The intelligence layer
your computer has been missing.
Turn approved folders into private, searchable memory. Find any file or ask grounded questions without sending your data to the cloud.
How it works
Memory-first, not chat-first.
Three simple operations turn scattered files into useful memory.
Index
Choose your folders. OpenMind indexes documents and images locally in the background.
Only approved folders. Nothing uploaded.
Search
Find files by meaning, even when you cannot remember the name or location.
No chat model required.
Ask
Get streaming answers grounded in your files, with sources you can verify.
Your model. Your files. Your answers.
SQLite keeps track of what OpenMind is doing. LanceDB stores what OpenMind knows.
Installation
Install. Set up. Ask.
Install the openmind CLI and build your private memory.
Install
Run uv tool install openmind-core or pipx install openmind-core.
Setup
Run openmind setup to connect your local model provider. Currently supports LM Studio.
Index
Choose the folders OpenMind can access. Indexing runs in the background.
Search or Ask
Find files by meaning or ask questions with sources attached.
Capabilities
Private memory,
built for real files.
Folder-level control
You choose every folder. OpenMind sees nothing else.
Incremental indexing
Only new or changed files are indexed. Everything else is skipped.
Search without chat
Find files by meaning without loading a chat model.
Source-grounded answers
Every answer links back to the files it came from.
Built for real files
Search documents, PDFs, scans, screenshots, and images with local OCR.
Private by default
Your files and memory stay on your machine. No cloud sync or telemetry.
Philosophy
Years of files.
No reorganizing required.
Your Downloads folder should not need a cleanup before it becomes useful. OpenMind remembers where everything is, so you do not have to.
Simple core
Index. Search. Ask.
Local data
Your memory stays with you.
Your folders
You decide what is indexed.
Visible sources
Every answer shows its origin.
Replaceable models
The memory outlives the model.
Trust by design
No access without approval.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Does OpenMind send my files anywhere?
No. Your files stay in place, and OpenMind processes them on your machine through your local model provider.
Which model providers does OpenMind support?
LM Studio is supported today. More local model providers are planned.
What file types can OpenMind index?
Text, Markdown, PDF, DOCX, CSV, HTML, and images. Local OCR handles scans and image-based PDFs.
Can I search without a chat model?
Yes. Search uses an embedding model; a chat model is only needed for generated answers.
Where is the data stored?
OpenMind keeps its state in SQLite and searchable memory in LanceDB, under your local OpenMind data directory.
Ask your computer what
it already knows.
Install OpenMind in one command. Your files stay yours.
Contributors
We grow in the open.
Built with people and communities who believe personal AI should stay open and local.
Become a contributor