#The Problem That Kept Bugging Us

As heavy AI users, my team and I use the best AI chat tools like ChatGPT and Claude every day. They're incredibly powerful, but one problem has always nagged at us:

There's a persistent gap between AI and our local files.

LLMs and AI search have already solved the problem of finding public information. But what about our notes, documents, code, saved articles, and research papers? These knowledge assets, carefully accumulated over time, contain our past thinking and invaluable insights.

Yet because they're mostly stored on our computers or scattered across various apps, mainstream AI tools still can't seamlessly access and integrate them.

There are plenty of solutions out there — AI note-taking apps, AI knowledge base products, you name it. But most require uploading data to the cloud (hello, privacy concerns), or they're overly complex, or they lock you into their ecosystem and prevent you from using the tools you've already subscribed to, like ChatGPT.

Many AI knowledge bases feel half-baked. Others aren't content with just being a knowledge base — they want to be a powerful Agent platform or a full-fledged creation suite. The result? Here we are in 2026, and there's still no simple, focused, secure local knowledge base solution.

We believe what users actually want is straightforward: a local, simple, and secure knowledge base that fits seamlessly into existing workflows — not one that demands a new entry point or forces data uploads to the cloud. And if it could be affordable, even better.

So we built Linkly AI.

#What Linkly AI Is

Linkly AI is positioned as an AI knowledge base that runs quietly on your machine.

It serves as a context layer for your private knowledge. Through the MCP protocol, it transforms files in your local folders into context that any AI can easily use.

You keep using your favorite tools — ChatGPT, Claude, whatever you prefer — but now they can "see" your local files without friction.

Here's what Linkly AI actually does:

Watches the folders you specify and automatically indexes documents inside (PDFs, Word files, Markdown, code, and more)
Builds a knowledge base using retrieval and Agent technologies to assemble context for AI in real-time
Connects via MCP, Skills, or simple copy-paste, enabling any AI application to directly access your knowledge base

The entire process can run completely locally — no data uploads required. Linkly AI Knowledge Base Overview

#Our Core Principles

Throughout development, we've held firm to a few key principles:

#Local-First

All your data stays on your own computer. Account system? Optional. Cloud sync? Optional. Core features? Free. If you're technically inclined and run some local models yourself, you can achieve 100% offline usage.

#Affordable

Thanks to our local-first approach, Linkly AI's core features will be completely free — including creating and using knowledge bases. You only pay when you need our cloud computing resources (like our embedding service) or storage. And even without paying, you can connect to OpenAI, Ollama, or other model providers.

#Open

No data lock-in. Your knowledge base files live in your local folders, and you can export them anytime. We expose services through the standard MCP protocol, so there's no need to bind to any specific AI application.

#Focused

Linkly AI isn't yet another AI chat tool. It's not another note-taking app. It does one thing: turn your local files into context that AI can understand.

#Where We Are Now

Linkly AI is currently in its early stages, with beta testing starting soon. We already support macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Core features are already working:

Knowledge base creation and management
Multi-format document parsing (PDF, DOCX, MD, TXT, and more)
Hybrid retrieval
MCP server (compatible with ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Cherry Studio, and many other AI apps)
Quick retrieval launcher

We've also innovated a remote connection solution that lets you access your local knowledge base directly from web apps like Claude.ai and ChatGPT.com.

Of course, there's still plenty of room for improvement, and many important features haven't shipped yet. The Linkly AI team is iterating intensively — stay tuned.

#Final Thoughts

We believe that in the AI era, every knowledge worker needs a new way to manage their knowledge assets. Most AI aims to replace humans, but Linkly AI exists to help humans use AI more effectively.

That's the vision behind Linkly AI, and that's our mission. We hope you'll love it.