Local-first desktop app
Chat with your characters, on your own machine
Rin Chat is free. It runs character cards against the AI provider you choose, and your cards, chats and settings stay on your computer, encrypted at rest, with no cloud account required.
The app is free — every feature, no trial, no account. A subscription is a separate, optional convenience that covers AI usage so you do not have to set up a provider.
Highlights
Local first
Your characters and chats live on your own machine. The app works without cloud sync.
Encrypted on device
Data is stored with AES-256-GCM encryption. The key is wrapped by your operating system keychain.
Your provider or ours
Connect any OpenAI-compatible endpoint with your own API key, or use the optional subscription proxy.
Built for long stories
Lorebooks, memory summaries, an Author's Note and context budgeting keep a long chat coherent.
Install it. That is the whole setup.
Rin Chat is an ordinary desktop application. There is no setup ritual to follow, nothing to keep patched by hand, and no point where you are expected to read an error log.
No command line, ever
You never open a terminal — not to install it, not to update it, not to fix it when something changes.
No dependencies to chase
Nothing to install beforehand. No runtimes to match, no package manager, no version conflicts to untangle.
One installer
Download a single file and run it. The app is ready when it finishes.
Updates arrive on their own
New versions install themselves from inside the app. No re-downloading, no manual migration steps, no rebuilding.
An interface, not a control panel
Real windows, menus and settings screens that behave the way desktop software is supposed to. Everything is where you would look for it.
Two ways to use Rin Chat
The app is the same either way. You are only choosing who you get your AI from, and how much setup you want to do.
Use your own API key
FreeDownload the app and connect any OpenAI-compatible provider with your own key. You pay that provider directly, and nothing to us.
- The complete app, with every feature
- Any OpenAI-compatible provider
- Your key never leaves your device
- Needs a provider account and a little setup
Add a subscription
OptionalSkip the setup. No API keys to create, no endpoints to paste, no separate provider account or bill. Sign in and start writing — your subscription covers the AI usage.
- The same complete app
- No API keys or endpoint configuration
- No separate provider account to sign up for
- Cancel any time and keep using your own key
How it works
- Step 1
Install the app
Download Rin Chat and run it. Everything works on the desktop, with no browser tab.
- Step 2
Choose how you get AI
Configure an API from any OpenAI-compatible provider and provide your API key, or subscribe and skip that step entirely. Either way the app is free and every feature is unlocked.
- Step 3
Load a card and write
Import a character card or build one in the editor, then start the chat.
What is inside
Rin Chat covers the whole loop: the card and the library around it, the chat and its cast, the prompt that reaches the model, and the encrypted store underneath.
Character cards
Bring in the cards you already have, edit every field, and keep a large library in order.
Import existing cards · Structured editor · Library · Tag manager
Chat
A writing surface built for iteration, not a single take.
Streaming replies · Swipes and regenerate · Edit, delete and branch · Continue and impersonate
Casts and personas
Decide who is in the scene, including you.
Group chats · Per-member settings · The model picks the speaker · Auto mode
World building
Background detail that reaches the model when it is relevant, and not before.
Lorebook editor · Standalone worldbooks · Lorebook tester · Macros
Prompting and memory
The controls that decide what the model receives, and what it still knows fifty messages later.
System prompt presets · Author's Note · Context budgeting · Summary and memory
Models and providers
Bring your own endpoint, and control how it decodes.
Any OpenAI-compatible provider · Model picker · Sampler settings · Reasoning controls
AI helpers
Optional assists that run on the provider you already selected.
Suggested replies · Rewrite a section · Chat titles · Story director
The app itself
Desktop software, and the settings that make it comfortable to read and write in.
Dark interface · Formatting shortcuts · Readable messages · Guided tour
Privacy and your data
Your library stays on your machine, encrypted, and you hold the keys to it.
AES-256-GCM encryption · Encrypted index · Unlock on your device · Recovery kit
Common questions
- What is Rin Chat?
- A desktop app for roleplay and creative writing. You load a character card, pick an AI provider, and write.
- Is the app free?
- Yes. The app is free and every feature is unlocked — no trial, no locked features, no account needed. You only need an AI provider to generate replies, and you can use your own API key for that or sign up for one of our subscriptions.
- Then what is the subscription for?
- Convenience. It covers your AI usage so you do not have to create a provider account, generate an API key, or configure an endpoint. It is entirely optional and does not unlock any app features.
- Can I use the character cards I already have?
- Yes. Rin Chat imports common character card formats, including cards embedded in a PNG image, and you can import a whole folder at once.
- Which platforms are supported?
- Windows first. Other platforms are planned but not released.
- Which AI providers can I use?
- Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, with your own API key. An optional subscription proxy is also available.
- Do my chats leave my computer?
- Your library is stored on your device and encrypted at rest. Prompts go only to the AI provider you select.
- Can I move my data to another computer?
- Yes. Export a full encrypted backup, then restore it on the other machine.