Alternatives / BoltAI
Looking for an open source BoltAI alternative? We compared 8 open source AI chat clients and platforms by license, model support, local models, platforms, and privacy. They let you use your own API keys or local models, from desktop clients to self-hosted web apps, and several use licenses that are not standard open source.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry Studio | Closest desktop client for many providers (AGPL-3.0 Community Edition) | AGPL-3.0 Community Edition |
| Jan | Local models on your desktop | Apache-2.0 |
| AnythingLLM | Chat with your documents | MIT |
| 5ire | Desktop assistant with MCP (source available) | Modified Apache-2.0 (source available) |
| Open WebUI | Self-hosted hub for local and cloud models (custom license) | Open WebUI License; older code BSD-3-Clause / MIT |
| LibreChat | Multi-user self-hosted chat | MIT |
| LobeChat | Teams of AI agents (source available) | LobeHub Community License |
| Fullmoon | Offline LLMs on Apple devices (development slowed) | MIT |
We looked for open-source tools that overlap with BoltAI's core: a single app to chat with many AI models using your own API keys or local models. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and platforms in its repository. BoltAI is a native macOS app, so we note which alternatives run on the desktop and which are self-hosted web apps, and flag source-available licenses and slower projects. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Like BoltAI, none of these includes model access. You connect your own API keys from providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google, or run local models, and you pay those providers directly. Local inference needs reasonably powerful hardware.
Cherry Studio, Jan, and 5ire are desktop clients that connect to many providers, which is the closest to BoltAI's model. Cherry Studio supports 300+ models from 50+ providers with a local knowledge base, and Jan runs open models locally or connects to cloud providers. None is a native macOS app that integrates into every app the way BoltAI does.
Open WebUI and LibreChat are web interfaces you host yourself, with accounts and multi-user access, and AnythingLLM is available as a desktop or self-hosted app for chatting with documents. LobeChat adds teams of agents for ongoing work.
Open WebUI uses its own Open WebUI License, a BSD-3-Clause-based license with a branding requirement. LobeChat uses the LobeHub Community License and 5ire a modified Apache-2.0 license, both source available. Cherry Studio's Community Edition is AGPL-3.0, with a separate commercial license.
Open WebUI, LobeChat, AnythingLLM, Cherry Studio, LibreChat, and Jan were updated within days of this update. 5ire's last commit was in September 2026, and Fullmoon's in May 2025, so Fullmoon has effectively stalled.
BoltAI is a proprietary macOS app sold as a paid license, with updates and features tied to its developer and no Windows or Linux version. Open-source alternatives are free, run on more platforms, let you inspect the code and keep chats local, and avoid a paid license, at the cost of a less native macOS experience and the need to bring your own API keys.
Open WebUI provides a unified interface for Ollama, OpenAI-compatible APIs, Anthropic, and other providers, with document RAG, web search, tools, multimodal input, user management, and extensions. Current code uses the Open WebUI License with branding restrictions.
Pricing: Free to self-host; current license includes branding restrictions beyond traditional permissive licenses.
LobeChat, now LobeHub, is a platform for building and running teams of AI agents on long-running tasks and automated workflows. It includes multi-agent coordination, a large skill library, memory, pages, projects, schedules, and messaging gateways. It is licensed under the LobeHub Community License, based on Apache-2.0 with additional commercial conditions.
Pricing: Self-hostable; hosted cloud services may be offered separately.
AnythingLLM is an MIT-licensed local-first and self-hostable AI workspace with local or cloud models, document ingestion, vector search, agents, multi-user workspaces, and a developer API.
Pricing: Free and open source under MIT with desktop and self-hosted deployments.
Cherry Studio is an AGPL-3.0 Community Edition desktop AI assistant for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It combines model selection, chat, knowledge bases, agents, MCP servers, documents, model comparison, and local conversation storage.
Pricing: Free and open source Community Edition; external model API costs may apply.
LibreChat is an MIT-licensed self-hostable chat interface supporting Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Azure, local models, custom agents, files, tools, web search, code execution, model comparison, and multi-user access.
Pricing: Free and open source under MIT; API provider and infrastructure costs may apply.
Jan is an Apache-2.0 desktop AI assistant designed to run models such as Llama, Qwen, Mistral, and DeepSeek locally while also supporting cloud providers.
Pricing: Free and open source under Apache-2.0; cloud model API costs may apply.
5ire is a desktop AI assistant, licensed under a modified Apache-2.0 with additional commercial conditions (source available), for multiple providers, MCP servers, local knowledge bases, document RAG, reusable prompts, cost tracking, and searchable conversations.
Pricing: Free Community Edition with additional terms; a commercial license is required for some uses. Cloud models require provider API keys.
Fullmoon is an MIT-licensed local AI assistant that runs compatible language models entirely on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro using Apple's hardware acceleration.
Pricing: Free and open source under MIT; compatible local models run on supported Apple hardware.
| Alternative | Type | License | Platforms | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Studio | Desktop client | AGPL-3.0 (Community) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Many providers |
| Jan | Desktop app | Apache-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | Local models |
| AnythingLLM | Desktop and server app | MIT | Desktop or self-hosted | Documents and RAG |
| 5ire | Desktop assistant | Modified Apache-2.0 | Desktop | MCP tools |
| Open WebUI | Web chat platform | Open WebUI License (BSD-based) | Self-hosted web | Local and cloud models |
| LibreChat | Web chat platform | MIT | Self-hosted web | Teams |
| LobeChat | Agent platform | LobeHub Community License | Self-hosted web | Agent teams |
| Fullmoon | iOS and macOS app | MIT | Apple devices | Offline Apple devices |
Want a desktop client for many providers
Cherry Studio connects 300+ models from 50+ providers with a local knowledge base, under AGPL-3.0 for its Community Edition.
Want to run models locally on your computer
Jan runs open models locally or connects to cloud providers, under Apache-2.0.
Want to chat with your own documents
AnythingLLM is MIT-licensed and runs as a desktop or self-hosted app with document chat, local models, and agents.
Want a multi-user chat for a team under MIT
LibreChat supports many providers, custom agents, file uploads, and multi-user access under MIT.
Want a self-hosted hub for local and cloud models
Open WebUI connects local and cloud models, under a custom license with a branding requirement.
Want private offline LLMs on Apple devices
Fullmoon runs small local models on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, but development has stalled since 2025.