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BotParty, a native macOS chat app where conversations are documents

BotParty, a native macOS chat app where conversations are documents

by captainbenises·May 6, 2026·2 points·0 comments
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AI Analysis

●●●BangerBig BrainCozySolve My Problem

Chat branching via Finder duplicate is a killer feature Claude Desktop lacks.

Strengths
  • •DocumentGroup architecture means chats are real files—git diffable, iCloud-synced, and shareable.
  • •ZDR flag enforcement prevents AI companies from training on your conversations.
  • •Branching conversations by duplicating files in Finder solves a real workflow gap.
Weaknesses
  • •macOS-only limits adoption; Windows/Linux users can't participate.
  • •Relies on OpenRouter API—adds dependency and potential cost layer.
Category
Productivity
Target Audience

Mac power users who want local control over AI chat history

Similar To

Claude Desktop · ChatGPT Desktop · LM Studio

Post Description

Hi HN, I built BotParty.

It's a native macOS/iOS chat client for openrouter, built around Swift's DocumentGroup.

Each conversation is a regular file on disk — you can save them in folders, sync them with iCloud, email it. I made it because I got sick of the claude desktop app changing it’s system prompts on me constantly. I also wanted to be able to own all my own chats, and archive them locally. You can branch conversations by using ‘duplicate’ in the finder - which is something that i’ve found missing from all the other desktop chat apps.

A few things that fell out of the document model: - Conversations are diffable, so git history works - You can have many open at once in tabs/windows - Share Sheet and Spotlight search work - Nothing is locked into my app

I used openrouter so you can use claude/chatgpt/etc.

Thanks for reading this far. Feedback very welcome, especially on the file format.

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