Best AI Tools That Work Offline

Top Paid AI Tools That Work Offline

Descript

Descript is an all-in-one editor for audio and video with AI features like text-based editing, voice cloning, filler word removal, and transcription. While it operates mostly in the cloud, Descript’s desktop app supports extensive offline workflows for creators who want to edit podcasts or videos without uploading sensitive content. You can cut, copy, and rearrange clips like a text document, and all changes are applied to the media automatically. Descript is perfect for editors, educators, and content teams who value creative control and privacy in their post-production process.

Whisper.cpp

Whisper.cpp is a lightweight, offline-compatible version of OpenAI’s Whisper speech-to-text model, optimized for local performance. It enables fast, accurate transcription on your personal computer without internet access, making it ideal for journalists, researchers, and fieldworkers who need to process audio securely. It's open-source and runs on modest hardware, supporting real-time dictation, batch processing, and custom integrations. For anyone seeking a high-quality offline alternative to cloud-based transcription tools, Whisper.cpp delivers cutting-edge performance with complete local control.

Obsidian + AI Plugins

Obsidian is a markdown-based note-taking app that works entirely offline, and with the right plugins, it can support AI-enhanced productivity on your own device. Users can integrate open-source language models or local APIs to enable summarization, natural language queries, and content generation — all while keeping their data private. This makes Obsidian perfect for researchers, writers, and privacy-conscious professionals who want to harness AI power without cloud dependencies. Combined with graph view and backlinking, it creates a powerful offline knowledge base.

MyHeritage Deep Nostalgia

Deep Nostalgia is a unique AI tool that animates old photographs, bringing portraits to life with subtle motion. While primarily known for its online app, some functionality is available through desktop installations or downloads, allowing for partial offline use and preview rendering. It’s especially popular with genealogists, historians, and creatives interested in restoring or reimagining family history. Deep Nostalgia transforms still photos into emotional, lifelike clips while preserving facial realism — a compelling blend of AI and visual storytelling that works without needing to upload data to the cloud every time.

LM Studio

LM Studio is a polished desktop app that lets you run local large language models — including LLaMA 2, Mistral, and Gemma — without any internet connection. With a clean graphical interface and easy model download manager, it’s ideal for non-technical users and professionals who want privacy-preserving AI assistance. LM Studio supports chat, summarization, Q&A, and coding help, all directly on your device. It’s available for Windows and Mac, and includes prompt history, custom instructions, and system prompt editing. A perfect solution for anyone seeking a powerful, user-friendly local alternative to cloud-based AI tools.

Top Free AI Tools That Work Offline

Ollama

Ollama makes it incredibly easy to run advanced large language models like LLaMA 2, Mistral, and CodeLLaMA directly on your Mac — fully offline. With a simple command-line install and curated model support, it’s perfect for developers and tech-savvy users who want local access to GPT-style chat without the cloud. Models can be run interactively, integrated into local apps, or used for prompt experimentation. It’s blazing fast on Apple silicon and offers the simplest route to local AI chat — no privacy compromises, no latency, just instant response from your own device.

GPT4All

GPT4All provides a user-friendly desktop app to run open-source language models offline on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It includes a graphical interface, model marketplace, and plugin ecosystem for various natural language tasks like writing, summarizing, and coding assistance. Once models are downloaded, you can interact with them in a fully offline environment. Although slower than cloud-based tools on older hardware, GPT4All is ideal for anyone who wants a ChatGPT-like experience locally — whether for research, learning, or privacy-preserving productivity tasks.

MLC LLM

MLC LLM is a mobile-first framework that enables running large language models natively on Android and iOS devices without internet access. It's designed for developers who want to build private AI apps that function offline, such as voice assistants, translators, or local chatbots. The framework supports efficient model quantization and runs entirely on-device, offering privacy and responsiveness unmatched by cloud services. Ideal for edge applications or users in remote environments, MLC LLM brings the power of AI to your pocket without cloud reliance.

DeepSpeech

DeepSpeech is Mozilla’s open-source speech-to-text engine that works fully offline. Although the project is no longer actively maintained, it remains a reliable solution for local transcription tasks, voice commands, and accessibility applications. Developers can deploy it on desktops or embedded systems, and customize it with different language models or training data. It’s a great option for projects that require voice input in secure, disconnected, or privacy-sensitive environments. Despite its age, DeepSpeech still holds up as one of the best offline voice recognition options for open-source development.

Pixela AI (Offline Export)

Pixela AI lets you generate high-quality images using Stable Diffusion and similar models, with options to run generation offline if you install the exported models locally. It’s perfect for artists, content creators, or researchers who need to generate concept art, textures, or marketing visuals without sending prompts to cloud servers. The setup requires some technical know-how, but once configured, Pixela becomes a powerful local image generator that respects your privacy and works without an internet connection. Ideal for creative professionals who want control over both prompts and output.