Alpaca

jeffser.com/alpaca Linux & Mac Apps Website

Alpaca provides a client for chatting with AI models, with privacy features described on its page.

About Alpaca

Alpaca is a client for chatting with AI models on your own device. According to its homepage, you install it, download the models you want, and start a conversation without complex setup. Models can be used for coding help, multilingual writing, roleplay, storytelling, and questions about PDFs or images. Image questions require models that support image recognition. The homepage also says you can combine several models in a single conversation and create custom models from written instructions and a profile picture.

The homepage describes Alpaca as private: it says there is no data collection and no cloud dependency, that models have no direct internet access, and that conversations are saved in SQLite3 files on the device. It also says the model list is provided by Ollama. These are the homepage's own claims and have not been independently verified. Alpaca can be used offline once models are downloaded. The homepage describes it as open source under GPL-3.0, but the directory record lists open source as false and no repository is recorded, so this should be checked. Pricing is unknown.

Key features

Chat with downloaded AI models on your own device
Ask questions about PDFs and images using image-capable models
Create custom models from instructions and a profile picture
Combine multiple models within a single conversation
Save conversations in local SQLite3 files on the device
Use the app offline once models are downloaded

Best for: Users who want to chat with AI models on their own device and keep conversations stored locally rather than in the cloud.

Good for

The homepage states that conversations are stored locally on the device.
The homepage states that the app can be used offline after models are downloaded.
The homepage states that the source code is GPL-3.0 licensed and available for inspection.

Watch out for