ChatGPT Remote or BCD? Use your computer from your phone, with Claude too
ChatGPT Remote lets the ChatGPT phone app work through the ChatGPT desktop app on your Mac or Windows PC. BCD connects your computer to Claude and ChatGPT through a small background agent instead: no desktop app to keep open, Linux included, and one computer free with no monthly tool-call quota.
BCD runs on Mac and Linux, and on Windows in beta. Try the Windows beta ›
One Mac free. No monthly tool-call quota or card required. Your AI app’s subscription is separate.
Side by side
| BCD | ChatGPT Remote | |
|---|---|---|
| What runs on the computer | A small background agent that starts when you log in. No app window to keep open. | The ChatGPT desktop app, open, signed in and awake |
| Computers | Mac, Linux, Windows (beta) | Mac and Windows, plus SSH hosts for Codex projects |
| AI apps | Claude (web, desktop and phone), ChatGPT (paid plan with Developer mode), Claude Code, Codex and other MCP clients | ChatGPT and Codex |
| Where you ask from | Wherever you use that AI app, including its phone app | The ChatGPT app on iOS or Android, or another Mac or Windows PC |
| What you need | A free BCD account | Codex access in your ChatGPT account or workspace; a workspace admin may need to allow remote access |
| Setting up | Paste one line into Terminal or PowerShell, approve in the browser, then add the connector in your AI app | In the desktop app, Settings → Connections → Control this Mac or PC, then scan a QR code with each phone |
| Price | One computer free with no monthly tool-call quota. Personal is $7.99/month for 3 computers; Plus, Pro and Team plans too. | — |
| Permissions | New computers start read-only. Turn on write, commands, screen control and clipboard per computer in the dashboard. | Uses the desktop app’s own setup and permissions; you approve commands and actions from your phone |
| Several computers and teams | Several computers on one account with a default; teams share access | Each phone is paired with each computer |
| PDF, Word and Excel | Read, write and edit them on the computer | — |
| When the chat connection drops | Long jobs keep running, and BCD can report the outcome of a call whose result was lost | — |
| Undo | Undo file changes the AI made | — |
ChatGPT Remote details as of October 2026, from OpenAI’s “Remote connections” documentation. “—” means we didn’t check it; see OpenAI’s documentation.
Set up BCD in 3 steps
Create a free BCD account.
Paste this line into Terminal on your Mac or Linux computer, then click Approve in your browser (on Windows, the dashboard shows a PowerShell line instead):
curl -fsSL https://bcd.snack-wrap.com | bashIn Claude or ChatGPT, add
https://bcd.snack-wrap.com/mcpas a connector and sign in to BCD when asked. Then ask from any device where you use that app, including your phone.
You can keep using ChatGPT Remote; it doesn’t conflict with BCD. If you only use ChatGPT on one Mac or Windows PC, it may be all you need.
What BCD adds
PDF, Word and Excel: read, write and edit documents and spreadsheets.
Video editing on your Mac with AVFoundation; no ffmpeg needed.
iOS apps: build, run tests and upload to TestFlight.
Undo: see the file changes the AI made and roll one back.
Saved workflows: save a series of steps and run it again later, or on a schedule such as every weekday at 8:00 with no chat open, with an email if a run fails. Schedules are not in ChatGPT until OpenAI approves them.
Files and your phone: ask for a file and get a download link; get a link that saves photos from your phone into a folder on the computer. Not in ChatGPT until OpenAI approves it.
Dropped chats: long jobs keep running, and the outcome of a lost call can be checked.
Several computers can share one account, with one set as the default, and teams can share access.
Questions
Can I use both?
Yes. They don’t conflict: ChatGPT Remote works through the ChatGPT desktop app, and BCD through its own background agent and a connector in your AI app.
Does BCD need the ChatGPT desktop app?
No. The BCD agent runs in the background on its own; the computer only needs to be on and online. You can ask from Claude or ChatGPT on the web, on your desktop or on your phone.
Do my files get uploaded?
BCD doesn’t copy your folders anywhere. When the AI reads a file, that content passes through BCD’s relay in memory to reach your AI app, and BCD doesn’t store it. Your AI app handles it under its own policy.
Is BCD free?
One computer is free with no monthly tool-call quota. Personal is $7.99 a month for up to 3 computers, and Plus ($9.99), Pro ($13.99) and Team ($29) are also available. New accounts get Personal free for a month, no card needed. Your AI app’s subscription is separate.
One Mac free. No monthly tool-call quota or card required. Your AI app’s subscription is separate.