If you want an AI agent for your Mac that is free and open source, five run well, and they do different jobs. Grux OS (MIT) is a native macOS app that acts on the mail, calendar, files and meetings already on your Mac from one Command Panel, with a shell it can undo and a local model through Ollama. Osaurus (MIT) is a native Swift harness for agents with memory and tools that runs fully offline on Apple silicon. goose (Apache 2.0, part of the Linux Foundation's Agentic AI Foundation) is a general agent with a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux. Open Interpreter (Apache 2.0) is a terminal coding agent for open models. Agent S (Apache 2.0) is a research agent that drives the screen with mouse and keyboard. Pick by the job: your Mac's own apps, an offline agent harness, a cross-platform generalist, code in a terminal, or screen control.
Grux OS 3.0.0 · last checked 2026-09-30 · generated from the shipping release
It works with what is already on your Mac. Mail, calendar, contacts, notes, files and meetings come from the accounts and folders you already have, not a hosted copy. Meetings are transcribed on device.
Every shell command can be undone, because each one is snapshotted into a shadow git repository before it runs.
Only you answer a workflow's question. A workflow waiting on a yes takes it from you, never from an agent's message, and a dry run changes nothing outside Grux.
A command you say outright is decided on your Mac in about 1 ms, with no network.
You can change it with your own coding agent. Optimize Grux writes a work order for Claude Code or any coding agent, which stops for your yes.
Where another agent is the better choice
You need Windows or Linux too: goose runs on all three.
You want a fully offline agent harness with MCP built in: Osaurus is built for exactly that, and its community is much larger than Grux's.
You live in a terminal and mainly write code: Open Interpreter.
You are researching agents that see and click the screen: Agent S.
Questions
What is the best free AI agent for Mac?
It depends on the job. For an agent that works in your Mac's own mail, calendar, files and shell, Grux OS. For an offline agent harness built in Swift, Osaurus. For one agent across Mac, Windows and Linux, goose. All three are free and open source.
Is there an open source AI agent for Mac?
Yes. Grux OS and Osaurus are open source agents built natively for macOS, and goose, Open Interpreter and Agent S are open source agents that also run on a Mac.
Which open source Mac agent can use a local model?
Grux OS, Osaurus, goose and Open Interpreter all run on local models. Grux OS finds a running Ollama by itself and recommends models your Mac can run.
Is Grux OS free?
Yes. Grux OS is MIT licensed with no account, no server and no subscription. With a local model the running cost is $0.