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Local — Zero (!) friction local AI for your Mac

basecompute.co

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What it does

Local is a macOS application that runs AI inference entirely on-device without cloud dependency or per-token fees. It automatically optimizes performance for Apple Silicon via BaseRT, supports on-machine chat, coding, and meeting transcription, and allows users to connect external API keys for frontier models when needed.

Two ratings

SiteList review score

Exceptional technical integrity and benchmark-driven content. Undermined by a 30% internal link failure rate and unoptimized asset payloads.

Reviewed on Aug 22, 2026

Why this score? →

Screenshots

Captured during our latest review on Aug 24, 2026

Home · www.basecompute.co
Home · www.basecompute.co
Home · docs.basecompute.co
Blog · www.basecompute.co

Pricing details

Zero per-token fees; uses open local models with the option to connect user-provided API keys for frontier model access. Billed monthly.

PlanPriceDetails
Local (Base)$0 monthly per app

Runs open local models on-device with zero per-token fees. Requires macOS · Uses user-provided API keys for optional frontier models

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Key features

  • Chat with files

    chat integration

    Ask questions, draft writing, and summarize attached PDFs directly within the app.

  • Code in folder

    coding integration

    Point the app at a project directory to read, edit, and run code locally without uploading the codebase.

  • Meetings transcription

    meetings integration

    Record and transcribe meetings on-device with automatic speaker labeling.

  • Memory control

    memory management

    Maintain a visible, editable list of lasting facts about the user; sensitive items are restricted from leaving the Mac.

  • Office Mode

    office integration

    Run a large model on a capable machine and access it remotely from Local apps on other laptops in the same workspace.

View source

Who it’s for

  • Chat with files

    Ask questions, draft writing, and summarize attached PDFs directly within the app.

  • Code in folder

    Point the app at a project directory to read, edit, and run code locally without uploading the codebase.

  • Meetings transcription

    Record and transcribe meetings on-device with automatic speaker labeling.

View source

Integrations

  • DeepSeek

  • Gemma

  • Llama

  • Mistral

  • Phi

  • Qwen

  • Whisper

Buyer questions

Questions buyers actually ask

Is Local by Base Compute faster than llama.cpp?

Base Compute claims performance up to 6.4x faster than llama.cpp for prefill operations. These claims are anchored in a formal academic paper (arXiv:2607.00501), providing a high level of technical integrity compared to typical marketing claims.

What hardware does Local support?

The product is specifically optimized for AI engineers using Apple Silicon and high-end GPUs. The messaging and technical documentation are tuned for power developers who prioritize on-device performance and privacy.

Why is the site's performance score low?

The site received a 48/100 for performance due to a 3.5MB total payload. This bloat is primarily caused by unoptimized PNG screenshots and render-blocking resources that delay content visibility for users.

Is Local suitable for enterprise use?

While the technical foundation is strong, the site currently lacks social proof and enterprise-specific case studies. It is best suited for individual AI engineers and privacy-focused organizations at this stage.

Answers are based on SiteList's latest evidence review. Read the full review.

The expert review

Local by Base Compute earns a 78/100, distinguished by its exceptional technical integrity and benchmark-driven content. However, the platform's digital presence is currently undermined by significant infrastructure issues, including a 30% internal link failure rate and unoptimized asset payloads.

Technical substance is high, but infrastructure rot persists.

Read the full review

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Scores across 13 dimensions

Domain
basecompute.co
Category
Infrastructure & hosting
Platforms
desktop
Last checked
Aug 22, 2026
Public dimensions
13

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CodeBurn — See where your AI coding spend actually goes

Score 84 out of 100 — Strong

codeburn.app

CodeBurn is a free, open-source, local-first tool that tracks AI coding token usage and cost across dozens of developer tools. It breaks down spend by model, project, and task using session files already on the user's disk, with no data uploaded.

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Shieldstral — Define safety at runtime for text and images screenshot 1 of 4: Home

Shieldstral — Define safety at runtime for text and images

Score 81 out of 100 — Strong

mistral.ai

Shieldstral introduces a 3B open-weights multimodal safety classifier that outperforms models up to 7x its size.

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Soup CLI — Fine-tune an 8B LLM on a 4 GB laptop GPU screenshot 1 of 4: Home

Soup CLI — Fine-tune an 8B LLM on a 4 GB laptop GPU

Score 81 out of 100 — Strong

trysoup.dev

Soup CLI is an open-source command-line toolkit for LLM post-training and fine-tuning on local hardware. It uses layer streaming to fit 8B models into 4 GB VRAM, auto-generates training configs, gates saves via evals, and supports migration from other fine-tuning tools.