NativeCode
NativeCode is a desktop AI-assisted code editor designed for privacy-conscious developers. It leverages the operating system's built-in web view (WKWebView on macOS, WebView2 on Windows) to render its interface, resulting in a lightweight download (7.11 MB on macOS) without bundling Chromium. The editor provides a VS Code-inspired workspace with a file tree, Monaco editor, and an integrated AI panel. NativeCode 2.0 Beta introduces a redesigned interface, support for Ollama, LM Studio, and OpenAI-compatible backends, and a more capable coding agent. The agent features plan mode, project memory, skills, pinned context, self-review, and web access, allowing it to perform complex coding tasks while keeping all data local. Users can switch models or backends without restarting the conversation, and stream reasoning separately. The tool supports vision models for attaching screenshots. By processing all AI interactions locally when used with Ollama or LM Studio, NativeCode ensures that sensitive code never leaves the user's machine. This makes it an attractive option for developers working on proprietary or confidential projects. The tool is currently in beta for macOS and Windows.
- Category
- Ai Code Editors
- Pricing
- Unknown
Problem solved
Many AI coding assistants require uploading code to cloud services or ship with large bundled browsers, raising privacy and resource concerns. NativeCode addresses this by offering a fully local AI coding experience through existing local model servers, with a small footprint and no data exfiltration.
Use cases
- Local AI-assisted code refactoring
- Exploring codebases with a privacy-focused assistant
- Using open-source models for code generation without internet
- Integrating with existing Ollama or LM Studio setups
- Privacy-safe coding for proprietary software
- Lightweight AI coding on machines with system WebView
- Switching between different AI models and backends
- Vision-based coding assistance with screenshot attachments
Audience
- Developers
- ML Engineers
- Hobbyists
- Researchers
Pros
- Extremely small download size (7.11 MB on macOS)
- Fully local AI processing preserves code privacy
- Flexible backend support (Ollama, LM Studio, OpenAI-compatible)
- Advanced agent features like plan mode and self-review
- Uses system WebView, reducing resource usage
Cons
- Windows installer is larger (56.43 MB)
- Requires separate setup of AI model server (Ollama/LM Studio)
- Still in beta, may have stability issues
- Limited to desktop platforms (no Linux mentioned)
- Dependent on system WebView capabilities
Official website: https://nativecode.jakubhecht.sk/
Canonical LambdaBase page: https://www.lambdabase.com/tools/nativecode