LocalMode

LocalMode is a modular, local-first AI engine for the browser. Run embeddings, vector search, RAG pipelines, text classification, speech-to-text, image recognition, and LLM inference - all directly in the browser with zero server dependencies.

Privacy by Default

All processing happens locally. No data ever leaves the user's device. Zero telemetry. Zero tracking.

Why LocalMode?

🔒 Privacy-First — Data never leaves the device
⚡ Zero Dependencies — Core package has no external dependencies
📱 Offline-Ready — Works without network after first model download
🎯 Type-Safe — Full TypeScript support with comprehensive types
🔌 Modular — Use only what you need

Packages

@localmode/core

Vector DB, embeddings, RAG, storage, middleware, security — all core functionality with zero dependencies.

@localmode/transformers

HuggingFace Transformers.js provider for classification, NER, vision, audio, and more.

@localmode/webllm

WebLLM provider for local LLM inference with streaming support.

@localmode/pdfjs

PDF text extraction for document processing pipelines.

Quick Start

Install packages

bash pnpm install @localmode/core @localmode/transformers

bash npm install @localmode/core @localmode/transformers

bash yarn add @localmode/core @localmode/transformers

Create embeddings

import { embed, embedMany } from '@localmode/core';
import { transformers } from '@localmode/transformers';

// Create embedding model
const model = transformers.embedding('Xenova/all-MiniLM-L6-v2');

// Embed single value
const { embedding } = await embed({
  model,
  value: 'Hello, world!',
});

// Embed multiple values
const { embeddings } = await embedMany({
  model,
  values: ['Hello', 'World', 'AI'],
});

Create vector database

import { createVectorDB } from '@localmode/core';

const db = await createVectorDB({
  name: 'my-documents',
  dimensions: 384, // Matches all-MiniLM-L6-v2
});

// Add documents
await db.addMany([
  { id: 'doc-1', vector: embeddings[0], metadata: { text: 'Hello' } },
  { id: 'doc-2', vector: embeddings[1], metadata: { text: 'World' } },
]);

// Search
const results = await db.search(embedding, { k: 5 });

Build a RAG pipeline

import { chunk, ingest, semanticSearch } from '@localmode/core';
import { transformers } from '@localmode/transformers';

const model = transformers.embedding('Xenova/all-MiniLM-L6-v2');

// Chunk document
const chunks = chunk(documentText, {
  strategy: 'recursive',
  size: 512,
  overlap: 50,
});

// Ingest into vector DB
await ingest({
  db,
  model,
  documents: chunks.map((c) => ({
    text: c.text,
    metadata: { source: 'my-document.pdf' },
  })),
});

// Search
const results = await semanticSearch({
  db,
  model,
  query: 'What is machine learning?',
  k: 5,
});

Architecture

LocalMode follows a "zero-dependency core, thin provider wrappers" architecture:

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    Your Application                         |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    @localmode/core                          |
|  +----------+ +----------+ +----------+ +----------------+  |
|  | VectorDB | |Embeddings| |   RAG    | | Storage/Security| |
|  +----------+ +----------+ +----------+ +----------------+  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|              Provider Packages (thin wrappers)              |
|  +----------------+ +------------+ +------------------+     |
|  |  @localmode/   | | @localmode/| |   @localmode/    |     |
|  |  transformers  | |   webllm   | |      pdfjs       |     |
|  +----------------+ +------------+ +------------------+     |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    Browser APIs                             |
|        IndexedDB • WebGPU • WASM • Web Workers              |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Browser Compatibility

Browser	WebGPU	WASM	IndexedDB	Web Workers
Chrome 80+	113+	✅	✅	✅
Edge 80+	113+	✅	✅	✅
Firefox 75+	Nightly	✅	✅	✅
Safari 14+	18+	✅	✅	⚠️

Platform Notes

Safari/iOS: Private browsing blocks IndexedDB - use MemoryStorage fallback
Firefox: WebGPU only in Nightly - WASM fallback is automatic
SharedArrayBuffer: Requires cross-origin isolation for some features

Introduction