Cognotik Desktop — AI Application Server for Your Machine
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AI That Runs on Your Machine
A local application server that brings powerful AI agents to your desktop. Run autonomous workflows, chat with context, plan complex tasks, and manage everything from your system tray — with full control over your data and API usage.
Download note: Free & open-source · Apache 2.0 · BYOK — your keys, your data
Core Features
- 🖥️ Daemon Architecture — Runs efficiently in the background via your system tray.
Access all applications through a web interface at
localhost:7681— no browser extensions needed. - 🧠 Cognitive Modes — Choose the right thinking style: Conversational for chat, Waterfall for structured plans, Adaptive for complex problems, Hierarchical for large projects, and more.
- 🔑 BYOK — Your Keys — Connect directly to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, AWS Bedrock, or local models. Your API keys stay on your machine. We never see them.
- 🔄 Auto-Updates — Built-in update manager keeps your application server current with the latest features, plugins, and security fixes — automatically.
- ⌨️ Local Tools — Integrate with your local environment. Configure shell commands, file access, and command-line utilities for true agentic capabilities.
- 🔓 Open Source — Fully open under the Apache 2.0 license. Inspect the code, contribute improvements, or build your own extensions and plugins.
Cognitive Modes
Different problems need different thinking styles. Choose the mode that fits your task.
| Mode | Tag | Persona | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversational | Interactive | The Partner | Best for general assistance and interactive debugging. Executes one task at a time while maintaining continuous history. |
| Waterfall | Planning | The Architect | Best for well-defined, linear projects. Generates a complete sequential plan for review before execution begins. |
| Adaptive | Autonomous | The Strategist | Best for complex, fuzzy problems. Uses an iterative Think-Act-Reflect loop to dynamically adjust its strategy. |
| Hierarchical | Scale | The Manager | Best for massive projects with many dependencies. Decomposes requests into a goal tree with real-time visual progress tracking. |
| Council | Governance | The Board | Best for high-stakes decisions. Simulates a meeting between specialized AI personas who nominate and vote on tasks. |
| Parallel | Batch | The Multitasker | Best for batch processing. Runs multiple tasks simultaneously using templates and variables across many files. |
Download & Install
Native installers for every major platform. Up and running in under a minute.
| Platform | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | .msi |
Adds to Start Menu and system tray automatically. |
| macOS | .dmg |
Drag to Applications. Appears in your menu bar on launch. |
| Linux | .deb |
Integrates with your desktop environment's system tray. |
Getting Started
First Launch
- Install and launch the application. The Cognotik icon appears in your system tray.
- The Welcome Wizard opens in your default browser (usually at
http://localhost:7681). - Click User Settings to configure your API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.).
- (Optional) Configure Local Tools to allow the agent to use specific command-line utilities on your machine.
Starting a Session
From the Welcome Wizard, select a cognitive mode to start a session:
- Conversational: Interactive task execution with continuous history. Best for general assistance.
- Waterfall: Create a detailed plan before execution begins. Best for well-defined projects.
- Adaptive: Give the agent a high-level goal and let it plan, execute, and adjust dynamically. Best for complex problems.
- Hierarchical: Decompose large requests into a goal tree with dependency tracking. Best for massive projects.
What Happens Next
Each session opens in a browser tab with a rich UI — panels for conversation, output, logs, and file diffs. You review every plan and approve every change before it's applied. Nothing runs without your consent.
See It in Action
- Getting Started Tour — Install, configure API keys, explore the filesystem, and generate your first project — all from natural language.
- Office & Document Tools — AI-powered plugins for presentations, OCR imports, LaTeX typesetting, and polished document generation.
- Jobs & Career — Career advice, opportunity hunting, and resume tailoring — all powered by Cognotik's plugin suite.
Also Available As…
Cognotik runs wherever you work. Choose the form factor that fits your workflow.
- IntelliJ Plugin
- Embed in Your Build (embedding.html)