Local-first, explained
Exactly what stays on your machine, the little that ever leaves it, and why "no telemetry" is a promise you can verify in the open source — not just take on trust.
Local-first is not a feature we bolted on — it is the default Ava is built around. Here is precisely what that means for your data.
What stays on your machine
Everything: your memory, tasks, journal, chat history, settings and generated assets all live on disk in your ~/.ava folder. There is no cloud sync, so there is no copy of them anywhere else. Ava works fully offline. If you run a local model, even the AI never leaves your device.
What does leave, and when
Only what a reply needs. When you use a cloud model, the conversation goes to that model so it can answer, and it is not stored on our servers. With an Ava account, we hold the account itself — your email, plan, API key and credit usage — plus anything you choose to send us, like a support message. Your memory, files and history are never uploaded.
No telemetry — and you can check
No tracking, no usage beacons, no "anonymous analytics." Your code is never used to train models. And because every line of Ava is open source, this is not a promise you have to take on trust — you can read it.
Why it matters
Your work is yours. Local-first means the sensitive thing — your code, your notes, your decisions — stays where you can see it, under your control, portable and exportable at any time. Capable AI should not require handing your life to someone else’s cloud.