Answers

Grux OS is a free, MIT licensed AI agent that runs as a native macOS app on your own machine. It has no account, no server and no subscription, so every question about it comes back to the same two facts: the software is yours to read, and the data never leaves your Mac unless you point it at a hosted model yourself. The pages below answer the questions people actually ask before installing something that can read their mail, watch their screen and run shell commands. Each one is written from the shipping source rather than from a marketing page, and each names the thing Grux OS does badly alongside the thing it does well. If an answer here disagrees with the repository, the repository is right and this page is a bug.

Grux OS 3.0.0 · last checked 2026-09-30 · generated from the shipping release

Every page below is generated from the shipping release and the public feature registry, so the version numbers, counts and capabilities on this site cannot drift from the app without the build failing.

Every answer

• What is Grux OS?Grux OS is a free, MIT licensed native macOS app that gives an AI agent your mail, calendar, meetings, screen and a shell it can undo. No account, no server.
• How do I run a personal AI assistant locally on a Mac?A personal AI assistant for Mac that runs locally: what local-first means, which parts of Grux OS keep everything on your Mac, and the one part that does not.
• Which LLM is best for my Mac, and which will actually run?The best LLM for a Mac is the largest good model that fits its GPU memory budget. How to work it out for a Mac mini, MacBook or M1, before you download.
• Is there an AI meeting note taker for Mac that keeps the audio local?An AI meeting note taker for Mac that records both sides, transcribes on device and sends no bot to the call. How it works, and the two permissions it needs.
• How do I let an AI agent run shell commands without losing work?Snapshot before you run, gate what matters, log everything. How Grux OS makes an agent's terminal session undoable on macOS.
• How do I give an AI agent access to my mail and calendar?Forwarding your inbox to a service is one answer. Reading it in place on your own Mac is a different one. What Grux OS connects to and what it needs.
• Which macOS permissions does an AI assistant need?Nine macOS permissions, what each one actually buys, and which ones you can refuse without losing anything. The full table from the shipping app.
• Is there an AI assistant with no sign up and no subscription?A free AI assistant for Mac with no sign up and no subscription: what free means when an app has no server, and how to check each claim yourself.
• How do I stop an AI agent leaking my credentials to a model?Redaction before the prompt leaves, an SSRF policy for links the agent follows, and a published advisory record. The Swift package Grux OS runs on.
• Can a coding agent set up and drive a Mac app for me?An unattended command line with JSON on every read, a prompt-printing mode, and a read-only MCP bridge. How Grux OS is driven without a window.
• What is a free, open source alternative to the ChatGPT Mac app?Six free alternatives to the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS, which of them are open source, what each one does best, and where Grux OS fits.
• Which Ollama GUI apps run on a Mac?The Ollama GUI apps for Mac: Ollama's own app, native clients like Enchanted and macai, AnythingLLM, and Grux OS, an agent that acts on your Mac.
• Is there a Mac app I can change by asking Claude Code?Grux OS writes a work order for your own coding agent, so Claude Code can change the app for you, with three points where it stops for your yes.
• Which AI agents for Mac are free and open source?Free, open source AI agents for Mac: Grux OS, Osaurus, goose, Open Interpreter and Agent S, what each does, its license, and which fits which job.
• What changed in Grux 3.0?Grux 3.0 replaced the sidebar with one Command Panel and moved every small judgment into one decision engine. Here is what changed, including what was fixed.
• Grux OS or Raycast AI: which one fits?Raycast AI is a polished launcher with AI in its paid plans. Grux OS is a free, open source agent with no account. What each does, and when to pick which.
• Is there an open source LM Studio alternative for Mac?Open source LM Studio alternatives for Mac: Ollama (MIT) and Jan (Apache 2.0) run models, and Grux OS (MIT) is an agent that uses them. How they differ.
• Is there an open source alternative to the Claude desktop app?An open source Claude desktop alternative for Mac: Grux OS runs on a local model with no account, or your own Anthropic key, and connects to MCP servers.
• Grux OS or the ChatGPT desktop app: what is the difference?ChatGPT's Mac app runs on OpenAI's hosted models through a ChatGPT plan. Grux OS is an open source agent that can run locally, with nothing leaving your Mac.
• Grux OS or Osaurus: which open source Mac agent fits?Osaurus and Grux OS are both MIT licensed, native, local-first AI agents for macOS. Where they differ, and which one suits which job.
• Is there an open source alternative to Siri on a Mac?Grux OS is an open source (MIT) voice agent for Mac: one Listening control, a wake word that asks first, on-device transcription, commands decided on your Mac.
• Is there an open source alternative to Msty on a Mac?Msty Studio is a commercial AI chat workspace. Grux OS is a free, MIT licensed Mac agent with no account that acts on your mail, files and shell.
• Is there an alternative to Jan AI on a Mac?Jan is an open source chat app that runs models on any desktop. Grux OS is an open source Mac agent that acts on your mail, calendar, files and shell.
• Is there an AI email assistant for Mac that runs locally?Grux OS is an open source Mac app whose Mailbox counts only the mail that needs you, on a local model or your own key. How it compares with Apple Mail.
• What is the best app to run a local LLM on a Mac?Which app to run a local LLM on a Mac: LM Studio, Ollama, Jan or Msty, what each is best at, and where an agent like Grux OS fits on top of them.
• Which Mac apps work as an MCP client?The Mac apps that act as an MCP client and use the tools an MCP server offers: Claude Desktop, goose, LM Studio, Jan, Msty and Grux OS, and how they differ.
• Is there a Mac app for Claude Code?The official Claude Code Mac app is the Code tab in Anthropic's Claude desktop app. What it needs, what it does, and how Grux OS works alongside it.
• Ollama or LM Studio: which should I use on a Mac?Ollama is an open source runtime other apps connect to; LM Studio is a polished app for finding and testing models. How they differ on a Mac, and using both.
• What are the alternatives to Ollama on a Mac?The Ollama alternatives on a Mac: LM Studio, llama.cpp, Apple's MLX LM, Jan and Msty, what each is, its license, and whether your apps can keep working.
• How do I run an LLM locally on my Mac?Run an LLM on your Mac in three steps with Ollama: install it, pick a model that fits your memory, and run it. Plus the app and Apple silicon alternatives.
• Is there an alternative to Apple Intelligence on a Mac?An open source alternative to Apple Intelligence on a Mac: Grux OS runs on a local model you choose. What each needs, what each does, and using both.
• Which Whisper app should I use on a Mac?The ways to run OpenAI's Whisper on a Mac: MacWhisper for transcripts, whisper.cpp and WhisperKit as open source engines, and where Grux OS uses it.
• What are the AI terminal options on a Mac?AI terminals for Mac: Warp, built around coding agents, and Grux OS, an agent whose shell commands can be undone. Pricing, licenses and the difference.
• How do I run local AI on a Mac mini?Run local AI on a Mac mini: a model server sized to its memory, serving your other devices, and an agent that runs headless with no screen. Step by step.
• What are the alternatives to AnythingLLM on a Mac?The AnythingLLM alternatives on a Mac: Open WebUI, Msty, LM Studio and Jan for chat and documents, and Grux OS, an agent for your Mac. Licenses and fit.
• What are the alternatives to Open WebUI on a Mac?Open WebUI alternatives for Mac: native apps like Enchanted, Jan and LM Studio, self-hosted LibreChat and AnythingLLM, and Grux OS. Licenses and fit.
• How do I run DeepSeek locally on my Mac?Run DeepSeek R1 locally on a Mac with Ollama: which size fits your memory, from the 1.5b model on 8 GB to the 70b on 96 GB, and what to do with it next.
• How do I run gpt-oss locally on my Mac?Run OpenAI's gpt-oss locally on a Mac with Ollama or LM Studio: the 20b needs about 20 GB of memory in use, the 120b far more. Which Mac fits which model.
• Which local LLM is best for coding on my Mac?The best local coding LLM a Mac can run, by memory: Qwen 2.5 Coder from 3b to 32b, and Qwen 3 Coder 30b from about 48 GB. Sizes, context and how to run them.
• Can an AI agent manage my calendar on a Mac?Yes: Grux OS is an open source Mac agent with four calendar tools. It lists, creates, imports and exports events in the macOS Calendar you already use.
• How do I run Qwen locally on my Mac?Run Qwen locally on a Mac with Ollama: which Qwen 3.5, 3.6 or 3.8 size fits your memory, from the 2b on 8 GB to the 122b on 128 GB.
• Which AI apps work offline on a Mac?The offline AI apps for Mac: LM Studio, Ollama and Jan run models with no internet once downloaded, and Grux OS is an agent with no server behind it.
• How do I run Gemma locally on my Mac?Run Google's Gemma locally on a Mac with Ollama: which Gemma 4 or Gemma 3 size fits your memory, from 8 GB up to the 31b on 48 GB.
• Which local LLM can a MacBook Air run?Which local LLMs a MacBook Air can run, by memory: 8 GB, 16 GB, 24 GB and 32 GB, with model sizes from Ollama and one command to start each.

Questions

What is Grux OS?

Grux OS is a free, MIT licensed native macOS app that gives an AI agent access to your mail, calendar, contacts, notes, meetings, screen and a shell it can undo. It ships 37 features and 116 tools behind one Command Panel, needs macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon, and the current release is 3.0.0.

What does Grux OS cost?

The app is $0 and the whole source tree is public under the MIT licence. There is no account and no subscription. You pay your model provider directly at their own prices, or run a local model through Ollama and pay nothing at all.

Does my data leave my Mac?

Not to Grux. There is no Grux account and no Grux server, so nothing is proxied and there is nowhere for a hosted copy of your data to sit. Meeting transcription and the focus log are built on the machine. Anything leaves only if you point Grux OS at a hosted model yourself, and then it goes to that provider under your own key.

Can it run with no API key at all?

Yes, against a local model through Ollama, which needs no key and no account. A hosted model needs a key you supply and pay for directly.

Is it safe to let an agent run shell commands?

Anything that reaches the network, deletes a file or spends money stops in Approvals and waits for you to press the button, and terminal sessions can be undone. The risk it is built against is not one destructive command, it is a run of plausible ones nobody reviewed.

Is Grux OS finished?

No. 12 of the 37 features sit behind the Labs door because they are real and rough, and the door is badged so nobody mistakes them for finished. Both tiers ship in the same build and nothing sits behind a waitlist.

Free, MIT licensed. macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon. 23.7 MB, signed and notarized by Apple. No account, no server, no subscription.