By Alexander Aidun · May 1, 2026
Original post
We have a lot of AI tools available — Claude Chat, Cowork, Claude Code, LibreChat, Codex, Cursor — and the question “which one should I use?” keeps coming up. This page is the answer.
It’s organized as a quick decision tree up top, then a detailed section for each tool covering what it does, what data you can use with it, how to set it up, and how to verify it’s working.
Connecting to Internal Data
Before you proceed, a quick note on ContextA8C. Out of the box, the below tools only know what is available via training data or web search. To search Automattic’s internal systems — Slack, P2s, Matticspace, or the Field Guide — you need to connect ContextA8C. Test it by asking “search Slack for recent messages in #ai-help about Claude Enterprise.” If you get real messages with timestamps and links, you’re connected.
The Quick Decision Tree
→ “I want to ask a question or look something up”
Claude Chat or LibreChat. Connect ContextA8C and you can search Slack, P2s, Linear, and the Field Guide. You are the driver of the conversation.
→ “I want to hand off a multi-step task”
Cowork. Describe what you want, it makes a plan and works through it. Writing projects, file organization, research, data analysis all in a visual interface. You become the outcome orchestrator.
→ “I want to write or edit code”
Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor. The specific tool can be a matter of preference both personally and for individual teams.
→ “I want to compare different AI models”
LibreChat at chat.a8c.com. Switch between Claude, GPT, Gemini, and others without managing API keys.
Claude Chat
The conversational interface where you type questions, upload files, and get responses. Enterprise is the company plan. Your data is covered by a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) and Anthropic does not use it for training.
Claude Cowork
Cowork is a separate mode within Claude Desktop. Where Chat is back-and-forth conversation, Cowork gives Claude more autonomy — turning you into an outcome orchestrator. Cowork can read and write files on your computer, control your browser, run plugins, show live visualizations, maintain context across long tasks, and run scheduled automations.
Data policy: Enterprise DPA + ZDR.
Claude Code
An AI agent for coding which you can run in your terminal, via Claude Desktop, or in VS Code. You don’t have to be an engineer to use it — many non-engineers have been quite successful developing their own ideas from soup to nuts with Claude Code. Claude Code reads a file called CLAUDE.md at the root of any project when it starts.
Data policy: Enterprise DPA + ZDR.
LibreChat
Automattic’s internal multi-model AI chat at chat.a8c.com. Everyone at a8c has access and can create and share agents. For more information on building LibreChat Agents refer to Raúl Antón’s guide.
Codex (OpenAI)
OpenAI’s agentic coding tool, similar to Claude Code or Cursor. Automattic is currently running a 30-day pilot for unlimited ChatGPT Enterprise access.
Cursor
A code editor built from the ground up with AI, based on VS Code. Privacy Mode is required per a8c guidelines. Turn it on: Cursor → Settings → Privacy → Enabled.
Tip: You can run Claude Code inside Cursor’s terminal (claude /ide) to get both tools in one window.
OpenClaw
A self-hosted AI agent that runs on your machine or a server. Always running, remembers past conversations, and can build its own capabilities over time. Your data stays on your machine — no cloud provider involved.
Who it’s for: people comfortable running their own software who want an AI agent they fully control. If you want something managed and ready to go, start with Claude Chat or Cowork.
Other Tools Worth Knowing
GitHub Copilot — Free for open source. Good autocomplete, but most a8c devs who’ve tried both prefer Cursor’s agent mode and codebase awareness.
Google NotebookLM — Upload documents and get audio summaries or a research notebook. Niche but useful if you process a lot of written material.
Questions or corrections? Drop a comment or come by #ai-help on Slack.