The Msty Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Msty in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Msty
The Insider’s Guide
Private AI workspace for local and online models
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Msty’s own pages.
Made by CloudStack, LLC · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Msty’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Msty’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 23 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade
Msty is a family of privacy-focused AI apps from CloudStack, LLC, led by Msty Studio, a desktop workspace for chatting with local and online models. Studio adds side-by-side split chats, personas, an agent mode, document-grounded Knowledge Stacks and image generation, and it keeps data on your own device. The desktop app is free for personal use, and an Aurum license permits commercial use and adds a browser version and advanced features. Msty Go, a separate agent app, is in beta.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Msty, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for local and online models in one desktop app
Msty Studio is a desktop workspace where local models and hosted ones sit in one list, and you can run two side by side on the same chat.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12.42 a month when paid by the year for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $149 per user / year (Aurum), or $349 one-time (Aurum Lifetime).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free forever for personal, non-commercial use: core Msty Studio Desktop features, including chat with local and online models, Agent Mode and Knowledge Stacks, some marked Limited.
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
macOS, Windows, Linux and Web.
- 5
Local and online models in one hub
Runs local models through Ollama, llama.cpp and MLX and connects hosted providers, so both kinds sit in the same organized model list.
- 6
Split Chats
Runs models side by side on the same conversation so you can compare tone, depth and accuracy without losing context.
- 7
Agent Mode
Carries out multi-step, tool-aware tasks instead of single prompts. MCP tools are connected through the Toolbox, which is limited on the Free plan.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 23 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Msty you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Msty at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $149 per user / year (Aurum), or $349 one-time (Aurum Lifetime)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- CloudStack, LLC
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for local and online models in one desktop app
Msty Studio is a desktop workspace where local models and hosted ones sit in one list, and you can run two side by side on the same chat. It's free for personal use only: paid work needs a license at $149 a year or $349 once. Knowledge Stacks and MCP tools are limited on Free, the browser version needs a license, nothing syncs between devices, and there's no phone app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Aurum is $149 a year, about $12.40 a month, which is bang in the middle of what AI assistants charge. The lifetime licence is $349, more than two years of that. Ordinary money, and you still bring the models yourself. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free forever for personal, non-commercial use: local and online chat, personas, Agent Mode. Knowledge Stacks and MCP tools are marked Limited though, and the terms say work that earns money needs a paid license. |
| Features | B | It covers the job: models side by side on one conversation, Agent Mode with MCP tools, your own documents in Knowledge Stacks, several personas working one thread. Nothing here that LM Studio, Jan or Open WebUI don't also do, and chats don't sync between devices. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record, and you supply the models, so there's setting up before the first chat: Ollama, llama.cpp or MLX on your own machine, or a hosted provider you wire in yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Mac, Windows and Linux, plus a browser version that needs the paid Aurum licence, and hooks for Ollama, llama.cpp, MLX, Azure OpenAI and Bedrock. No phone app at all, and nothing syncs between devices. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Msty is for
- Fits if you want local and hosted models in one desktop app, answering side by side
- Works for private work where the data should stay on your own machine
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want your chats on your phone, as no mobile app is listed and nothing syncs between devices
- Pricey if you'd use it for paid work: the free tier is personal and non-commercial only, and Aurum is $149 a year
- Not for you if you want the browser version for free, since Msty Studio Web needs Aurum
- Tight if you stay free, as Knowledge Stacks and MCP tools are marked Limited, or use 3 computers, as Aurum covers 2
- Watch out: SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification aren't complete yet, and team plans start at 5 seats
Good to know
Good for
- Individuals who want local and hosted models in one desktop app
- Privacy-sensitive work where data should stay on the device
- Buyers who prefer a one-time lifetime license to a subscription
Worth knowing
- Msty's terms limit the Free tier to personal, non-commercial use; work that earns revenue requires an Aurum or Enterprise license.
- The browser version, Msty Studio Web, needs an Aurum license, and several Free-plan features, including Knowledge Stacks and MCP tools, are marked Limited.
- Data does not sync between devices, an Aurum license covers 2 desktop devices, and Enterprise & Teams plans start at 5 user seats.
- Msty states that formal SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification are not yet complete.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12.42
A month to start, paid by the year, for each person. There is a free plan too
Msty has a free plan. Paid plans start at $149 per user / year (Aurum), or $349 one-time (Aurum Lifetime).
Ordinary money, and you still bring the models yourself.
Free
$0
Core Studio Desktop features for personal, non-commercial use: chat with local and online models, persona and crew conversations, Agent Mode and Knowledge Stacks.
Aurum
$149
per user / year, billed yearly
A commercial license for one user on up to 2 desktop devices. Adds Msty Studio Web, Azure and Bedrock providers, Studio Assistants, Shadow Personas, Turnstiles and Insights.
Aurum Lifetime
$349
per user, one-time payment
The Aurum feature set with lifetime access and updates, for one user on up to 2 desktop devices. Msty's terms say it is protected from later price increases.
Enterprise & Teams
Custom
Minimum of 5 user seats, with SSO, user and team management, role-based access control, an audit log and shared team resources.
The free plan
Free forever for personal, non-commercial use: core Msty Studio Desktop features, including chat with local and online models, Agent Mode and Knowledge Stacks, some marked Limited.
Read from msty.ai on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Lifetime license
Aurum Lifetime for a one-time payment
Aurum Lifetime costs $349 per user once and includes lifetime updates and access, against $149 per user per year for the Aurum subscription.
Stated on msty.aiOther savings
Enterprise bundle across Msty products
Msty offers a single enterprise agreement that combines Studio, Go, Nexus and Stack, priced by seat count and deployment shape instead of as separate product plans.
Stated on msty.ai
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows and Linux
Private AI workspace for local and online models. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: local-first, one-time purchase, AI features, chat assistant, AI agents.
Nothing here that LM Studio, Jan or Open WebUI don't also do, and chats don't sync between devices.
- Local and online models in one hub
- Runs local models through Ollama, llama.cpp and MLX and connects hosted providers, so both kinds sit in the same organized model list.
- Split Chats
- Runs models side by side on the same conversation so you can compare tone, depth and accuracy without losing context.
- Agent Mode
- Carries out multi-step, tool-aware tasks instead of single prompts. MCP tools are connected through the Toolbox, which is limited on the Free plan.
- Knowledge Stacks
- Grounds answers in your own documents and notes with organized, source-aware retrieval. The feature is marked Limited on the Free plan.
- Personas and Crew Conversations
- Personas are reusable assistants built in Persona Studio, and Crew Conversations put several of them in one thread to work on a task together.
- Data kept on your device
- Studio stores data locally and does not sync it between devices; Studio Web keeps its data in the browser's local storage. Msty says it sends no product telemetry.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- Ollama
- llama.cpp
- MLX
- Azure OpenAI
- Amazon Bedrock
Msty is made by CloudStack, LLC.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
23/57
Other AI assistants it is graded above
Msty's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 23 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 34 of 57) and worst on ease of use (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $12.42 a month when paid by the year for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 23 of the 38 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 11 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Msty’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 57
- BFree plan and trialAbove 34 of 57
- BFeaturesAbove 28 of 57
- CEase of useAbove 3 of 57
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 23 of 57
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 45 AI assistants. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Msty is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Msty you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $149 a year.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Ollama, llama.cpp and MLX among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Msty’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
LM Studio, Jan, AnythingLLM, Open WebUI and Cherry Studio
The 5 tools Msty is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
LM Studio
Free plan · from $20/mo
Desktop app for running open AI models on your own computer.
- Only Msty lists a web app.
- Msty can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 3.0GPA
Jan
Free
Open-source desktop app for running local and cloud AI models.
- Only Msty lists a web app.
- Msty can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Jan is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
AnythingLLM
Free plan · from $50/mo
Open-source AI app for documents, agents and local models.
- Only AnythingLLM lists an Android app.
- Msty can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- AnythingLLM is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
Open WebUI
Free plan
Self-hosted chat interface for local and cloud AI models.
- Msty can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Open WebUI is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Open WebUI also covers AI search.
- 3.2GPA
Cherry Studio
Free plan
Open-source desktop AI client for 50+ model providers.
- Only Msty lists a web app.
- Only Cherry Studio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Msty can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Msty free?
Msty has a free plan. Free forever for personal, non-commercial use: core Msty Studio Desktop features, including chat with local and online models, Agent Mode and Knowledge Stacks, some marked Limited.
How much does Msty cost?
Msty lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Msty work on?
Msty is available on macOS, Windows, Linux and Web.
Does Msty offer any discounts?
Msty publicly lists the following: Aurum Lifetime for a one-time payment; Enterprise bundle across Msty products.
Does Msty have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Msty is listed for macOS, Windows, Linux and Web.
Does Msty have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Msty is listed for macOS, Windows, Linux and Web.
Is Msty open source?
Msty is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
What does Msty integrate with?
Msty's listing names Ollama, llama.cpp, MLX, Azure OpenAI and Amazon Bedrock.
Who makes Msty?
Msty is made by CloudStack, LLC.
What are the alternatives to Msty?
The closest alternatives to Msty in our directory are LM Studio, Jan, AnythingLLM, Open WebUI and Cherry Studio.
How does Msty compare with other AI assistants?
Msty's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 23 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 6.
Is Msty good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Msty C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12.42 a month when paid by the year for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 23 of the 38 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Msty?
To replace Msty you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Msty’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Msty's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-02.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by CloudStack, LLC. Prices change, so check msty.ai before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Msty, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/msty
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Msty: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/msty
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/msty/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after Msty, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 AI assistants we grade, compared
- Gemini Insider's GuideGoogle's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps3.8 GPA
- Chatbox Insider's GuideAI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan3.4 GPA
- ChatGPT Insider's GuideOpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Msty’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Msty is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by CloudStack, LLC. Prices and plans change: check msty.ai before you buy.