Pulse Local

Mac-only budgeting app that keeps your data and AI chat entirely on your own machine.

Overview

Pulse Local is a privacy-first budgeting app. The pitch is that financial data and the AI that reads it never leave your computer. The first launch downloads roughly 2.9 GB of AI models.

It is a macOS Apple Silicon beta with a Windows version listed as coming soon. It was a Show HN on 13 October 2026 (115 points, 70 comments). Pricing is pay-what-you-want with a fully featured free tier.

Key Features

  • Local-First: Ledger, models and questions stay on your machine, per the vendor.

  • Budgeting Tools: Plans, targets, rules, cash-flow forecasting and spending analysis.

  • Local AI Chat: Answers questions from your own figures; a second verification model runs on machines with 16GB+ RAM.

  • Imports: CSV import for any bank; Plaid sync for US banks via the Sync Pass.

  • Any Currency: Global currencies with localised formatting.

Pricing

Starting price

$29/yr

  • Free: Full feature access, no account required, pay what you want. Suggested one-time payments of $20 or $40, or any amount you choose.

  • Sync Pass: $29/year for automatic bank sync, US banks only. Additional institutions cost $8 each.

  • Platform: macOS Apple Silicon beta only; Windows listed as coming soon.

Pros

  • Genuinely Private: Data, models and questions stay on your machine, and no account is required.

  • Pay What You Want: Full features are free; suggested one-time payments are $20 or $40, or any amount.

  • Useful Budgeting Depth: Forecasting, rules and targets, not just a transaction list.

  • Any Currency: Not limited to USD.

Cons

  • Mac Only, Apple Silicon Beta: Runs only on Apple Silicon Macs today. Windows, Intel Macs, Linux, iOS and Android users cannot use it.

  • Beta Software: Expect rough edges in a product still in beta.

  • Heavy Download and Hardware: About 2.9 GB of models on first launch, and the dual-model check needs 16GB+ RAM.

  • Bank Sync Is US-Only and Extra: Automatic sync is for US banks only, costs $29/yr and $8 for each additional institution; everyone else imports CSVs.

  • English Only: Interface is English-language.

What Makes It Unique

  • Both the budgeting data and the AI assistant run locally on your Mac, so you get AI answers about your money without sending it to any cloud service.

Kay Score

6

/ 10

Tool Information

Pricing

$29/yr

Category

Finance & Accounting

Platform

Web / iOS / Android

Last Updated

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