Building a free Windows AI assistant: one window for cloud and local models

We're a small team in Granada (Spain) and we've been building Cerewro, a Windows 10/11 desktop app that lets you talk to several AI models from a single window.

Why we built it. We kept juggling browser tabs for different assistants and wanted one place on the desktop, with the option to run a model locally when you don't want data leaving your PC.

How it works (high level). You choose a provider per conversation: a cloud model with your own API key, or a local model with no key. Keys are stored on your machine. Switching provider doesn't change how you work.

What we learned. (1) Asking for less at sign-up matters: we cut it down to email + password. (2) Being upfront about cloud costs avoids confusion: the app is free, the AI provider bills its own API usage.

Disclosure: I'm on the Cerewro team. It's completely free (no plans, no card). Feedback on what's missing or confusing is very welcome: https://cerewro.com