The PyGPT Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about PyGPT 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.
PyGPT
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source desktop AI assistant with agents, RAG and local models
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from PyGPT’s own pages.
Made by Marcin Szczygliński · checked Oct 9, 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 PyGPT’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on PyGPT’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 39 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade
PyGPT is a free, MIT-licensed desktop AI assistant for Windows, Linux and macOS, written in Python. It connects to cloud models with your own API keys or to local models through Ollama. Beyond chat it runs multi-agent workflows, indexes documents with LlamaIndex, executes Python and system commands, connects to MCP servers, and handles voice, vision, and image and video generation.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about PyGPT, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for a free desktop AI toolkit for tinkerers
PyGPT is a free, open-source desktop app for chat with GPT, Claude, Gemini or local Ollama models, plus agents that run Python, search across your documents, voice, and image and video generation.
- 2
It is free
PyGPT has no paid plan at all. PyGPT is free and open source under the MIT license. Cloud models are used with your own provider API keys, and those providers bill their usage separately.
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Windows, Linux and macOS.
- 4
Cloud and local models
Works with OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Perplexity Sonar and Hugging Face models through your own API keys, and with local models such as Llama, Qwen or Mistral served by Ollama.
- 5
Multi-agent workflows
Agents run as a primary agent, an orchestrator or a swarm of workers. Portable SKILL.md skills can be imported from GitHub or disk, and AGENTS.md files add project-specific instructions.
- 6
RAG and conversation memory
LlamaIndex indexes files, web pages, images, audio, video and past conversations into built-in vector stores, with a separate index per project and short- and long-term memory.
- 7
A 3.0 GPA, above 39 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
PyGPT is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
PyGPT at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- Marcin Szczygliński, since 2023
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for a free desktop AI toolkit for tinkerers
PyGPT is a free, open-source desktop app for chat with GPT, Claude, Gemini or local Ollama models, plus agents that run Python, search across your documents, voice, and image and video generation. It's built for technical people: you bring your own API keys and pay each provider, local models need a separate Ollama install, a Mac gets no prebuilt app, and there's no phone or web version.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free and open source under the MIT licence, with no paid plan at all, where this category's middle plan wants about $12 a month. Cloud model use is billed by each provider on your own API key, and local models through Ollama cost nothing. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The whole app is free outright: agents, document indexing, plugins, MCP connectors, every work mode. There's no paid tier, so nothing is held back for one. |
| Features | A | It covers the job and lists more than rivals here: agents alone, under an orchestrator or as a swarm, LlamaIndex indexing your files and past chats, Python and system commands in a sandbox, MCP servers, realtime voice, vision, and image and video generation. |
| Ease of use | D | No rating on record, and it asks a lot before the first chat: your own API keys for cloud models, a separate Ollama install for local ones, and on a Mac no prebuilt app at all — you install it from PyPI with Python or run it from source. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Windows, Linux and Mac, and that's the lot: a program for computers alone, which is a C however many operating systems it runs on, with no phone app and no web version. It does connect to OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Ollama, GitHub, Slack and Telegram, and to MCP servers. |
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 PyGPT is for
- Fits if you're technical and want one desktop app for lots of model providers
- Works for people who want agents that run Python and work on their local files
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you've never set up an API key, because cloud models don't work without your own
- Not for you if you're on a Mac and want a normal installer, as it comes through PyPI with Python 3.10 to 3.13, or source
- Not for you if you want it on your phone or in a browser, since it's desktop only
- Watch out: local models aren't built in, so you install Ollama separately and need hardware that can run them
- Watch out: the app is free, but each cloud provider bills your usage on your own key
Good to know
Good for
- Technical users who want one desktop app for many model providers
- Running agents that can execute Python and work with local files
- Pairing a chat interface with local Ollama models at no cost
Worth knowing
- Cloud models need your own API keys, and each provider charges for usage separately.
- macOS has no prebuilt app: it is installed from PyPI with Python 3.10 to 3.13, or run from source.
- Local models are not built in; they run through a separate Ollama installation and need compatible hardware.
- It is a desktop application only, for Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit Linux and macOS.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
PyGPT is free to use.
Cloud model use is billed by each provider on your own API key, and local models through Ollama cost nothing.
Free
$0
The full desktop app for Windows, Linux and macOS, including agents, RAG, plugins, MCP connectors and every work mode.
The free plan
PyGPT is free and open source under the MIT license. Cloud models are used with your own provider API keys, and those providers bill their usage separately.
Read from pygpt.net on Oct 9, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: macOS, Windows and Linux
Open-source desktop AI assistant with agents, RAG and local models. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, local-first, AI features, chat assistant, AI search, AI agents.
It does connect to OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Ollama, GitHub, Slack and Telegram, and to MCP servers.
- Cloud and local models
- Works with OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Perplexity Sonar and Hugging Face models through your own API keys, and with local models such as Llama, Qwen or Mistral served by Ollama.
- Multi-agent workflows
- Agents run as a primary agent, an orchestrator or a swarm of workers. Portable SKILL.md skills can be imported from GitHub or disk, and AGENTS.md files add project-specific instructions.
- RAG and conversation memory
- LlamaIndex indexes files, web pages, images, audio, video and past conversations into built-in vector stores, with a separate index per project and short- and long-term memory.
- Python, system tools and MCP
- Models can run Python, IPython and system commands in a built-in sandbox or Docker, call MCP servers through a Connectors manager, search the web and run scheduled tasks.
- Voice, vision and generation
- Realtime voice, speech recognition and speech synthesis through several providers, analysis of images and camera input, and image and video generation with models such as Imagen, Veo and Sora.
- Profiles and built-in tools
- Profiles keep separate settings, history and files. The workspace includes a notepad, a painter, a calendar with day notes, a web browser, presets, plugins and themes.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- OpenAI
- Claude
- Gemini
- Ollama
- LlamaIndex
- GitHub
- Slack
- Telegram
PyGPT is made by Marcin Szczygliński, and has been around since 2023.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
39/57
Other AI assistants it is graded above
PyGPT's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 39 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on features (A, above 53 of 57) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
PyGPT has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. PyGPT’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 38 of 57
- AFree plan and trialAbove 43 of 57
- AFeaturesAbove 53 of 57
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 57
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 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. PyGPT 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
PyGPT is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 39 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade.
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.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, OpenAI, Claude and Gemini among them.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. PyGPT’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
Jan, Cherry Studio, AnythingLLM, Chatbox and Msty
The 5 tools PyGPT is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Jan
Free
Open-source desktop app for running local and cloud AI models.
- PyGPT also covers AI agents.
- 3.2GPA
Cherry Studio
Free plan
Open-source desktop AI client for 50+ model providers.
- Only Cherry Studio lists iOS and Android apps.
- PyGPT also covers AI search.
- 3.2GPA
AnythingLLM
Free plan · from $50/mo
Open-source AI app for documents, agents and local models.
- Only AnythingLLM lists a web app.
- Only AnythingLLM lists an Android app.
- AnythingLLM is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.4GPA
Chatbox
Free plan · from $3.50/mo
AI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan.
- Only Chatbox lists a web app.
- Only Chatbox lists iOS and Android apps.
- 2.6GPA
Msty
Free plan · from $149/yr
Private AI workspace for local and online models.
- Only Msty lists a web app.
- PyGPT is open source, according to its own site.
- 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
12
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 PyGPT free?
Yes. PyGPT is free to use.
How much does PyGPT cost?
PyGPT lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does PyGPT work on?
PyGPT is available on Windows, Linux and macOS.
Does PyGPT have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. PyGPT is listed for Windows, Linux and macOS.
Does PyGPT have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. PyGPT is listed for Windows, Linux and macOS.
Is PyGPT open source?
Yes. PyGPT is open source, according to its own site.
What does PyGPT integrate with?
PyGPT's listing names OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Ollama, LlamaIndex, GitHub, Slack and Telegram.
Who makes PyGPT?
PyGPT is made by Marcin Szczygliński. It dates from 2023.
What are the alternatives to PyGPT?
The closest alternatives to PyGPT in our directory are Jan, Cherry Studio, AnythingLLM, Chatbox and Msty.
How does PyGPT compare with other AI assistants?
PyGPT's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 39 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 8.
Is PyGPT good value for money?
ToolGPA grades PyGPT A for value for money. PyGPT has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of PyGPT?
PyGPT is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from PyGPT’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from PyGPT's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-09-21.
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 Marcin Szczygliński. Prices change, so check pygpt.net 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
- PyGPT, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/pygpt
- 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, "PyGPT: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/pygpt
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/pygpt/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after PyGPT, 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 PyGPT’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. PyGPT is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Marcin Szczygliński. Prices and plans change: check pygpt.net before you buy.