Ctrl is an open-source AI desktop where AI builds React apps with SQLite databases - and here's the key part: each app comes with an AI assistant that can read and reason about your actual data.
The difference:
ChatGPT generates code snippets. Cursor helps you write code. Ctrl creates complete apps where the AI understands your specific data:
- "Build me an invoice tracker" → Creates React app + SQLite database
- "Show me unpaid invoices over 30 days" → AI queries YOUR invoice data and shows results
- "Add client health scoring based on payment speed" → AI analyzes your historical data, proposes scoring formula, updates schema
Technical approach:
- Real TypeScript/React apps compiled in-browser (esbuild-wasm)
- Each app = folder with TSX files + SQLite database + .ctrl/context.md
- The context.md documents data structure and purpose - AI reads this before any modifications
- Built on Claude/GPT via your API key, runs entirely local, MIT licensed
Current state:
Beta on macOS, Windows, Linux. We're a small team in Prague, going fully open source because we believe the innovation is in execution, not hiding code.
Hey HN,
Ctrl is an open-source AI desktop where AI builds React apps with SQLite databases - and here's the key part: each app comes with an AI assistant that can read and reason about your actual data.
The difference:
ChatGPT generates code snippets. Cursor helps you write code. Ctrl creates complete apps where the AI understands your specific data:
- "Build me an invoice tracker" → Creates React app + SQLite database - "Show me unpaid invoices over 30 days" → AI queries YOUR invoice data and shows results - "Add client health scoring based on payment speed" → AI analyzes your historical data, proposes scoring formula, updates schema
Technical approach:
- Real TypeScript/React apps compiled in-browser (esbuild-wasm) - Each app = folder with TSX files + SQLite database + .ctrl/context.md - The context.md documents data structure and purpose - AI reads this before any modifications - Built on Claude/GPT via your API key, runs entirely local, MIT licensed
Current state:
Beta on macOS, Windows, Linux. We're a small team in Prague, going fully open source because we believe the innovation is in execution, not hiding code.
GitHub: https://github.com/CtrlAIcom/ctrl Demo video: https://youtu.be/6yWZpNCK8mw Website: https://ctrlai.com
Would love feedback, especially on the data-aware AI architecture.