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AI app builders that run on your own machine
The common shape for an AI app builder is a website: you type a prompt, it runs on the vendor's servers, and your project lives in their account. Adrian is a desktop application, which changes what you are trusting and what you are paying for.
| Adrian | The usual shape | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | A desktop application on your machine. Windows today; macOS and Linux are not released yet. | A website. The build happens on the vendor's servers. |
| Where your code lives | In a folder you chose, on your disk. | In a project on the vendor's platform, usually with an export or a Git sync. |
| Which model runs it | A local model through Ollama, or your own API key. You can see and change the assignment per role. | Whatever the vendor has selected, billed through them. |
| What it costs to run | Nothing on local models. Your provider's own rates on your own key, with no cut taken. | A subscription, usually metered in the vendor's own credit or token unit. |
| Works offline | Yes, on local models. Unplug the network mid-build and it keeps going. | No — the model is remote by definition. |
When Adrian is the better choice
- Your code or your clients' code should not sit on a third party's servers.
- You already pay a model provider and would rather not pay a second margin on top of it.
- You want to build with no account, no key and no bill, on hardware you already own.
- You want to choose the model per role rather than accept one that was chosen for you.
When it is not
- You are on macOS or Linux. Adrian has not shipped there yet, and a browser tab does not care what you run.
- You want the finished thing deployed and hosted for you. Adrian's deploy stage is still roadmap; a hosted builder does this today.
- Your machine cannot hold a capable model and you would rather not manage an API key.
- You want to build from any machine without installing anything.
Common questions
- Can I use an AI app builder without sending my code to the cloud?
- Yes. Adrian is a desktop application, and with a local model through Ollama the prompt, the generated code and every repair pass stay on your machine — there is no model provider in the loop to send anything to. If you use your own API key instead, your files stay local but the code context does go to that provider.
- Does an AI app builder work offline?
- Adrian does, on local models. The model runs as a process on your own hardware, so a build keeps going if you unplug the network mid-way. Anything that calls a hosted model — including Adrian with your own API key — needs a connection by definition.
- Do I need an API key to build with AI locally?
- No. The local path needs no account, no API key and no card. You install the desktop app, install Ollama, pull a model that fits your RAM, and build. A key is only needed if you want to point Adrian at a hosted frontier model instead.
- Which operating systems does Adrian run on?
- Windows 10 and 11 today. macOS and Linux are not released yet, so if you are on either of those, a browser-based builder is genuinely the better option for now. The current Windows build is also unsigned, so Windows shows a SmartScreen warning on first run.
The desktop app is free with local models or your own API key. Windows today — macOS and Linux are not released yet, and the build is unsigned, so Windows shows a SmartScreen warning on first run.