Hob is an AI assistants tool: Free open-source desktop AI coworker that runs models on your computer.

How much does Hob cost?

Hob is Open source; there is no mandatory paid plan.

What are the best alternatives to Hob?

Community-listed alternatives to Hob include sideOS, Spacesheep, Context Engine, ShogunAI.

What does Hob integrate with?

Hob integrates with Gemma, gpt-oss, Qwen, llama.cpp, Notion, Linear and more.

Which platforms does Hob support?

Hob is available on macos, windows, linux.

Hob

Free open-source desktop AI coworker that runs models on your computer

Open sourceAI assistants Personal productivity

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Hob is an AI assistants tool for Freelancers and Small businesses, offered as open source. Popular alternatives include sideOS, Spacesheep, Context Engine.

About Hob

Hob is a free, open-source desktop AI assistant from Frigade, the Y Combinator-backed company behind the Frigade onboarding platform. It aims to match the coworker experience of the Claude and ChatGPT desktop apps (working on your files, running code and asking before it changes anything) while the model runs entirely on your own computer.

On first launch Hob checks your hardware and downloads a fitting open-weight model: Google's Gemma 4 for most machines and OpenAI's gpt-oss 120B for workstations, run through llama.cpp. It works on attached files or project folders, analyses spreadsheets, reads PDFs including scans, fills PDF forms on Mac, looks at images with a small Qwen vision model, draws charts and runs sandboxed Python. Web search uses a metasearch engine that runs locally, dictation stays on device, and plugins add skills, Python tools and MCP connectors such as Notion, Linear, Figma or GitHub. It asks before changing files, every task can be undone, there is no telemetry, and it is MIT licensed with no account or subscription.

It suits privacy-conscious professionals and teams who cannot send documents to cloud AI. LM Studio and Ollama run local models but leave tools to you, while Claude and ChatGPT remain stronger on hard tasks. Hob needs at least 8 GB of RAM (16 GB recommended) and 10 to 25 GB of disk, and local models are weaker than frontier cloud ones.

Hob went public with a Show HN post on October 26, 2026 that drew over 170 points, the same day as its 0.2.0 release. Its interface supports 32 languages. Buying tip: test it on a 16 GB machine or larger.

Key features of Hob

Automatic hardware check and download of a fitting open-weight model
Works on attached files or project folders with their own instructions
Sandboxed Python with pandas, openpyxl and on-demand PyPI packages
Reads PDFs including scans and fills PDF forms on Mac
Image understanding with a local Qwen vision model
Local metasearch web search and on-device dictation
Plugins with Agent Skills, Python tools and MCP connectors
Approval before file changes and undo for every task

Pros and cons

Pros

Completely free and MIT licensed with no account
Chats and files stay on your computer, no telemetry
Picks and installs a suitable model automatically
Works offline once models are downloaded
Available for Apple silicon Macs, Windows and Linux

Cons

Local models are weaker than frontier cloud models on hard tasks
Needs at least 8 GB RAM and 10 to 25 GB of disk
PDF form filling is Mac only
Very new project at version 0.2
No team admin, support plan or shared workspaces

Hob pricing

Hob uses a open source model.

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	$0	MIT licensed, no account, subscription or usage limits

Source: hob.chat · checked on Oct 29, 2026

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How Hob compares in AI assistants

Rank by votes: #1 / 36
Starting price: $0
Free alternatives: 2

Hob ranks #1 of 36 ai assistants tools by community votes and is not directly comparable on price.

Common use cases

1Summarizing confidential contracts without uploading them
2Analysing sales spreadsheets and charting results offline
3Filling out PDF forms on a Mac
4Reading receipts and screenshots locally
5Saving repeated tasks as reusable skills

Best for

Professionals and small teams who want a Claude-style desktop assistant for files and documents without sending data to the cloud.

Not ideal for

Users who need the strongest reasoning or team features, or who have low-memory machines (Claude, ChatGPT).

Integrations

Gemma
gpt-oss
Qwen
llama.cpp
Notion
Linear
GitHub
Figma

Our take

Hob is the most approachable way to get an agent-style local AI assistant today, with no setup or cost. Use it for private document work, and keep a cloud assistant for the hardest tasks.

FAQ

What is Hob?: Hob is an AI assistants tool: Free open-source desktop AI coworker that runs models on your computer.
How much does Hob cost?: Hob is Open source; there is no mandatory paid plan.
What are the best alternatives to Hob?: Community-listed alternatives to Hob include sideOS, Spacesheep, Context Engine, ShogunAI.
What does Hob integrate with?: Hob integrates with Gemma, gpt-oss, Qwen, llama.cpp, Notion, Linear and more.
Which platforms does Hob support?: Hob is available on macos, windows, linux.
Who is Hob for?: Professionals and small teams who want a Claude-style desktop assistant for files and documents without sending data to the cloud.

Alternatives to Hob

See all 10

sideOS
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Voice-driven Mac agent in the notch with local dictation and meetings
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checked Oct 25
Spacesheep
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Workspace where AI agents publish versioned docs, dashboards and apps
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checked Oct 28
Context Engine
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Shared memory that AI agents and team members read and write
Freemium · $12Small businesses
checked Oct 23
ShogunAI
▲ 0
Mac assistant that remembers your work and drafts in your voice
Paid · $62Freelancers
checked Oct 23
Glean
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Enterprise AI search and assistant across all your company apps
PaidEnterprise
checked Oct 20
Llama App
▲ 0
Free tray app that runs llama.cpp models as one local AI server
Open sourceDevelopers
checked Oct 26

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