Radar / AI agents / Hob

Hob: free, open-source desktop AI assistant that runs open-weight models on your own computer

Frigade (YC W23) launched Hob on 26 Oct 2026: a free, MIT-licensed desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux that works on local files the way the Claude and ChatGPT desktop apps do, except the model runs on the user's own computer. It runs Gemma 4 and gpt-oss locally, uses a small Qwen3-VL model for images and a local Whisper model for dictation, supports MCP connectors, and writes sandboxed Python for ad-hoc jobs; the Show HN thread reached 162 points and the repo stood at about 307 stars on 28 Oct.

new launchagents · assistantsJEV traction 0.58FrigadeHQ/hob · 307 ★added 2026-10-28

Open Hob →View on the radar

Why it matters

Cloud-desktop-app file workflows with nothing leaving the machine: no account, no subscription, and files, chats, and model runs stay local, with web search optional and switchable off.

What you could build with it

A freelance bookkeeper handling client tax files could run Hob on a laptop to summarize PDFs and turn spreadsheets into charts without uploading sensitive client documents to a cloud service.

Does it hold up?

Early but installable: releases exist for all three desktop OSes and the Show HN thread reports it working well on 16GB+ machines, but at about 300 stars and two days old there are no independent benchmarks or long-term usage reports yet.

Built with Hob

Reclaim Your Privacy with Unfiltered Local AI: Hobarticle · Open Source For You overview: MIT licence, Gemma 4 and GPT-OSS local runs, optional web search, and the privacy pitch against cloud desktop apps.
Hob: Open-Source Local AI Desktop App Launches Todayarticle · Launch report: 26 Oct release, MIT licence, local processing architecture, and the offline-only option with MCP connectors disabled.
Hob: Open-source, on device alternative to Claude and ChatGPTproducthunt · Maker launch post: picks the best open model for the machine, reads and edits chosen folders with undo, works with Office files, photos, and MCP.

Learn more

launch coverage →

First spotted on github: source.

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