Which AI agents can do computer tasks while keeping my files private?
Last verified 2026-10-15Paid placement never changes our picks.
Short answer
As of October 2026, start with LM Studio if you want a local agent that can control your computer, AnythingLLM if you want a free open-source agent with no account, and Open Interpreter if you want a sandboxed terminal agent that asks before acting. The catch: cloud agents like Claude and ChatGPT Work send excerpts to the vendor.
Top picks
A local agent for documents, code and computer control
- Free tier
- Bionic agent, local LLMs, offline voice transcription, LM Link up to 5 devices,…
- Starting price
- From $20
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Free plan includes the Bionic agent and local models. Optional cloud inference is US-hosted with zero retention, per LM Studio.
Free, MIT-licensed desktop agent with documents and meeting notes
- Free tier
- Free MIT-licensed desktop app; no account, API key or token limits
- Starting price
- Free
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
- Last verified
- 2026-10-12
Runs on your computer with no account; its default web search still sends queries to an outside service.
A terminal agent sandboxed with approval prompts
- Free tier
- Apache 2.0 open-source CLI; model usage billed by your chosen provider
- Starting price
- Free
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Last verified
- 2026-10-12
Privacy depends on the model you connect: local through Ollama or LM Studio, or a hosted provider. Terminal-oriented, not a GUI agent.
Open-source chat app that keeps history on your computer
- Free tier
- Free and open source; no paid tiers listed
- Starting price
- Free
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Privacy policy says it runs offline and stores logs locally; remote APIs follow their own policies. Agent features not verified.
Cloud agent limited to folders you choose, with approval modes
- Free tier
- Chat, web search, file creation, code execution, memory; no Opus; 5 projects; 5…
- Starting price
- From $20
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, web, mobile
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Built by Anthropic, the maker of the model that drafted this page; held to the same standard. Runs in the cloud; paid plans only.
Cloud agent that uses approved files, apps and browser sessions
- Free tier
- Unlimited text chats under abuse guardrails; limited uploads, images, voice, de…
- Starting price
- From $8
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, web, mobile
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
OpenAI says excerpts, prompts or screenshots may reach OpenAI even when files stay local. Replaces the retired ChatGPT agent.
Experimental Windows agent working in a separate account
- Free tier
- Limited free version, subject to capacity and limits; numbers not published
- Starting price
- From $9.99
- Platforms
- Windows 11 (preview)
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Off by default; limited to known folders such as Documents and Downloads unless you allow more. Windows Insider preview.
Prices come from each tool's fact block. "See pricing page" means we have not confirmed the number on the official pricing page in the last 30 days, so we do not show one.
How to choose
- If files must never leave the device → run the model locally (LM Studio, AnythingLLM or Jan, or Ollama as the engine) and keep cloud features and web search off.
- If you need stronger cloud models → Claude or ChatGPT Work (both work in folders you approve, but content reaches the vendor; check the training and retention settings first).
- If you worry about what an agent can touch → look for folder scoping and approvals (Claude's approval modes, ChatGPT Work's sandbox settings, Copilot Actions' separate agent account, Open Interpreter's OS sandbox).
- If a local app connects to a cloud model → that provider's policy applies (Jan and Open Interpreter both say so), so the app's privacy stops at the app.
- If the agent reads web pages or documents → watch for prompt injection (Microsoft and OpenAI both warn that hidden instructions in content can steer an agent).
How we checked
- 7 of 7 picks have a Toolsfine fact block.
- 7 of 7 picks had their pricing checked on the official site in the last 30 days.
- 1 of 1 models also suggested LM Studio Bionic.Panel: Claude (2026-10-12).
- Verified on 2026-10-15.
Listed in other directories
| Tool | theresanaiforthat.com | futurepedia.io | toolify.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| LM Studio (Bionic) | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| AnythingLLM | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Open Interpreter | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Jan | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Claude | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| ChatGPT Work | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Microsoft Copilot Actions | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
"Not checked" means we could not open that directory's page; it does not mean the tool is missing there.
Where sources disagree
- Fairness disclosure: Claude is built by Anthropic, the maker of the model that drafted this page; held to the same standard. Anthropic rows use the same fields and plain wording as the others, and ranks follow the reader's situation, not preference.
- Where Claude does the work: Anthropic's support page says tasks run in an isolated cloud environment, while the product page says Claude works in folders you choose on desktop. Neither says exactly which file contents are uploaded.
- Missing privacy pages: LM Studio's privacy page did not load and AnythingLLM's returned a 404, so their privacy claims here come from their home and pricing pages only.
- ChatGPT prices and names: chatgpt.com/pricing showed no prices to our tools, and OpenAI's pages use different model names. ChatGPT agent is retired; its job moved to ChatGPT Work.
Also mentioned elsewhere
Other sources name these tools for this job. They are not in our picks because we have not checked them yet.
- Apple Intelligence · Official siteApple states Private Cloud Compute data is not stored or accessible to Apple; an assistant platform, not a computer-task agent.
- Open WebUI · Official siteSelf-hosted chat front end for local models; not opened for this page.
Know a tool we should check? Submit it →
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Changelog
- 2026-10-15 · Picks, prices and sources re-checked
- 2026-10-15 · Page updated
- 2026-10-15 · First published
Last verified 2026-10-15 · next re-check 2027-01-13. Report an error
Researched with AI assistance and checked by our editors. AI can make mistakes and vendors change plans often — confirm prices and terms on the vendor's site before you buy.
Paid placement never changes our picks. Data: JSON