Author builds Mac app with free local AI but struggles with debugging
A developer tested a free, on-device AI coding stack using Qwen, Ollama, and OpenCode on a Mac Studio with 128GB RAM. The setup successfully created a simple screenshot-renaming app but failed to debug a PDF organizer project due to limited 64K context. The author, with decades of coding experience, found local AI useful for small tasks but still prefers Claude Code for complex projects.
Key points
- Free local AI stack built a screenshot-renaming app but failed to debug a PDF organizer project
While Qwen handled coding tasks, Gemma struggled with understanding screenshots. The author emphasized strict session management—restarting OpenCode for each task—to avoid context overflow. Despite building a functional app, debugging remained unreliable, highlighting local AI’s current limitations for serious development.
Model page: Claude Code →
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4 episodes →- Author builds Mac app with free local AI but struggles with debuggingthis story
I tried replacing Claude Code with a local AI stack that’s completely free – how it went
zdnet.com · 6 November 2026
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