- What does AnythingLLM promise, and which part do you need?
- Which apps run models, and which only give you a chat window?
- How do the nine compare?
- Which AnythingLLM alternatives made the list?
- Where do your documents go? Some advice before you hit send
- How can you check a privacy claim with your own files?
- Frequently asked questions
Choose an AnythingLLM alternative by where your documents should live. A local desktop app keeps them on your laptop; a self-hosted interface keeps them on your server; a bring-your-own-key client sends prompts to the models you pick; a developer platform lets you build your own assistant. The nine below are grouped by those approaches.
Do you want an AI assistant that never sends your files anywhere, or one that simply lets you choose where they go? That one question sorts nearly every option on this page, and it's worth answering before you download anything.
What does AnythingLLM promise, and which part do you need?
AnythingLLM sells itself as private, on-device and open source under the MIT licence. That's three promises in one app. Most alternatives choose one slice: running models locally, giving you a chat window for models you host, offering an API layer, or helping you build agents.
If you only liked the chat-with-your-documents part, a local desktop app may be enough. If your team shares one assistant, a self-hosted interface makes more sense. If you're a developer who wants to build privacy into a product, look at the API and agent options.
It also helps to list the documents you want to ask questions about. A handful of PDFs on one laptop is a very different job from a shared drive of contracts that a whole team searches. The first needs a simple app; the second needs someone to look after indexing, permissions and backups, whichever tool you pick.
Which apps run models, and which only give you a chat window?
Local model runners. LM Studio describes a desktop app. Jan says it runs models on your machine or connects to cloud models when you want. GPT4All says no cloud is needed.
Chat front ends. Open WebUI says you can extend it with code. LibreChat's page says it's joining ClickHouse. Msty's site lists workspaces, agents, models and knowledge. Chatbox AI, per its site, lets you bring your own API keys.
An API layer. PrivateGPT says it builds on local models. An agent builder. Dify says it runs on its cloud, in your VPC or self-hosted. One more filter: whether you need it on one device or several. A desktop app lives on a single laptop, while a self-hosted interface can serve a browser anywhere on your network.
My guides to private AI chatbots and RAG tools go further if you're building document search into something bigger.
How do the nine compare?
| Tool | Approach | Free option named |
|---|---|---|
| Chatbox AI | Third-party front end | A free plan |
| Dify | Developer platform | Free open-source software |
| GPT4All | Offline chatbot | A free plan |
| Jan | Desktop assistant | Free open-source software |
| LibreChat | Unified chat interface | Free open-source software |
| LM Studio | Model runner | Not stated on its site |
| Msty | AI app | Not stated on its site |
| Open WebUI | Self-hosted AI interface | Not stated on its site |
| PrivateGPT | Developer toolkit | Free open-source software |
Which AnythingLLM alternatives made the list?
Their position says nothing about quality: they're in no particular order, just A to Z, and each line reflects the vendor's or project's own words.
Do you build a private AI app? Ask to be considered for a featured place in this roundup.
Chatbox AI
Best for: A privacy-focused app for chatting with several models in one place, the vendor says.
Dify
Best for: Production-ready agentic workflows, in the vendor's words.
GPT4All
Best for: Private, high-performance AI where your data stays on your machine, per the vendor.
Jan
Best for: A free, open-source alternative to ChatGPT, as the project calls itself.
LibreChat
Best for: Bringing all your AI conversations together on an open-source platform, per the project.
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LM Studio
Best for: An agent for work and code with local or frontier open models, the vendor says.
Msty
Best for: Private AI for individuals, teams and organisations, the vendor says.
Open WebUI
Best for: Running AI on your own terms and connecting any model, per the project.
PrivateGPT
Best for: The open-source API layer for private AI applications, in the project's words.
Where do your documents go? Some advice before you hit send
Read the settings, not the slogan. Several apps here say they can run local models and also connect to cloud ones, so the same app can be private one day and not the next, depending on a dropdown. Decide your rule first, for example local models only for client files, and then check each app lets you enforce it.
For a team, the person who sets up the server decides where data goes for everyone. Write down who that is and what they've chosen, so nobody assumes the assistant is local when it isn't. Rules for client and personal data differ by sector, so ask your regulator what applies to you.
How can you check a privacy claim with your own files?
- Install the app on a work laptop with a folder of real but low-risk documents.
- Switch off Wi-Fi and see what still works.
- Turn Wi-Fi back on and check which settings send prompts to a cloud model.
- Look at where the app stores your chats and document index on disk.
- Delete a document and check it's gone from the index too.
- Only then load anything sensitive.
Repeat the check after every major update, because a new version can change defaults. Keep a short note of what you tested and when, so the next person on your team doesn't have to start from scratch.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Can a local AI assistant work with no internet?
Yes, if it runs the model on your own machine. Apps that only connect to hosted models need a connection every time you ask a question.
Is open source the same as private?
No. Open source means you can read the code. Private depends on where the model runs and where your documents are stored, which depends on how you set it up.
What does bring your own key mean?
You paste in an API key from a model provider, and the app sends your prompts to that provider. Your data goes wherever that provider's terms say.
Do I need a powerful laptop for local models?
Larger models need more memory and a decent graphics chip. Start with a small model and step up only if the answers aren't good enough.
Which options mention free software?
Six of the nine name free open-source software or a free plan on their sites. Free to download doesn't mean free of setup time.
Can a team share one private assistant?
Yes, with a self-hosted interface on a server you control. Someone then owns updates, access and backups for everyone.
