Short answer: to use a work and a personal ChatGPT account on one Mac at the same time, run each account in its own copy of the ChatGPT desktop app. ChatGPT's own account switcher holds two accounts on chatgpt.com, but only one is active at a time and it isn't in the desktop app yet. Sessions Pro for Codex turns each account into its own app, such as “Codex Work” and “Codex Personal”, both open at once.
Free 1-hour preview once you've signed in to a profile. For macOS 14 or later.
Why keep work and personal ChatGPT accounts separate?
Plenty of people have both: a company workspace their employer pays for and manages, and a personal plan for side projects. Keeping them apart matters for practical reasons:
- Company work belongs in the company account. Your employer's workspace, its projects and its connectors are where work conversations and Codex threads should live.
- Personal projects belong in yours. A side project shouldn't end up in a workspace you lose access to when you change jobs.
- Each plan covers its own work. Codex tasks for work run on the work plan, side projects on your own.
- Signing out is a chore. The ChatGPT app for Mac, Codex included, keeps one account signed in, so switching means signing out and back in, often several times a day.
What are your options on a Mac?
| Method | Both open at once | Desktop app for both | Codex CLI per account | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign out and back inBuilt into the app | ✕ | One at a time | One at a time | Free |
| ChatGPT's account switcherchatgpt.com, up to two accounts | ✕ One active at a time | ✕ Web only | — | Free |
| Second browser profilechatgpt.com in another profile | ✓ | ✕ Web only | — | Free |
| Second macOS userFast User Switching | ✕ One desktop at a time | ✓ | ✓ | Free |
| Sessions Pro for CodexMac app for ChatGPT and Codex profiles | ✓ | ✓ One app per account | ✓ | $24.99 one-time |
We make Sessions Pro for Codex.
There's also a free do-it-yourself route: a second copy of the app started from Terminal with its own folders. It works, but both copies share one Dock icon and name, and you start it by hand each time. Our guide has the commands and the catches, and ChatGPT's account switcher vs Sessions Pro for Codex compares the built-in option in detail.
How do you set up “Codex Work” and “Codex Personal”?
- Open Sessions Pro for Codex. It finds your ChatGPT app.
- Bring your current ChatGPT along. If the ChatGPT app is signed in to your personal account today, choose “Start from my current ChatGPT” when you create the Personal profile. It copies your conversations, Codex threads, projects, pins and login into the profile and leaves the original untouched.
- Add the other account. Create a Work profile, pick a color, and sign in with your work account in its own window.
- Keep both open. Switch with ⌘-Tab or from the menu bar.
macOS asks once per profile for things like folder access and the keychain (ChatGPT's “Codex Storage Key”). Choose Always Allow and it won't ask again, even after updates. When ChatGPT updates, each profile is rebuilt from the new version automatically, with logins and history kept.
Sessions Pro for CodexFree 1-hour preview once you've signed in to a profile. For macOS 14 or later.
How do you tell the two accounts apart?
Each profile is a real Mac app with its own name, so “Codex Work” and “Codex Personal” sit side by side in the Dock, in ⌘-Tab and in Spotlight. Each Dock icon has a colored letter badge, W for Work and P for Personal, in the color you picked, and the menu bar shows the letter of the account in front. You always know which account you're typing into.
What about the Codex CLI, links and the Chrome extension?
- Codex CLI. Each profile has its own Codex CLI. “Open Codex CLI in Terminal” runs it with that profile's own
CODEX_HOME, so the work terminal is signed in to the work account. More in use two Codex CLI accounts in Terminal at the same time. - codex:// links. Connector sign-ins and thread links open in the profile you used last, so bring the right one to the front first.
- The ChatGPT extension for Chrome. It connects to the profile you opened last.
Is it OK to use a work account this way?
Sessions Pro for Codex runs OpenAI's official ChatGPT app and doesn't change how ChatGPT or Codex work; each profile is simply signed in to an account you already have. OpenAI's terms apply to each account, and your employer's rules apply to the work one. If your company limits which apps or devices can use its workspace, check with them first.
Working for clients as well? See Codex for freelancers and agencies: one account per client.
FAQ
Can I be signed in to my work and personal ChatGPT accounts at the same time?
Not in one copy of the ChatGPT desktop app. Each account needs its own copy of the app with its own folders. You can start one from Terminal for free, or let Sessions Pro for Codex set each account up as its own app.
Will my personal chats show up in my work account?
No. Each profile keeps its own login, conversations, Codex threads, projects and pins, so nothing moves between accounts.
Do I need a second Mac or a second macOS user?
No. With Sessions Pro for Codex both accounts run as separate apps in your own macOS user, on the same Mac.
Sessions Pro for Codex is made by LEX GLOBAL IT S.R.L. and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by OpenAI. It runs the official ChatGPT app with accounts you already have, and OpenAI's terms apply to each account. ChatGPT and Codex are trademarks of OpenAI.