8 posts found
The best MCP clients in 2026 compared: Askimo Desktop, Claude Desktop, Open WebUI, LibreChat, AnythingLLM, and Msty. MCP (Model Context Protocol) lets AI use real tools - GitHub, databases, local files, web search. This guide covers which chat client fits your workflow, what MCP features each supports, and how to get started in minutes.
MCP and function calling both let an AI use tools. But function calling is a per-request contract you define in code, while MCP is a persistent protocol that exposes tools from a running server. This guide explains the difference clearly, when each approach makes sense, and how tools like Askimo Desktop let you use both without writing any code.
Askimo App provides an Ollama GUI for running local AI models like Llama 3.3, DeepSeek R1, Mistral, Gemma 3, Qwen 2.5, and Phi-4. Features persistent history, in-chat search, starred conversations, and export options. Project-aware RAG enables chatting with your codebase or documents using local models with complete privacy. Switch seamlessly between Ollama and cloud providers. Includes lazy loading, custom directives, and automatic endpoint detection.
AI agents are powerful when the path to an answer is unknown. But for repeatable AI workflow automation - a research report, a code review, a competitive brief - agents fail in practice due to non-deterministic output, retry loops, and unpredictable costs. This post explains the difference between agents and deterministic AI Plans, when to use each, and why Plans are the better default for structured professional work.
MCP (Model Context Protocol) lets your AI do real things, not just answer questions. Connect Askimo Desktop to GitHub, databases, local files, web search, and any API via Stdio or HTTP. Secrets stay in your OS keychain. Works with Claude, GPT, Gemini, and local Ollama models.
Askimo's RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) with Ollama enables chatting with your documents, research papers, notes, and project files using local AI models like Llama, Mistral, and Phi. Automatically index PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, and text files with smart search. Ask questions about your content in plain English - all locally with zero data leaving your machine. Perfect for researchers, writers, students, and anyone managing large collections of documents.
Askimo App provides a powerful GUI client for Docker Model Runner, Docker's official feature for running AI models locally with OpenAI-compatible endpoints. Features persistent history, in-chat search, starred conversations, and export options. Project-aware RAG enables chatting with your codebase using local Docker AI models with complete privacy. Switch seamlessly between Docker Model Runner and cloud providers.
Compare top 5 Ollama desktop clients for 2026. Askimo excels with native performance, multiple AI models support, and RAG-powered project indexing. LM Studio offers easy model management. Open WebUI provides self-hosted team workflows. AnythingLLM focuses on document RAG for chatting with PDFs. Chatbox delivers minimal, lightweight chat. All support local-first privacy but differ in performance, RAG capabilities, and features. Includes setup guides and use-case recommendations.
