Run AI Locally — Free Forever — for Code, Images & Video
The only Vibe Coding IDE that bundles local code, image, and video AI in a single one-click installer — no $20/month subscription, no token bills, no API key, and no separate Ollama / Stable Diffusion / ComfyUI setup. Use cloud AIBuddy credits when you want extra power; the default is free, private, and runs entirely on your machine. The Claude / Cursor / Copilot alternative that doesn't lock you in — and the only local-AI desktop that ships images and video alongside code.
Cursor, Claude Code, and Copilot are cloud-only. Cline runs code-only locally if you first install Ollama / LM Studio yourself. AIBuddy is the only desktop that bundles code, image, and video AI behind a single one-click installer — we set up Ollama, MLX, llamafile, or vLLM and Stable Diffusion / Flux and AnimateDiff / Mochi for you. Pick a model. Start building. No subscription. No API key. No data leaves your machine.
One-click install of Ollama, MLX-LM (Apple Silicon), llamafile, or GLM-5 vLLM.
Pull qwen2.5-coder, llama3, glm4, or any of 100+ models.
Buddy auto-routes between local and cloud based on the task.
One-click setup for Stable Diffusion, Flux, or ComfyUI. Generate icons, mockups, hero illustrations, and asset packs from chat. Free, private, and your prompts never leave the machine.
One-click setup for AnimateDiff, Mochi-1, LTX-Video, and Stable Video Diffusion. Turn a still image or text prompt into a short clip. Local-first; cloud fallback when you need extra horsepower.
Same Buddy. Same chat. Same Git integration. Same project context. The difference is your code, images, and video can all run on your GPU — and cloud credits stay in your wallet for when you actually need them.
For Raspberry Pi, ARM servers
In development — ETA Q3 2026
Coming SoonWant this? Let us know
📧 Need Windows, Linux, or Intel Mac builds? Contact us
Built with Rust & native macOS WebKit — ultra-fast, lightweight (~10 MB), and designed for the Mac App Store. No Electron, no V8, pure Apple experience.
Apple Silicon + Intel • Native WKWebView
~10 MB • Code Signed & Notarized
Download Latest (macOS)Native macOS • Sandboxed & Secure
Under App Store review — ETA Q2 2026
Coming to App StoreUse the Tauri DMG above for the native macOS experience now
The native Mac app uses the same Rust AI engine as the desktop IDE but runs natively without Electron. Learn more about the Rust preview
Try AIBuddy directly in your browser — no download required. Powered by the same Rust AI engine, with 34-language support and real-time streaming.
Powered by Rust AI engine with 34-language support
No install needed • Same credits as desktop
Launch Rust Web AppFull desktop experience running in your browser
No install needed • Same features as desktop
Launch Electron Web App73% of developers use VS Code. AIBuddy integrates seamlessly with the world's most popular editor.
marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=AIBuddyStudio.AIBuddy
The AI coding assistant that works for 70% of developers worldwide
Windows, macOS, and Linux. Unlike Xcode AI - works for 70% of developers on non-Apple platforms.
73% of developers use VS Code. AIBuddy integrates seamlessly with the world's most popular editor.
Pay only for what you use. No $20-100/month subscription. Pay-as-you-go credits that never expire.
AIBuddy smart routing picks the best model for each task at a fraction of the cost. Save money automatically.
AIBuddy remembers your project across sessions - tech stack, decisions, and preferences.
Intelligent Git integration with AI-powered merge conflict resolution. Never struggle with conflicts again.
of developers can use AIBuddy
VS Code market share
cheaper with smart AI routing
tests passing
AIBuddy is the only one of these tools that bundles local code, image, and video AI in a single installer. Cline also runs locally — but only for code, and you have to install Ollama / LM Studio yourself. Cursor, Claude Code, and Copilot are cloud-only.
| Feature | AIBuddy | Cline | Cursor | Claude Code | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bundled local AI (no extra setup) | ✓ Code + Image + Video, one click | ⚠️ Code only — BYO Ollama / LM Studio | ✗ Cloud only | ✗ Cloud only | ✗ Cloud only |
| Local image generation | ✓ SD / Flux / ComfyUI | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Local video generation | ✓ AnimateDiff / Mochi / SVD | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Free forever path (your hardware) | ✓ Free with bundled local AI | ✓ Free if you supply local LLM | ✗ $20/month minimum | ✗ $20/month minimum | ✗ $19/month minimum |
| Standalone desktop app | ✓ Tauri-based | ✗ VS Code ext only | ⚠️ Forked editor | ⚠️ CLI only | ✗ Editor ext only |
| Works on Windows/Linux | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ⚠️ CLI only | ✓ Yes |
| VS Code Support | ✓ Native Extension | ✓ Native Extension | ⚠️ Forked editor | ⚠️ Terminal only | ✓ Yes |
| Pay-Per-Use Cloud Option | ✓ Only pay for usage | ✓ BYO API key, only pay LLM | ✗ Subscription | ✗ Subscription | ✗ Subscription |
| Smart AI Routing (cloud + local) | ✓ Automatic, 30-50× cheaper | ⚠️ Manual per-task model select | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Thread Memory | ✓ Persistent context | ✓ Plan + Act modes | ✓ Project context | ⚠️ Session only | ⚠️ Session only |
| Git Expert Mode | ✓ AI merge resolution | ⚠️ Basic | ⚠️ Basic | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Web Research | ✓ Real-time search | ✓ Browser MCP | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| All Languages Support | ✓ 50+ languages | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Your prompts stay private | ✓ Local-first by default | ✓ Private if local LLM | ✗ Sent to cloud | ✗ Sent to Anthropic | ✗ Sent to GitHub |
Build React, Vue, Angular frontends with Node, Python, or Go backends. AIBuddy understands your entire stack.
Create React Native, Flutter, or native iOS/Android apps. Cross-platform development made easy.
Build machine learning pipelines, train models, and deploy AI solutions with intelligent assistance.
Design RESTful APIs, GraphQL schemas, and microservices with best practices baked in.
Write Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes configs. AIBuddy knows your infrastructure as code.
Build games with Unity, Godot, or custom engines. AI helps with game logic and shaders.
When you first open AIBuddy on macOS, you may see "AIBuddy" cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software. This is normal for apps downloaded outside the App Store.
To open AIBuddy:
Alternative: Go to System Preferences → Security & Privacy → General and click "Open Anyway" next to the AIBuddy message.
Reads your codebase, writes files, runs terminal commands, and iterates autonomously until the task is complete.
Three AI models auto-selected per task: Pro for debugging, Standard for code gen, Reasoning for quick tasks. 30-50x cheaper.
Monaco Editor - The same editor that powers VS Code. Syntax highlighting for 50+ languages.
Built-in terminal for running commands. Execute scripts without leaving the app.
View status, commit, push, pull directly. AI-powered merge conflict resolution. Smart branch management.
Watch AI reason step-by-step through complex problems. Say "think harder" for deep analysis mode.
Drag-drop screenshots, paste images, attach any file type. AI understands images and routes to the best vision model.
Remembers your project's tech stack, past decisions, and coding style across sessions. No repeating yourself.
Full localization in 39 languages. The AI replies in your chosen language — Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, and more.
Delete individual chats or clear all at once with native confirmation dialogs. Full chat history with search.
Dark and light themes. Customizable layout. Native macOS/Windows experience.
Your code stays local. Encrypted API calls. No telemetry or tracking. 15,500+ tests ensuring quality.
AIBuddy Desktop uses the same credits as the VS Code extension.
Already have AIBuddy credits? Just enter your API key and start coding!
macOS: Open the DMG file and drag AIBuddy to your Applications folder.
Windows: Run the installer and follow the prompts.
Open AIBuddy Desktop, go to Settings (⌘+, on Mac, Ctrl+, on Windows), and enter your AIBuddy API key.
Open a folder, create a new file, and start chatting with AI to build amazing software.
