kOS

Offline operation is the first thing to know about kOS: it runs without an Internet connection and does not use servers, so your research material stays on your own machine. kOS is an AI research tool that builds a database from your PDFs and adds AI assistance and citation features on top.

It also records proof of work, which helps if you need to show academic integrity for a paper or assignment.

The catch is scope.

For now kOS works only on macOS and only with PDF files, with a web-based version still to come.

Basic research features are free, while premium features require a subscription.

If your sources are mostly PDFs and you want a private, local place to organize and question them, kOS fits that narrow job.

If you work on Windows or with other file types, you will have to wait.