Dottie Desktop for Mac Is Open Source

Dottie Desktop for Mac Is Open Source

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The Mac app source is public. Dottie Desktop is on GitHub under the MIT License (Copyright 2026 Steve Derico). The tree that opened it is commit 981b0c1, 2026-09-17, message: “Public source from dottie-desktop 2026.9.17.62.”

This is the same Mac AI agent: voice or text in, native macOS tools out. It is not a new product and not a Windows port. You need Apple Silicon and macOS 15.4+. The newest signed download is still Dottie 2026.9.14 (release, 2026-09-14). Cumulative downloads are 1,593 as of 2026-10-13 (api.dottie.ai). That zip and today’s source tree are not the same snapshot. Use the zip to run it. Clone the repo to read it or build it.

Pricing did not change. The decision to keep the agent free is Why I Made My Mac AI Assistant Free Forever. This page is only the source.

TL;DR

What is public

Checked with gh on 2026-09-24. Each repo below is public and returns an MIT LICENSE.

PieceRepoWhat it is
Mac app + gatewaydottie-desktop-releasesSwiftUI app in client/, Rust dottie-gateway in gateway/
Mac toolsdottie-mac-useSubmodule. Calendar, Mail, Safari, files, Accessibility. Standalone MCP/HTTP, no Dottie.app required
Local speechdottie-talkSubmodule. On-device speech-to-text and text-to-speech
Local chat (optional)dottie-localNot a submodule. llama.cpp façade on 127.0.0.1:1318

The public README describes about 150 tools via dottie-mac-use (checked 2026-09-24). The catalog you click through as a user is docs.dottie.ai.

Gateway layout, from CONTRIBUTING.md:

PathRole
client/SwiftUI app (Dottie.xcodeproj)
gateway/Rust gateway on :1317
gateway/dottie-mac-use/Mac tools
gateway/dottie-talk/Local speech

The face talks only to the gateway. The gateway owns the agent loop, auth, and SQLite memory under ~/.dottie/. Chat goes to Dottie Pro, your own xAI key, Dottie Local, or Ollama. When to stay on-device: local AI vs cloud AI on Mac.

Build it

From the repo’s own contributing notes. macOS 15.4+, Apple Silicon, Xcode, and a Rust toolchain.

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/stevederico/dottie-desktop-releases.git
cd dottie-desktop-releases
cd gateway && cargo build --release && cd ..
open client/Dottie.xcodeproj

Git names the folder after the repo: dottie-desktop-releases. CONTRIBUTING still says cd dottie-desktop, which was the old local folder. Scheme in Xcode: Dottie.

Gateway alone:

bash gateway/scripts/start_gateway.sh
curl -s http://127.0.0.1:1317/health

Tests: cd gateway && cargo test.

If you only want the app, skip the toolchain. Download the release zip and follow Getting Started with Dottie on Mac.

What MIT does not include

The license is the app and the repos above. It is not a grant of model tokens.

  • Dottie Pro ($20/month) is keyless Grok through api.dottie.ai. The tools do not sit behind Pro. Open source does not make Pro free. The pricing page for that choice is why the Mac agent is free.
  • Your API keys stay in the Keychain or under ~/.dottie/. Do not commit them. CONTRIBUTING says the same thing.
  • Your Apple Team ID stays on your machine. client/Release.xcconfig is gitignored. Copy client/Release.xcconfig.example if you are signing a local build.
  • Release zips, .app bundles, and model weights are not source. They ship as GitHub release assets.
  • Intel Macs, Windows, and Linux are not build targets. The local path is Apple Silicon.

Permissions still default off. You turn on Mail, Calendar, Accessibility, and the rest. A public repo does not turn them on for you.

Why the source is public

A Mac agent that can move files and send mail should be inspectable. The binary on the release page is convenient. The gateway bind, the bearer token in ~/.dottie/agent_token, and the tool scopes are in the tree if you want to check them instead of trusting a paragraph on a marketing site.

Product orientation, if you have not used it: What Is Dottie Desktop?. Launch write-up: Introducing Dottie Desktop. Voice, after the app is installed: voice control guide. Wake word versus Siri AI on macOS 27: Siri alternative for Mac. Siri AI shipped 2026-09-14. It is not on Tahoe. The source does not add tools to Siri.

Issues and small pull requests go to dottie-desktop-releases. Match the code that is already there. Do not send secrets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dottie Desktop for Mac open source?

Yes. The Mac app and Rust gateway are public at github.com/stevederico/dottie-desktop-releases under the MIT License. The commit that published the source is 981b0c1 on 2026-09-17, from desktop build 2026.9.17.62. The newest signed download is still Dottie 2026.9.14, which is an earlier snapshot than that tree.

What do I need to build it?

An Apple Silicon Mac on macOS 15.4 or later, Xcode, and a Rust toolchain. Clone with --recurse-submodules, cd dottie-desktop-releases, build the gateway with cargo build --release, then open client/Dottie.xcodeproj and run the Dottie scheme.

Are the Mac tools and voice stack open source too?

Yes. dottie-mac-use and dottie-talk are public MIT git submodules. dottie-local, the optional on-device chat server, is a separate public MIT repo and is not a submodule. Clone the desktop repo with --recurse-submodules or the tool folders will be empty.

Does open source make Dottie Pro free?

No. The app and the source are free. Local models and bring-your-own-key stay free of a Dottie subscription. Dottie Pro at $20 per month is optional managed access to Grok. MIT does not include those tokens.

Can I run this on Windows or an Intel Mac?

No. Dottie Desktop is Apple Silicon and macOS 15.4 or later, for the download and for a source build. There is no Windows or Intel target in the public tree.

Where do secrets and signing IDs live?

Not in the repo. Runtime tokens and config stay under ~/.dottie/ or in the Keychain. Your Apple Team ID goes in client/Release.xcconfig, which is gitignored. Copy Release.xcconfig.example locally if you are signing a build. Do not commit .env files, tokens, or API keys.

I just want the app. Do I have to compile it?

No. Download the latest zip from dottie.ai or from the GitHub releases page. The current release tag is v2026.9.14. First 10 minutes are on the Getting Started page. Clone the repo only if you want to read or change the Mac app.

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