Skip the server. OpenWork Cloud runs hosted workers for your team. Cloud also gives you org-wide primitives you’d otherwise have to build: team skill hubs, shared LLM providers, RBAC, and shared workspaces.

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Looking for support for a larger rollout?

If you’re rolling OpenWork out across a company of 150+ employees, the orchestrator on a single VM might be harder to manage. At that scale our customers typically want:
  • SSO (SAML/OIDC) so people sign in with the identity your company already uses
  • Audit logs across sessions, tool calls, and model usage
  • Model and tool allowlists enforced centrally, not per-workspace
  • VPC / on-prem deployment with your own networking and compliance constraints
  • Support and rollout help from our team and custom deployment, not just in GitHub.
You can check the Enterprise page or book a 30-minute call.