Freedom251 › AI Personal Assistants
Holt
What Holt is
Holt is an open-source personal agent OS that runs on your machine and keeps readable, editable memory of your work. It stores conversations and distilled facts locally by folder. For recall, it can use a local Ollama embedding model for semantic search or fall back to keyword matching. Holt can also organize stored memory as a cross-linked wiki or interactive knowledge graph.
It supports Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Kimi, Grok and local models, and lets users change models while retaining conversation context. Holt provides an MCP server for Claude Code, Cursor and Codex, along with ambient memory hooks for Claude Code. Thirteen skills come built in, and users can search for and add skills from a community registry. Tasks can run once, be scheduled with native operating-system timers or be packaged as named routines. Holt can run as a Telegram bot for phone messaging and scheduled notifications. It can learn a writing style from an interview or samples and draft content with anti-AI checks.
The maker says memory is local and per-folder by default, and local-model recall can work offline; data stays on the machine unless the user sends it elsewhere. Holt is MIT licensed and free. The installation guide lists macOS 13+, Windows 10 build 1809+, Ubuntu 20.04+ and Debian 10+, with at least 4 GB RAM. Installing through npm requires Node.js 20 or newer.
Who it suits
Holt suits people who want an agent with editable, locally stored memory organized by work folder, plus options for different AI models and task routines. It is also relevant to users of Claude Code, Cursor or Codex who want an MCP server, and to people who can install and run software on a supported computer.
What it does well
- Free and MIT licensed.
- Stores conversations and distilled facts locally by folder.
- Supports six named model families plus local models.
- Offers wiki and knowledge graph views of memory.
- Includes 13 skills and supports community additions.
- Can run scheduled tasks and Telegram notifications.
What to know first
- Requires at least 4 GB RAM.
- npm installation requires Node.js 20 or newer.
- Windows jobs missed while the machine is asleep or off are skipped.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Holt | Open-source MIT-licensed software · runs on your own machine | Free |
As github.com lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit the Holt repository on GitHub.
- Check that your system meets a listed minimum: macOS 13+, Windows 10 build 1809+, Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 10+, with at least 4 GB RAM.
- If installing through npm, use Node.js 20 or newer.
- Choose a supported model, including a local model, and organize work in folders for per-folder memory.
Verdict
Choose Holt if you want a free, open-source personal agent with per-folder local memory, model choice and task automation. Its supported operating systems and minimum memory requirement make the installation environment a key consideration. On Windows, scheduled jobs missed while the machine is asleep or off do not run later.
Questions
How much does Holt cost?
Holt is free: the listed plan is free. It is open-source and MIT licensed.
Which operating systems are supported?
The installation guide lists macOS 13+, Windows 10 build 1809+, Ubuntu 20.04+ and Debian 10+.
What are the installation requirements?
The guide specifies at least 4 GB RAM. Installing through npm requires Node.js 20 or newer.
Which AI models can Holt use?
It supports Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Kimi, Grok and local models, and can switch models while keeping conversation context.
Is Holt's memory local?
The maker says memory is local and per-folder by default. Recall with a local model works offline, so data stays on the machine unless the user sends it elsewhere.
What happens to scheduled tasks if a Windows computer is off?
Jobs missed while the computer is asleep or off are skipped rather than run later.
Facts from Holt's own pages
- Automation
- Users can run tasks once, schedule them with native operating-system timers, or package tasks as named routines. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Credentials
- The README says Holt does not store credentials used to sign in to supported brain CLIs. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Holt provides an MCP server for Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex, plus ambient memory hooks for Claude Code. · productsdecoded.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Knowledge views
- It can turn memory into a cross-linked wiki and an interactive knowledge graph. · productsdecoded.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Known limit
- On Windows, scheduled jobs missed while the machine is asleep or off are skipped rather than run later. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- LLM choices
- It supports Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Kimi, Grok, and local models, and lets you switch brains while keeping conversation context. · productsdecoded.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Maker and license
- The repository identifies Debashis Nayak as the copyright holder and says Holt is MIT licensed. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Memory
- Holt stores per-folder conversations and distilled facts locally, with semantic recall through a local Ollama embedding model or keyword matching as a fallback. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Phone access
- Holt can run as a Telegram bot so users can message it from a phone and receive scheduled notifications. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The maker says memory is local and per-folder by default, and that local-model recall works offline so data stays on the machine unless the user sends it elsewhere. · productsdecoded.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- The installation guide specifies 4 GB RAM minimum and Node.js 20 or newer when installing through npm. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Skills
- Thirteen skills are built in, and users can search and add skills from a community registry. · productsdecoded.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Supported systems
- The installation guide lists macOS 13+, Windows 10 build 1809+, Ubuntu 20.04+, and Debian 10+ as supported minimum operating systems. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- What it does
- Holt is an open-source personal agent OS that runs on your machine and keeps readable, editable memory of your work. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Writing
- Holt can learn a user's writing style from an interview or samples and draft content with anti-AI checks. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Where Holt stands on Freedom251
- AI Personal Assistants#10 of 54