How much does ChatLab cost?

ChatLab is free and open-source. It uses a bring-your-own-model approach, meaning you provide the AI model, so there are no subscription fees or usage costs associated with the software itself.

Which chat platforms does ChatLab support?

It ingests exported history from mainstream messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and WeChat. A standardized data-abstraction layer with custom adapters ensures you are not locked into a single specific chat application.

Is my chat data uploaded to the cloud?

No. ChatLab is local-first, meaning your data stays in a local database on your machine. The team explicitly recommends running local models to ensure your personal history is never uploaded to a third-party cloud.

Do I need to configure my own AI model?

Yes. ChatLab uses a bring-your-own-model (BYOM) system. You must wire up your own LLM, and the quality of AI responses depends entirely on the specific model you choose to install and use.

What kind of analyses can I run?

It includes 30+ built-in analyses such as sentiment scoring, topic detection, activity heatmaps, and relationship reviews. You can also ask natural-language questions or run SQL queries against your messages via the AI Agent layer.

ChatLab

Local-first analytics and AI agent for your personal chat history, with bring-your-own model support.

Free· Free / open-source; bring-your-own AI modelAgentsBring-your-own (local models recommended)7.0 / 10

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In short

ChatLab is a free, open-source local tool that analyzes your personal chat history using your own AI models. It keeps data private on your machine while offering 30+ built-in analyses and natural-language querying.

Best for

Pick ChatLab if you want to mine years of personal chat history with AI without uploading it to a third-party cloud.

Skip if

Skip it if you need a turnkey hosted chatbot or you don't want to wire up your own LLM and data exports.

ChatLab is a desktop and CLI application that ingests your exported chat history from mainstream messaging apps and turns it into a queryable, analyzable personal corpus. It ships with 30+ built-in analyses, including sentiment scoring, topic detection, activity heatmaps, relationship reviews, knowledge mining, session summaries, smart and deep search, and a conversation replay view. An AI Agent layer sits on top, letting you ask natural-language questions and run SQL queries against your own messages without uploading them to a third party.

The pitch is privacy: data stays in a local database on your machine, and the team explicitly recommends running local models when hardware allows. That makes it a fit for power users, journalists, researchers, and anyone who wants to mine years of WhatsApp/Telegram/WeChat-style history without handing it to a SaaS. A standardized data-abstraction layer plus custom adapters means you're not locked to one chat app. The project is open-source on GitHub with an npm-installable CLI (`chatlab-cli`), and the underlying AI is BYOM rather than tied to a specific provider.

The site doesn't publish pricing, model lists, or supported adapters in detail, and the AI quality will depend entirely on whichever model you wire up. Treat it as a power-user toolkit rather than a polished consumer product.

Editor's take

ChatLab is the rare AI tool that takes privacy seriously by default - your messages stay on disk and you bring the model. The 30+ canned analyses plus a SQL layer give it more depth than the usual 'chat with your data' wrapper, but the docs are thin on which messengers and models actually work today.

— The AI Tool Bible editorial team

Pros

✅ Local-first: chat data and settings never leave your machine
✅ 30+ built-in analyses plus an AI Agent and SQL query layer
✅ Open-source with both desktop app and npm-installable CLI
✅ Adapter model lets you plug in arbitrary chat platforms

Cons

⚠️ No published list of supported chat platforms or AI models
⚠️ AI quality depends entirely on whichever model you bring
⚠️ Power-user tool; setup is heavier than a hosted SaaS

Use cases

chat-analyticspersonal-knowledge-miningsentiment-analysisconversation-searchrelationship-review

Frequently asked

How much does ChatLab cost?: ChatLab is free and open-source. It uses a bring-your-own-model approach, meaning you provide the AI model, so there are no subscription fees or usage costs associated with the software itself.
Which chat platforms does ChatLab support?: It ingests exported history from mainstream messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and WeChat. A standardized data-abstraction layer with custom adapters ensures you are not locked into a single specific chat application.
Is my chat data uploaded to the cloud?: No. ChatLab is local-first, meaning your data stays in a local database on your machine. The team explicitly recommends running local models to ensure your personal history is never uploaded to a third-party cloud.
Do I need to configure my own AI model?: Yes. ChatLab uses a bring-your-own-model (BYOM) system. You must wire up your own LLM, and the quality of AI responses depends entirely on the specific model you choose to install and use.
What kind of analyses can I run?: It includes 30+ built-in analyses such as sentiment scoring, topic detection, activity heatmaps, and relationship reviews. You can also ask natural-language questions or run SQL queries against your messages via the AI Agent layer.