Local document retrieval
Indexed local files so a model could answer questions against retrieved passages.
Historical tool archive
Chat with MLX: historical overview
Chat with MLX was an open-source macOS application for querying local documents with retrieval-augmented generation and open models accelerated by Apple's MLX framework. The repository remains available, but the project has not been maintained since March 2024.
No longer active
Archive
What Chat with MLX was
Chat with MLX connected local documents to an open-source language model on an Apple Silicon Mac. Its goal was to keep document processing on the user's machine while offering search, question answering, conversation modes, and response personalization through a desktop interface.
The project is best treated as historical source code rather than a current end-user recommendation. Its repository shows no code update after March 2024, the README still describes packaging and code signing as preliminary, and the only published app release is the original v0.1.0 build from that period.
Past capabilities
What Chat with MLX offered
MLX inference
Used Apple's MLX framework to accelerate compatible open models on Apple Silicon.
Query mode
Supported document-specific search and prompting.
Conversation modes
Let users switch between converse and assist behavior.
Availability
Why this listing is historical
The project was free and open source. Users supplied the compatible Mac, storage, downloaded model weights, and the time needed to install, secure, and maintain the development stack.
- The project has not received a code update since March 2024.
- Its README still describes packaging and Apple code signing as unfinished work.
- The documented model and dependency stack is dated compared with current MLX tooling.
Status checked . Review the historical source ↗
Current options
Active Chat with MLX alternatives
Coding
Ollama
Ollama is a current, broadly supported way to download and run local language models, with multiple compatible chat interfaces available.
Explore Ollama →Students
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
NotebookLM offers a maintained document-grounded research experience when cloud processing is acceptable.
Explore Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) →Data Analysis
Unriddle
Unriddle, now Anara, is a current cloud alternative focused on research documents, citations, and knowledge organization.
Explore Unriddle →Questions
Chat with MLX FAQs
Is Chat with MLX still maintained?
No recent maintenance is evident. The repository's last code update and original release date are both from March 2024, so it should be treated as an unmaintained project.
Can I still download it?
The GitHub repository and original v0.1.0 release remain available, but the project is old and the README describes packaging and code signing as preliminary.
Did Chat with MLX keep documents local?
That was the project's stated design. Anyone reviving it should still audit every dependency, network call, model download, index, and log before using confidential documents.
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