Askimo - AI Desktop App for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini & Ollama | File Search, MCP Tools, AI Plans

# Askimo > Askimo is a free, open-source AI desktop app and CLI tool for macOS, Windows, and Linux. > It connects to ChatGPT (OpenAI), Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Ollama, xAI Grok, LM Studio, > LocalAI, Docker AI, and other AI providers. Key features include RAG (project knowledge indexing), > MCP (Model Context Protocol) tool integration for real-world actions, AI Plans for multi-step > automated workflows, Skills (integration with external AI agents such as Claude Code, Gemini CLI, > and Codex running directly on your machine), custom directives (system prompt templates), > mermaid diagram rendering, and fully local private storage. > All user data stays on-device. No cloud sync, no account required. > Askimo is licensed under AGPLv3 and led by Hai Nguyen. ## Why Choose Askimo Askimo is built as a true native desktop application, not a web wrapper or Electron app. This architecture choice delivers meaningful advantages over browser-based AI clients: **Native performance.** Askimo starts in seconds, scrolls smoothly, and stays responsive after hours of use and thousands of messages in a single conversation. There are no tab reloads, no browser memory limits, and no degradation over time. **Handles long conversations.** Most web-based AI clients struggle or crash with very long sessions. Askimo uses virtualized message rendering (lazy loading) so only visible messages are in memory at any time. You can scroll through thousands of messages without a slowdown. **Optimized memory usage.** Unlike browser tabs that balloon in RAM over a session, Askimo uses a lean native rendering pipeline. Typical memory usage is 50-300 MB, far below what a comparable browser tab would consume. **Personalized experience.** Askimo is fully customizable: themes (light/dark), font size, font face, custom avatars, and per-session AI personas via custom directives. Every aspect of the workspace can be tailored to the user's preference. **Privacy by design.** All conversations, A