NativeMind brings private AI into your browser. Its README lists chat across tabs, PDF and image chat, page translation and writing tools. It runs on your own models through Ollama. It is free and open source.
Off Grid AI Desktop (OGAD) is free and open source too. It covers your whole computer, not only the browser: your files, your voice, images and a local API, plus a phone app. It runs the models itself, so there is no second runtime to install.
Download for Mac, Windows or Linux · GitHub
Free. No account. AGPL-3.0.
Off Grid AI and NativeMind side by side
| Off Grid AI | NativeMind | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Desktop and phone app | Browser extension |
| License and price | AGPL-3.0, free | AGPL-3.0, free |
| Runs the model | Itself, with llama.cpp | Through Ollama, or WebLLM with Qwen3-0.6B |
| Latest release | 0.0.55 stable, 23 October 2026 | v1.12.4, 23 March 2026 |
| Chat about web pages | Yes, with its browser extension | Yes, across tabs |
| Answers from your files with citations | Yes, Projects | PDF and image chat |
| Generate images | Yes, on your GPU | Not listed |
| Voice in and out | Yes, Whisper and Kokoro | Not listed |
| Local OpenAI-compatible API | Yes, 127.0.0.1:7878
|
In-browser API for web apps |
| iPhone and Android app | Yes | Not listed |
Checked 30 October 2026 against NativeMind's GitHub repository, its releases and nativemind.app. "Not listed" means the feature is not on NativeMind's own pages.
Where NativeMind is strong
NativeMind lives where you read. Add open tabs as context and ask one question across them. Translate a whole page and keep its layout. Rewrite a paragraph in a text box. Its site also lists a Gmail Assistant that summarises mail and drafts replies, processed locally.
It is light. If you already run Ollama, the extension is a small install. Its README lists Chrome, Firefox, Brave and Edge, though the Edge badge says "Coming Soon".
One app instead of two
NativeMind needs a model server. Ollama is the recommended one. The WebLLM option is for a quick trial with a 0.6B model.
OGAD runs the models itself. Pick one in Models, and the app shows which fit your memory before it downloads. Since 0.0.55 its engines (llama.cpp, whisper.cpp and stable-diffusion.cpp) update in the background, so new models load without a full app release.
More than the page you are reading
- Your files, with the source. Add files to a Project and ask. The answer cites the passage it came from.
- Images. Ask for a picture in the chat. It renders on your GPU, offline.
- Voice. Whisper turns your voice into text. Kokoro reads the answer back.
-
A local API. Scripts and tools reach every model at
http://127.0.0.1:7878/v1. See the local API guide. - Your phone. Off Grid AI Mobile (OGAM) runs on-device models on iPhone and Android.
The browser, too
You don't lose the browser. Off Grid has an early-access browser extension that pairs with OGAD. It sends the page you allow to the model on your desktop. Use it to ask about a signed-in work portal without a cloud AI. See how to ask AI about private work websites in Chrome.
Some desktop tools and tasks through the extension need Pro.
What Pro adds
Pro is optional. It adds a local memory of your screens, meetings, mail and documents, meeting notes with no bot, actions you approve in Gmail, Linear, Jira and Notion, and Sync across up to 5 devices. On 30 October 2026 it costs $79.99 once, a limited-time price down from $119, or $7.99 a month. Check Pro for your computer.
The free app stays free.
When NativeMind is the better pick
Pick NativeMind if your AI work is mostly in the browser: tabs, translation, quick rewrites and mail. Pick it if you already run Ollama and want a light extension on top, or if you use Firefox.
Pick Off Grid if you want one app for files, images, voice, an API and your phone, with a release every week.
Switch in five minutes
- Download OGAD for Mac (Apple silicon), Windows or Linux.
- Pick a text model. The app shows which models fit your memory.
- Make a Project, add a PDF and ask a question.
- Add the browser extension and pair it with the desktop app.
No account at any step.
FAQ
What is NativeMind?
NativeMind is a free, open-source browser extension under AGPL-3.0. It chats about your tabs, PDFs and images, translates pages, helps with writing and Gmail, and runs on Ollama or WebLLM in the browser.
Is NativeMind still updated?
NativeMind's latest GitHub release is v1.12.4, published on 23 March 2026, and the repository's last push was the same day. Off Grid AI Desktop shipped 12 releases in October 2026 alone.
Do I need Ollama for NativeMind?
Ollama is NativeMind's recommended backend. Its README lists WebLLM as a quick trial that runs Qwen3-0.6B in the browser. Off Grid AI Desktop runs models itself, so you don't install a separate runtime.
Can Off Grid AI work with pages in my browser?
Yes. Off Grid AI has an early-access browser extension that pairs with the desktop app and sends the page you allow to your local model. Some desktop tools and tasks through the extension need Pro.
Is Off Grid AI free like NativeMind?
Yes. Off Grid AI Desktop is free, open source under AGPL-3.0, and needs no account. Pro is optional and adds memory, meetings, approved actions and Sync.
Download Off Grid AI Desktop and bring private AI to your files, voice and phone.
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