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AI · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Silica

Your private local AI workspace for Mac

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Prices are shown for the 1 we have checked on their own sites, 1 of them free or with a free tier.

  1. 1
    Local▲107

    Super excited to launch our new app Local today. What we’ve learned at Base Compute over the last months is that running AI directly on your laptop or workstation gives you maximum privacy and it’s free, but it’s also a massive headache to configure. So we’ve decided what matters is making the experience completely frictionless for users. Local analyses the hardware of your laptop, optimises the AI for it, and recommends the best models for your specific device. It let’s you do what you’re doing with cloud AI already, just for free and on your own machine: Chatting with PDF’s, Recording and…

    Aug 2026 · basecompute.co · its alternatives →

  2. 2

    The easiest way to chat with local AI

    2025 · ollama.com · its alternatives →

  3. 3

    Hi Hackers, Excited to share a macOS app I've been working on: https://recurse.chat/ for chatting with local AI. While it's amazing that you can run AI models locally quite easily these days (through llama.cpp / llamafile / ollama / llm CLI etc.), I missed feature complete chat interfaces. Tools like LMStudio are super powerful, but there's a learning curve to it. I'd like to hit a middleground of simplicity and customizability for advanced users. Here's what separates RecurseChat out from similar apps: - UX designed for you to use local AI as a daily driver.…

    2024 · recurse.chat · its alternatives →

  4. 4
    Beam.winfree tier, from $7/mo▲371

    Run AI agents on one Mac and use its windows on another

    3d ago · beam.win · its alternatives →

  5. 5
    Cai▲179

    Hi HN, Cai runs actions on your selection via ⌥C, pick an action (AI, shell, GitHub issue, Linear ticket), done. Bundled local model (MLX Community), create custom actions with prompts, scripts and more. Free, MIT. Built after my Raycast extension sat in review queue for 3+ months. Wanted no typing, no app switching, no cloud. Repo: https://github.com/cai-layer/cai Demo: https://youtu.be/LH2MYNQ_wsk

    Apr 2026 · getcai.app · its alternatives →

  6. 6
    Prism▲84

    Al Companion for macOS

    Jun 2026 · prism-app.tech · its alternatives →

  7. 7
    Focu▲170

    Mindful productivity app for MacOS

    2024 · focu.app · its alternatives →

  8. 8
    Quietly▲59

    Offline AI IDE & local Chat

    May 2026 · quietlycode.org · its alternatives →

  9. 9

    A private, on-device AI assistant for Mac. It finishes your sentences, transcribes your calls, remembers what you

    Jul 2026 · heyhalo.app · its alternatives →

  10. 10
    Phantom▲114

    Voice-first AI agent that operates your Mac

    Jul 2026 · heyphantom.app · its alternatives →

  11. 11
    Vibespace▲101

    Workspace for multi-agent collaboration

    May 2026 · vibespace.build · its alternatives →

  12. 12

    Free Private AI App for Mac - Image Gen, AI Agents & Chat

    2025 · claraverse.netlify.app · its alternatives →

  13. 13
    Bunker▲3

    Local-first AI workspace for macOS

    May 2026 · boostpad.com · its alternatives →

  14. 14
    MiniAi▲85

    Select text, hit (⌥ space), get AI explanations

    Apr 2026 · miniai.dev · its alternatives →

  15. 15
    ManePaw▲85

    Find documents on your Mac using natural language

    Feb 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  16. 16

    Connect your Mac's Mail, Calendar, and more to AI

    Apr 2026 · claunnector.com · its alternatives →

  17. 17
    Thoth ▲64

    Private, local AI transcription for your Mac

    Apr 2026 · thoth-app.com · its alternatives →

  18. 18

    The first local AI agent on the Mac App Store

    Jul 2026 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  19. 19

    AI that actually controls your Windows/Mac desktop - clicks, types, automates workflows across any application. Native OS integration, not cloud APIs. Built this because I was tired of AI that could only chat. Free tier (Gemini) + paid tier (Claude) for reliable automation. The AI can automate complex workflows, manage files/emails, control browsers and native apps. Just launched 2 weeks ago. What workflows would you want automated?

    2025 · aioscompanion.com · its alternatives →

  20. 20

    Agentic coding IDE for Mac

    Jun 2026 · builderstudio.dev · its alternatives →

  21. 21
    Odyssey▲10

    Run, build, and share AI-powered workflows

    2025 · odysseyapp.io · its alternatives →

  22. 22
    Aisance▲19

    Your AI Desktop Companion (macOS & Windows)

    2025 · aisance.app · its alternatives →

  23. 23

    Private AI chat: files, voice, vision. 18 local models.

    May 2026 · localmee.com · its alternatives →

  24. 24

    Offline Mac AI with full privacy and encrypted chats

    2025 · its alternatives →

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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →