Gemini Spark vs Claude Cowork: which agent fits you?
Gemini Spark, now called Tasks in Gemini, is Google's background agent for people whose life runs on Gmail, Calendar and Sheets. Claude Cowork is how Claude does tasks with your files, connected apps and schedules. Both start at about $20 a month. Here is how they differ on price, countries, accounts and what people use them for.
Pick Gemini Spark, now called Tasks in Gemini, if you use a personal Google Account and your email, calendar and files are already in Gmail, Calendar and Drive. It needs Google AI Pro ($19.99/mo) or Ultra, and it isn't available in the EEA, the UK, Switzerland or Nigeria. Pick Claude Cowork if your job is mostly documents, spreadsheets and folders on your computer, if you are in one of those countries, or if you want to use it with a work account on a Team or Enterprise plan. It comes with Claude Pro ($20/mo, or $17/mo billed yearly) and Max.
Price and plans
| Gemini Spark (Tasks in Gemini) | Claude Cowork | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | No. Skills work without a subscription, tasks do not | No. The free Claude plan is chat only |
| Paid | Google AI Pro $19.99/mo, Ultra from $99.99/mo | Pro $20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly), Max from $100/mo |
| Work accounts | Not yet: personal Google Accounts only | Yes, on Team and Enterprise plans |
| Where | Pro: rolled out in the US first. Ultra: wherever Gemini works, except the EEA, the UK, Switzerland and Nigeria | Where Claude is available. We found no separate country limit |
| Age | 18+ | 18+ for Claude accounts |
| How many at once | Up to 15 tasks running at a time | Shares your Claude usage limits |
Prices from Google AI plans and Claude pricing, checked October 24, 2026. Both renew automatically until you cancel, and both have usage limits that reset over time.
How each one works
Gemini Spark started as a beta in May and Google has renamed it Task: you pick Task instead of Chat next to the message box (Gemini Help). To use it you need Keep Activity on and you must opt in to Personal Intelligence. It can work with Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Keep, Google Tasks, Google Flights, Hotels and Maps, and it can run on a schedule or when something happens, like a delayed flight. For websites it uses either your own Chrome on a desktop or a separate browser in Google's cloud, so it can keep going after you close your laptop. Google says it asks before it sends messages, makes purchases, deletes data or submits forms, and pauses so you can type passwords and payment details yourself.
Claude Cowork is the part of Claude that carries out tasks. Since October 6, 2026, new Cowork tasks on Pro and Max run in Anthropic's cloud, so they keep going when your laptop is closed, and scheduled tasks run with no device online (Claude Help). It can read and write files in folders you connect on your computer, but only while the Claude desktop app is open. Browser use and computer use (still in beta) also need the desktop app. Anthropic is merging Chat and Cowork into one Claude, so on newer accounts you just describe the task in any conversation.
What people use them for
In our feed, people use Gemini Spark for jobs that live in Google's apps: keeping a spending sheet up to date instead of paying for a budgeting app, and changing the email address on a list of bank accounts while the agent fills in the forms. See all Gemini Spark use cases.
People use Claude Cowork more for work on their own files: drafting rental property tax forms from saved documents, finding the emails that need a reply and writing drafts in their own tone, and cutting about 20 video clips in a folder into a teaser. See all Claude Cowork use cases.
There are lessons on both sides. One Gemini user found scheduled reminders mixed in with normal chats after an update. One Cowork user had an inbox skill send an email it was only meant to draft. These are single reports from real posts, not tests.
Things to know before you choose
- Gemini's tasks don't work with work or school Google Accounts yet. If your email is a company Google Workspace account, Cowork on a Claude Team plan is the one that works today.
- Claude reaches your local folders only while the desktop app is open. A cloud task keeps running without it, but can't touch those files.
- Don't paste passwords or card numbers into either chat. Google tells you to take over the browser and type them on the website yourself.
- Watch tasks that run on a schedule. Google warns that if a schedule runs while you're offline, you may not be able to stop an action in time, so keep sensitive jobs for when you're around.
Side by side
| Gemini Spark (Tasks in Gemini) | Claude Cowork | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic | |
| Type | Agent inside an AI chat app | Agent inside an AI chat app |
| Paid from | $19.99/mo | $20/mo |
| Free option | No | No |
| Where | Not in the EEA, UK, Switzerland or Nigeria | Where Claude is available |
| Open source | No | No |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Setup | Easy | Easy |
| Runs on | Google's cloud | Anthropic's cloud; local files and browser via the desktop app |
| Use it from | Gemini mobile app, Gemini app on Mac, gemini.google.com | Claude desktop app, web, mobile, Chrome side panel |
| Real use cases in feed | 3 | 8 |
Facts checked Oct 24, 2026. Sources are on each agent's page.
Which one fits you
Gemini Spark (Tasks in Gemini)
Pick it if:
- your life runs on Gmail, Calendar and Google Sheets
- you live in the US or a supported country outside Europe
Seen in the feed:
Claude Cowork
Pick it if:
- you already pay for Claude Pro
- your job is mostly files, documents and spreadsheets
Seen in the feed:
Questions
Is Gemini Spark the same as Tasks in Gemini?
Yes. Google tested it as Spark in beta from May, then renamed it Task. Your old tasks and schedules are still in the sidebar.
Is Gemini Spark or Claude Cowork free?
No. Gemini's tasks need Google AI Pro ($19.99/mo) or Ultra. Cowork needs Claude Pro ($20/mo) or Max. Both companies have free chat plans without the agent part.
Can I use Gemini Spark in the UK or Europe?
No. Google says tasks in Gemini aren't available in the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland or Nigeria, and on Google AI Pro it rolled out in the US first. Claude Cowork has no separate country limit that we found.
Which is better for Gmail and Google Calendar?
Gemini Spark, because it works directly with Gmail, Calendar, Drive and Sheets. Claude can connect to apps too, but Gemini is built around Google's own.
Which is cheaper, Gemini Spark or Claude Cowork?
Gemini Spark (Tasks in Gemini): paid use starts at $19.99/mo (free option: No). Claude Cowork: paid use starts at $20/mo (free option: No).
Which is easier to set up, Gemini Spark or Claude Cowork?
Gemini Spark (Tasks in Gemini): Easy. Subscribe, turn on Keep Activity, opt in to Personal Intelligence, then pick Task next to the message box. Claude Cowork: Easy. Pick Cowork in the message box (or just ask, in the new combined Claude). Local files, browser use and computer use need the desktop app open.
Where do these facts come from?
From the official pages of Google and Anthropic, checked Oct 24, 2026. The use cases come from real posts we found, each linked to the original. We don't run our own trials of agents.
Sources
- Gemini Help: Manage your tasks and workflows in Gemini Apps
- Google AI plans
- Claude Help: Use Claude Cowork on web, desktop and mobile
- Claude pricing
Checked Oct 24, 2026. Prices and availability change often, so check the official page before you pay.