Local-first AI agent platform for desktop and CLI. Chat, RAG search, multi-step Plans workflows, MCP tools, and Agents integration. Supports OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Ollama, LM Studio and more
You shouldn't have to choose between the best AI model, your privacy, and getting real work done.
One app, every model. Stop juggling browser tabs. Chat with OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local Ollama model, switch in seconds, no copy-pasting.
Built as a native desktop app. Not a web wrapper. Starts fast, runs lean, and stays responsive even after hours of use and thousands of messages in a single conversation.
Long conversations that actually work. No crashes, no tab reloads, no lost context. Askimo handles deep, extended sessions the way a real desktop app should.
Your files stay on your machine. Search and chat with your own documents using local RAG. Nothing is uploaded. Nothing leaves your device.
More than just chat. Run Python/Bash scripts, chain multi-step AI workflows, and connect MCP tools, all from the same app.
See It in Action
Multi-step AI Plans - fill in a form, get a finished deliverable:
RAG - search and chat with your local files:
Script runner - execute Python, Bash, and JavaScript from chat:
| | |
|---|---|
| OS | macOS 11+, Windows 10+, Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, Fedora 35+) |
| Memory | 50–300 MB (AI models require additional memory depending on provider) |
| Disk | 250 MB |
Features
Multi-provider - Switch between OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Ollama, LM Studio, LocalAI, Docker AI, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint per session
Local RAG - Index local folders, files, and web URLs. Hybrid BM25 + vector retrieval with an AI classifier that skips retrieval when the query doesn't need it. Your data never leaves your machine.
Plans (agentic workflows) - Chain multi-step AI pipelines from a form UI. Each step builds on the previous; progress shown live. Export as PDF or Word. Define your own plans in YAML or generate them by describing your workflow in plain English.
Skills - Define reusable AI agents as Markdown files and execute them via Gemini CLI or Claude Code. Skills carry a system prompt, run in a sandboxed workspace, stream live activity, and persist a full run history.
Script runner - Execute Python, Bash, and JavaScript from chat. Python runs in an auto-managed virtualenv with automatic dependency installation.
MCP tool integration - Connect MCP-compatible servers via stdio or HTTP, scoped globally or per project
Persistent sessions - Conversations stored in a local SQLite database, restored on restart
Vision - Attach images to conversations; works with any multimodal model
Most AI apps stop at a chat box. Askimo goes further with two automation primitives that turn AI from a conversation tool into a work tool.
Skills delegate real work to an agent runtime (Claude Code or Gemini CLI) running directly on your machine. The agent reads and writes your files, runs shell commands, and iterates until the job is done, without you copy-pasting anything. Point it at a codebase, describe the task, and the agent handles the rest. More runtimes are planned.
Plans break complex reasoning into a chain of focused AI steps, each building on the last. Instead of asking a single prompt to research, analyse, and write simultaneously, a Plan assigns each stage its own goal and persona. You fill in a form, click Run, and get a finished deliverable (a report, a cover letter, a blog post) ready to export as PDF or Word.
| | Skills | Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Use when | The task needs to touch files, run commands, or modify code | The task is pure reasoning: text in, polished output out |
| Runs via | Claude Code or Gemini CLI on your machine | Askimo's built-in AI, no extra installs |
| Example | "Refactor my API routes to follow REST conventions" | "Write a competitor analysis report for my product" |
Cloud: OpenAI · Anthropic Claude · Google Gemini · xAI Grok Local: Ollama · LM Studio · LocalAI · Docker AI Custom: Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint via custom base URL
Building from Source
Prerequisites
JDK 21+
Git
git clone https://github.com/askimo-ai/askimo.git
cd askimo
# Run the desktop app
./gradlew :desktop:run
# Build native installers
./gradlew :desktop:package
# Build CLI native binary (requires GraalVM)
./gradlew :cli:nativeCompile
The agent harness performance optimization system. Skills, instincts, memory, security, and research-first development for Claude Code, Codex, Opencode, Cursor and beyond.
Claude Code is an agentic coding tool that lives in your terminal, understands your codebase, and helps you code faster by executing routine tasks, explaining complex code, and handling git workflows - all through natural language commands.
