Short answer: Local Code: A private, open-source AI agent for Mac, iPad and iPhone that runs frontier-class open models on your own device, with Python, Node.js, a shell, office and media tools and a browser built in, so it can turn files into charts, decks, documents, videos and code without sending them to the cloud. Perplexity Computer: Perplexity's agent for end-to-end projects: it plans the work, picks the right model for each step, connects to hundreds of apps and hands back finished research, reports, dashboards and apps. Since 20 Oct 2026 it can also run fully on your Mac.
Local Code vs Perplexity Computer
Sourced facts only. “Unknown” means not verified yet.
Key facts side by side
| Criterion | Local Code | Perplexity Computer |
|---|---|---|
| Type | personal agent | business agent |
| Vendor | Draw Things team (Liu Liu and team, makers of the Draw Things image app) | Perplexity |
| Channels / category | Mac app (direct download; Mac App Store release coming soon); the site also lists iPad and iPhone | Web, iOS app, Perplexity desktop app for Mac and Windows (Personal Computer), Slack; fully local mode on supported Apple silicon Macs |
| Pricing / availability | Free on your own hardware (USD 0). Optional cloud models: bring your own API keys at no markup, or prepaid cloud credit top-ups from USD 9.99, no subscription. Team setups on request | Included in Perplexity Pro (USD 17/month billed annually, with weekly Computer usage) and Max (USD 167/month billed annually, 10,000 credits a month), plus Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max. Extra credits: 100 credits = USD 1. Fully local tasks on Mac do not use Computer credits |
| Launched | 2026-10-28 | 2026-02-26 |
| Funding (reported) | Unknown | n/a (Perplexity product) |
| Channels confirmed | Desktop app, Mobile app | Web, Mobile app, Desktop app, Slack |
| Verified facts | Released to everyone and made fully open source on 28 Oct 2026, after a public beta that began on 12 Sep 2026; One app combines an inference engine for Apple Silicon, a coding harness tuned to each model and an agent runtime with Python 3.14, Node.js 24, a shell, LibreOffice, FFmpeg and a WebKit browser; Local models: Qwen 3.8 27B (min 16 GB memory), DeepSeek 4 Flash (min 32 GB) and DeepSeek 4.1 Flash 1017 (min 32 GB, 96 GB recommended, 376 GB on disk); SSD streaming lets big models run on smaller Macs; Works offline with a local model; prompts and files stay on the Mac unless you choose a cloud model from Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter or an OpenAI-compatible server; Runs inside Apple's App Sandbox with Hardened Runtime: no full-disk access, cannot launch other apps, and works only in folders you share; With your permission it reads Mail, Messages and Notes (read-only) and can edit Calendar and Photos; Makes slides, explainer videos, charts, images and code, and can drive a browser to log in to a site and book an appointment; Free on your own hardware; optional cloud credits from USD 9.99 or your own API keys at no markup; Source code published under the GPL-3.0 licence | Launched 26 Feb 2026 for Max subscribers on the web; it breaks a project into steps, delegates to specialised agents and orchestrates work across 19 models; Opened to all Pro subscribers on web and iOS on 12 Mar 2026, along with Enterprise plans and Computer in Slack, which answers DMs and channel mentions and schedules recurring workflows; Personal Computer, the desktop app rebuilt around Computer, gives it local files, native apps, voice control and an always-on desktop experience on Mac and Windows; Hybrid Compute on Mac (1 Sep 2026) splits a task between cloud models and a local model; an on-device privacy gate can mask, keep local, refuse or ask before sensitive data leaves the Mac; Since 20 Oct 2026 Computer can run fully local on supported Apple silicon Macs: the model, agent, planning, reasoning and file processing stay on the device; Fully local mode works across Notes, Messages, Mail, Keynote and Numbers and launches with Qwen 3.6 or PPLX Pro, a post-trained version of Qwen; 36 GB of unified memory or more is recommended; Local tasks do not consume Computer credits; users can authorise escalation to the cloud for current information, browser use, connected apps or one of 15+ frontier models; Code and tool execution run in isolated sandbox environments with controlled access to files and connected apps; Pro: USD 17/month billed annually, with weekly Computer usage and a one-time 4,000-credit bonus; Max: USD 167/month billed annually with 10,000 credits a month; Credits cost USD 1 per 100; a multi-step research report typically uses 350 to 950 credits |
| Website | https://getlocalcode.app/ | https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/perplexity-computer-now-runs-fully-local-on-mac |
| Sources | [1] [2] [3] | [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] |
| Last checked | 2026-11-11 | 2026-11-11 |
Frequently asked questions
What is Local Code?
A private, open-source AI agent for Mac, iPad and iPhone that runs frontier-class open models on your own device, with Python, Node.js, a shell, office and media tools and a browser built in, so it can turn files into charts, decks, documents, videos and code without sending them to the cloud.
What is Perplexity Computer?
Perplexity's agent for end-to-end projects: it plans the work, picks the right model for each step, connects to hundreds of apps and hands back finished research, reports, dashboards and apps. Since 20 Oct 2026 it can also run fully on your Mac.
How much does Local Code cost?
Free on your own hardware (USD 0). Optional cloud models: bring your own API keys at no markup, or prepaid cloud credit top-ups from USD 9.99, no subscription. Team setups on request
How much does Perplexity Computer cost?
Included in Perplexity Pro (USD 17/month billed annually, with weekly Computer usage) and Max (USD 167/month billed annually, 10,000 credits a month), plus Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max. Extra credits: 100 credits = USD 1. Fully local tasks on Mac do not use Computer credits
Are Local Code and Perplexity Computer the same type of agent?
Local Code is listed as a personal agent and Perplexity Computer as a business agent.
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