Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
The developers of Draw Things have launched Local Code, an open-source AI assistant that lets Mac users download models and put them to work on their own computers.
Local Code lets users download an AI model and start working without separately installing the tools it needs. When using a local model, the app processes prompts and files on the Mac rather than sending them to a cloud AI provider.
Local Code can create presentations, generate images and videos, analyze spreadsheets, work with Word and PowerPoint files, and more. It also includes a browser that the assistant can use to navigate websites and complete online tasks. With the user's permission, the app can read information from Mail, Messages, and Notes, as well as make changes in Calendar and Photos.
According to its documentation, Apple's App Sandbox restricts its access to files and other parts of the system. The app offers Qwen and DeepSeek models for Macs with different amounts of memory. Its website lists 16GB as the minimum for Qwen 3.8 27B, with recommended downloads taking around 10GB to 21GB of storage.
The larger DeepSeek models require downloads of around 89GB or 376GB, depending on the version. Users can also choose a cloud model, although doing so sends prompts and relevant files to the selected provider. Local use is free, while optional cloud access is available through users' own API keys or prepaid credits starting at $9.99.
Local Code follows a public beta that began on September 12. A direct Mac download is available now, and the developers say a Mac App Store release is coming soon.This article, "Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums