Switch from Dock to Task Machine
Dock coordinates specialists through a Chief of Staff in shared workspaces. Task Machine gives each job a Task with its plan, decisions and recorded checks together.
Prefer the side-by-side comparison?Why people switch
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Operating through beta
Dock's terms say it is in beta and does not yet offer a formal uptime service-level agreement. They also allow changes to features and pricing, with reasonable notice for material changes.
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Usage windows pause work
Standard and Scale usage resets every five hours and every week. Dock's billing guide says those limits can stop a turn, and an unfunded metered turn waits for a payment before resuming.
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Local routines can skip
A local agent needs the Mac app open. If your Mac wakes more than 15 minutes after a routine was due, Dock skips that occurrence, while cloud routines run independently of your laptop.
What maps to what
Every answer links to its source and shows when we last checked it. The oldest check on this page was November 15, 2026.
| Area | In Dock | In Task Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Responsibility |
In Dock
A handoff transfers responsibility for finishing the task. For work involving several agents, the Chief of Staff briefs specialists and maintains their routines and shared knowledge. |
In Task Machine
Every job is a Task that a person or an agent owns. It keeps the plan, discussion, decisions, runs and history together, including when work changes hands. |
| Recurring work |
In Dock
Routines run hourly, daily, on weekdays, weekly or once at a specific time in your timezone. The agent's Schedule panel lets you inspect, pause or cancel them. |
In Task Machine
Start a Task or Workflow once or on a schedule in your timezone. A recurring job keeps one stable root Task, with each occurrence's own status and history. |
| Approval |
In Dock
Each agent has Allow, Ask or Deny permissions by action type. Ask requires approval every time, while Deny prevents that kind of action. |
In Task Machine
Set agent actions to Ask first or Automatic and review decisions with their context in Inbox. An explicit Human approval step holds a Workflow before an action such as sending a report. |
| Memory |
In Dock
Agent memory updates during work and carries standing knowledge into later conversations. You can read, edit or delete it from the Memory tab. |
In Task Machine
Agents keep lessons from your corrections, such as an accepted example. Memory belongs to an agent, Project, Goal, Team or workspace, and you can read, correct and restore notes. |
| Shared records |
In Dock
People and agents share docs, tables and files in workspaces, and talk together in channels. |
In Task Machine
Keep reports, plans and reference files as Library documents with version history. People and agents work with the same document records, subject to their permissions. |
| Execution |
In Dock
Cloud agents run on Dock's machines. Local agents can access your Mac's files and tools, and connected Claude or ChatGPT subscriptions fund local agents only. |
In Task Machine
Run agents in Managed Cloud with nothing to install, or connect a Local Worker on a computer you control for local files, tools and accounts. Choose where each agent runs. |
| Pricing |
In Dock
Starter is $40, Standard $100 and Scale $200 per person per month. Plans include cloud agents, model usage and business credits for paid data and media. |
In Task Machine
Usage based, from $29 a month before tax. The whole payment becomes usage that your workspace shares, with no base fee. |
A fact we cannot find or cannot check is left out, and prices can change after the date shown. Task Machine publishes this comparison and is an interested party. Dock is named only to identify it, and there is no relationship between the two companies. Has something changed? Tell us.
You may stay with Dock if
You may stay with Dock if its ready-made business specialists and Chief of Staff already coordinate your sales, research or operations well. Its shared channels, tables and files put people and agents in the same working space. Moving only to get approval controls or persistent memory would mean rebuilding capabilities Dock already documents.
What you give up
Task Machine's docs do not describe a Dock workspace importer or an equivalent shared spreadsheet surface. Keep the records your team still edits in Dock's shared tables, or move them into a record store you can connect. You must recreate agent briefs, handoffs, schedules and permission choices, then check which saved lessons still apply.
There is no trial. Your first payment funds usage, and unsuccessful work can consume it too. Read Usage and fees before testing a replacement at full volume.
How the switch works
- Archive your data before cancelling. Dock's CLI README documents
dock export [--out FILE]as a full JSON export. Check the export's contents, keep original files, and separately copy agent instructions, memory, permission choices and routine timing. Export and import compatibility have not been tested. - Create your workspace, connect the accounts the first job needs, and upload reference files to the Library. Review copied guidance before adding it to Memory. Keep credentials out of those documents.
- Start with one known job, such as a weekly research brief. Choose a Playbook, or define its handoffs in a Workflow. Write the expected result and verifier requirements, such as citations for every reported finding.
- Choose Supervised autonomy and put an explicit approval before sending or publishing. Test with copied inputs and review the result before enabling external writes.
- Confirm the new schedule and timezone, then switch off the matching Dock routine in its Schedule panel before enabling the replacement's live actions. After checking your archive and remaining jobs, cancel the Dock plan in Settings, then Billing. Check whether the cancellation ends only your seat or everyone's seats.
Common questions
Will my Dock export recreate the workspace?
The CLI README documents a full JSON export, but Task Machine's docs do not describe importing it as agents, tables or routines. Keep it as an archive and rebuild one process at a time. Put the reference material you need in the Library.
How do the costs compare?
Dock charges per person with included allowances. Task Machine's pricing funds shared workspace usage from $29 a month before tax, with no base fee and no trial. The units differ, so compare the recorded usage of a representative job rather than equating a business credit with a Task. You keep 100% of your revenue, Task Machine takes no cut, and never custodies your accounts.
How can I check the result before delivery?
A Task carries acceptance requirements and recorded Pass, Fail or Uncertain checks before review. A Workflow verifier can send failed work back with feedback. Keep a Human approval step before delivery, because a verifier can also be wrong or uncertain.
Is Dock out of beta?
Its terms say precisely, "Dock is in beta." This guide describes public documentation, not a signed-in product test.