Fluid
Local AI assistant for Mac: run open models on-device, offline, with sandboxed apps and a private API.
At a glance
Price not confirmed · Source review 2026-11-04- Price & billing
Plan amounts are page observations without a named currency, so no charge fact is recorded: Mac beta free (a beta phase, not a permanent free tier); Private API $19/month (3,000 requests per month); Fluid Box from 19,999 in the euro symbol. The app needs Apple Silicon (M1 or later), macOS 14.0, and 4.9 GB disk (8 GB-memory machines) or 8.6 GB (16 GB+ machines); Llama 3 runs locally and works offline.
- Free allowance
Plan amounts are page observations without a named currency, so no charge fact is recorded: Mac beta free (a beta phase, not a permanent free tier); Private API $19/month (3,000 requests per month); Fluid Box from 19,999 in the euro symbol.
- Best suited to
Mac users who want local, offline AI with no cloud dependency; developers who want a private API for local models; privacy-conscious users who want sandboxed apps that cannot see the screen or files.
Fit is editorial guidance, not a measured result.- Platforms
Access: not separately verified. Operating systems not separately verified.
Published-source facts and editorial guidance. No product test is implied. Confirm current conditions before purchase.
No product screenshot is claimed for this listing. Use the official website ↗ to inspect the current interface.
What to know before choosing
Good fit
Mac users who want local, offline AI with no cloud dependency; developers who want a private API for local models; privacy-conscious users who want sandboxed apps that cannot see the screen or files.
Limits and trade-offs
Mac-only and Apple Silicon only, so Windows and Linux users are not served; the sandbox means the app cannot see the screen or access files; the free beta is a phase, not a permanent free tier, and the Private API is paid.
Plans and free allowances
Plan amounts are page observations without a named currency, so no charge fact is recorded: Mac beta free (a beta phase, not a permanent free tier); Private API $19/month (3,000 requests per month); Fluid Box from 19,999 in the euro symbol. The app needs Apple Silicon (M1 or later), macOS 14.0, and 4.9 GB disk (8 GB-memory machines) or 8.6 GB (16 GB+ machines); Llama 3 runs locally and works offline.
Evidence
Official homepage ↗ (reviewed 2026-11-04)
Official published documentation reviewed; not a product test
Dates: Last reviewed 2026-11-04. Last reviewed is the latest source or editorial review date; it is not a content-change date.
A closer look at Fluid
Fluid is a private AI assistant for Mac and a private AI API: it runs Meta Llama 3 locally on Apple Silicon Macs, keeps chats on the device and offline, and offers a paid private API and a self-hosted Fluid Box for businesses.
Editorial guidance based on published documentation. The workflow below is a suggested starting point, not a measured product result.
When to choose Fluid
- Mac users who want AI without sending chats to a provider: Fluid computes locally on Apple Silicon, works offline, and is sandboxed by Apple.
- Privacy-conscious teams that want a private API: the Private API is account-number authenticated, with no name or address stored by Fluid, and cash payment by post is offered.
- Users who want voice control on the Mac: the homepage documents voice recognition activation via the status-bar icon and holding Control while speaking.
When to choose something else
- Users on Windows, Linux, Intel Macs, or older macOS: Fluid requires Apple Silicon and macOS 14.0 for now, with 4.9 GB or 8.6 GB of free disk depending on RAM.
- Users who want an assistant that can see the screen or reach into files: Fluid states its sandboxing means it cannot see the screen or access files, which limits screen-aware assistance by design.
- Heavy API users: the Private API allows 3,000 requests a month at the stated $19 a month, with per-token plans only by contacting the team.
A practical starting workflow
- Download the Fluid Mac app, open the disk image, drag the app to Applications, and open it from the Applications folder.
- Grant recording permission when asked at app start, then use the status-bar icon and hold Control while speaking for voice recognition.
- Chat with the local assistant for everyday tasks, with chats computed on the device rather than sent to an external provider.
- Upgrade to the Private API for programmatic access, or evaluate Fluid Box for a self-hosted business deployment.
Check before committing
- The guessed FAQ, features, and pricing paths return a page-not-found page in the text read, so the FAQ answers below are taken from the homepage's own FAQ section, not from separate FAQ pages.
- The Mac app is described as a free beta while the Private API is paid; the beta-free wording is a phase description, not a permanent free-tier fact, so no free fact is recorded.
Common questions
What is Fluid?
Fluid is a private AI assistant for Mac that computes chats locally on the device, powered by Meta Llama 3, with offline operation and no middle-man or external chat provider in the loop.
What hardware and system do I need?
Fluid requires Apple Silicon starting with the M1 MacBook Air, about 4.9 GB of free disk for 8 GB RAM Macs and 8.6 GB for 16 GB RAM or more, and macOS 14.0 for now.
What does Fluid cost?
The beta version of Fluid for Mac is described as absolutely free, while the Private API is paid at $19 a month with 3,000 requests a month, and Fluid Box for businesses starts at 19,999 euros as stated on the homepage.
Is Fluid safe for private chats?
Fluid states it does not send or share chats with any middle-man or external chat provider, is sandboxed and hardened by Apple, and its decryption, encryption, and inference code are open source for independent review.
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Sources and checks
Last source review is not a date of product testing. No rating or test result is implied by inclusion. Check the current plan and terms before buying.