Chie

Chie isn't trying to be everything. It's a dedicated desktop shell for two specific chat backends, and it does that job cleanly. For developers who spend all day in a terminal, having ChatGPT and Bing Chat as a native, keyboard-navigable window beats yet another browser tab every time. The native UI on macOS, Linux, and Windows feels snappy, and the minimal design respects your focus. But here's the catch: the project hasn't seen a meaningful commit since 2023. That's a long time in the AI tool space. If you're the type who likes to tinker, that's actually fine—open source means you can fork it and patch it yourself, and the plugin system gives you room to extend. Just don't expect the maintainer to chase new features like voice modes or broader model support anytime soon. When should you pick Chie? When you want a free, local, no-nonsense client for ChatGPT and Bing Chat, and you're comfortable with a tool that's stable but static. It's also a decent learning project if you want to study a clean Electron alternative architecture or build your own customizations. When should you pass? If you rely on voice, vision, or any non-text features—Chie has none built-in. If you need mobile access or a web version, it's not here. And if you want a project with an active roadmap and regular updates, you'll be frustrated. The closest comparison is Chatbox, which is more actively developed and supports a wider range of models and integrations. But Chatbox brings more complexity and doesn't always match Chie's minimalist purity. For a developer who values a hackable, distraction-free baseline, Chie is still worth a look—just know it's a snapshot, not a living product.