Ahai

Key facts: Ahai launched on Hacker News in November 2026. It is a completely local, private Mac desktop app that brings together the ideas scattered across your files, so you can review them and act on them. It uses local AI models (MLX on Mac) to sift through markdown files and find the ideas hidden in them: code repo READMEs, Obsidian notes, clipped web articles and research paper abstracts. Processing runs entirely on your Mac using MLX: your notes are analysed locally and nothing is sent to the cloud, ever. It needs a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and at least 16GB of RAM, and currently reads markdown files only.

Plans: Pay what you want: $5 and up, $19 suggested. One-time purchase, no subscription, all future updates included.

Best for: Anyone whose best ideas are buried in years of notes and files. Who should skip it: anyone on Windows, or whose notes live in apps, not markdown files.

Pros

• Pay what you want, from $5: one-time, no subscription
• 100% local processing: nothing ever leaves your Mac
• Finds ideas across READMEs, Obsidian notes and clipped articles
• All future updates included

Watch out for

• Mac only, Apple Silicon with at least 16GB of RAM
• Reads markdown files only, for now
• A new indie app, still rough on the edges by its own maker's word

Best for

Anyone whose best ideas are buried in years of notes and files. Who should skip it: anyone on Windows, or someone whose notes live in apps, not markdown files.

Pricing

Pay what you want: $5+, $19 suggested. One-time purchase, no subscription, all future updates included.

FAQs

What is Ahai? A completely local, private Mac app that finds the ideas scattered across your markdown files, so you can review them and act on them.

How much does Ahai cost? Pay what you want: $5 and up, with $19 suggested. It is a one-time purchase with no subscription, and all future updates are included.

Does it send my notes anywhere? No. Processing runs entirely on your Mac using MLX, and nothing is sent to the cloud, ever.

What do I need to run it? A Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and at least 16GB of RAM. It currently reads markdown files only.