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Chat with my own files

Private search over a folder.

Private search over a folder. The tools below run on your computer. Most of them are free, and the work stays on your machine.

ArchiveChat

Works offline · Free options

Easiest way to start

Open WebUI + nomic-embed-text

A browser window for local chat and documents, often used with Ollama.

Will it run on my computer?

Check my computer
Local or cloud?4 shown

Most tools here are free.

HONEST COMPARISON

Local AI or cloud for chat with my own files?

Reviewed Oct 2026

  • Privacy: Local winsThe folder never has to be uploaded
  • Cost: TieNotebookLM and a local app can both start free
  • Quality: Cloud winsHosted notebooks cite the page more tightly
  • Ease: Cloud winsUpload is less setup than an index

Local AI

Chatting with your own files is a local strength. AnythingLLM and Open WebUI are built for it.

  • The folder stays on a machine you control
  • Follow-up questions work after the index is built
  • No per-question fee

Where it falls short

  • You set up the index
  • Citations are looser than a hosted notebook
See local tools for this task ↓

Cloud & apps

NotebookLM and ChatGPT are easier, and the files are uploaded.

Our take

Chat with private files locally. Use NotebookLM when the files can be uploaded and you want tighter quotes.

Choose local if…

  • The files are private
  • You have more than a handful

Choose cloud if…

  • You want tight quotes
  • You only have a few shareable files

How to do it in 3 steps

  1. Install Open WebUI from its official guide: Open WebUI's docs.
  2. Open the nomic-embed-text page and check the traffic light for a few kinds of computer.
  3. Follow that official guide. This site does not add its own install steps.

Questions

Does this upload my files?
No. The tools on this page are meant to run on your computer.
What does it cost?
Most options are free. A few apps are a one-time purchase, and a few models need a computer with more memory.
What if it will not fit?
Use Check my computer, or turn on the lighter memory filters. A red light on the model page means the file is too big.

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