What is apfel — On-Device OpenAI-Compatible AI for macOS?

apfel exposes Apple Foundation Models as a CLI and local OpenAI-compatible server (no API keys), with streaming, files, and tool calling on macOS 26+.

Is apfel — On-Device OpenAI-Compatible AI for macOS free to use?

Yes. apfel — On-Device OpenAI-Compatible AI for macOS is freely available on TokRepo. Check the Source & Thanks section on the asset page for the specific open-source license.

How do I install apfel — On-Device OpenAI-Compatible AI for macOS?

Visit the asset page on TokRepo and click "Copy for agent" to get the installation instructions. Most assets can be installed with a single command.

apfel exposes Apple Foundation Models as a UNIX CLI and a local OpenAI-compatible server so you can run prompts 100% on-device with no API keys. It supports tool calling and a 4096-token context, and is GitHub-verified at 5,329★.

Best for: Mac developers who want a local OpenAI-compatible backend for scripts, SDKs, and agent tools (no cloud keys)

Works with: macOS 26+ Apple Silicon; OpenAI SDKs via base_url; shell pipelines; file-attached prompts

Setup time: 10–20 minutes

Key facts (verified)

README shows apfel --serve as a local OpenAI-compatible server at http://localhost:11434/v1.
Requirements call out macOS 26 Tahoe+ on Apple Silicon (M1+) with Apple Intelligence enabled.
README badge lists version 1.3.3 and context size 4096 tokens.
GitHub: 5,329 stars · 205 forks; pushed 2026-05-12 (GitHub API verified).

Main

Use apfel in two production-friendly ways:

CLI for scripts: pipe text in/out, attach files with -f, and request JSON output for automation.
Local server for SDKs/agents: point any OpenAI-compatible client at http://localhost:11434/v1 and keep prompts on-device.

If you maintain agent tooling, start by wiring one integration (CLI or server) and add a smoke test that calls a tiny prompt so failures are obvious after OS updates.

README excerpt (verbatim)

apfel

The free AI already on your Mac.

Apple Silicon Macs ship a built-in LLM via Apple FoundationModels. apfel exposes it as a UNIX tool and a local OpenAI-compatible server. 100% on-device. No API keys, no cloud.

Mode	Command	What you get
UNIX tool	`apfel "prompt"` / `echo "text" \| apfel`	Pipe-friendly answers, file attachments, JSON output, exit codes
OpenAI-compatible server	`apfel --serve`	Drop-in local `http://localhost:11434/v1` backend for OpenAI SDKs

apfel --chat - interactive REPL.

Tool calling works in all contexts. 4096-token context.

apfel CLI

Requirements & Install

macOS 26 Tahoe+, Apple Silicon (M1+), Apple Intelligence enabled.

brew install apfel

Update:

brew upgrade apfel

Build from source (Command Line Tools with macOS 26.4 SDK / Swift 6.3, no Xcode):

git clone https://github.com/Arthur-Ficial/apfel.git && cd apfel && make install

Nix, same-day tap, Mint, mise, troubleshooting: docs/install.md.

apfel — On-Device OpenAI-Compatible AI for macOS

This asset can be read and installed directly by agents

Key facts (verified)

Main

README excerpt (verbatim)

apfel

The free AI already on your Mac.

Requirements & Install

Source & Thanks

Discussion

Related Assets

GoModel — OpenAI-Compatible AI Gateway

Baguette — Headless iOS Simulator Web UI

LLxprt Code — Multi-Provider AI Coding CLI

magic-cli — LLM Command Suggestion for Terminals