Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• If you use lots of AI services, you need Noi.
• Noi lets you access multiple services through a single UI.
• The system is free to install and connects to multiple AI services.

I want to preface this article by saying that for 99% of the time, I use locally installed AI (for many reasons). However, that preference doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate an app that makes things exponentially easier — and that’s certainly the case with Noi.

Also: I tried a Linux distro that promises free, built-in AI – and things got weird

Noi is a GUI app that brings together all AI services (and more) in one place. This app gives you easy access to services like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and more.

The app also includes some neat features, such as multi-window management, session isolation, local-first data for history and prompts, prompt management, a built-in terminal for local commands, and multiple themes.

Also: How I made Perplexity AI the default search engine in my browser (and why you should too)

I even used the built-in terminal to access my locally installed Ollama instance (and the GUI, once it was added). For some services, such as Gemini and Perplexity, you don’t even have to sign in. Of course, if you want to sync and track your chats, you’ll need to sign in, but you can use the app anonymously.

I found myself keeping multiple tabs open with Noi for DeepWiki, Perplexity, Gemini, and GitHub. With the command line Ollama, I had everything I needed in one place. Sure, most of my time will be spent with local Ollama, but should I need a different service, it’s all there, under one digital roof.

Also: How to build better AI agents for your business – without creating trust issues

Although I’d like to add Ollama to the GUI, I’m used to interacting with it via the command line, so it’s no big deal.

I ran a quick test on Qwen with the prompt:

Write a Python GUI app that accepts input from a user for name, age, gender, email address, and favorite Linux distribution.

The first time I asked, Perplexity failed me, with a warning stating that I didn’t have permission to access the service. I closed the Perplexity tab, re-opened it, and ran the query again. This time, the query was successful. I even followed up my query to see how well it worked, which was another success.

Also: How to run DeepSeek AI locally to protect your privacy – 2 easy ways

So, yes, some services in Noi do require you to have an account and to log in.

Spaces

When you open Noi, you’ll notice the sidebar is filled with various services. That sidebar is actually the default space. You can create other spaces and populate them with only the services you need, for a much more efficient UI. You can create multiple spaces, each with different services, meaning you can switch between them as required.

Also: I built an app for work in 5 minutes with Tasklet – and watched my no-code dreams come true

To create a new space, click the Spaces icon in the bottom toolbar (hover over the icons to find the correct one) and click +. Give the new space a name and click Save.

Once you’ve added your new space, you manually add the services you want, so you’ll need the required URL for each. For example, if you want to add ChatGPT, click the tiny link icon at the top-left of the sidebar, give it a name, and then add https://www.chatgpt.com as the address.

Also: How I feed my files to a local AI for better, more relevant responses

I was able to add an “official” (as in it runs within the GUI) Ollama instance, but that approach required running Ollama (on a local server) using WebUI, and the URL was http://192.168.1.25:3000. This instance worked well. You can bet I’ll primarily use this approach with Noi.

It would be nice if Noi allowed you to pin services to a new space easily, but that’s not possible at the moment.

Getting Noi

Noi is available for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. You can download an installer file for your OS of choice from the official Noi download page. Once downloaded, you can install Noi in the same way you’d install any app on your operating system. The installation process is straightforward, so you should have no problems.