#1414th of 22 in Assistants

rowboat

Desktop assistant that builds a Markdown knowledge graph from email and meetings

Live demo ↗ Website ↗ Repository on GitHub ↗

Stars: 18k
License: Apache-2.0
Last commit: Oct 2026
Last release: Sep 2026
Language: TypeScript

Missed the latest GitHub check; these facts may be older.

Overview

Rowboat is an Electron desktop app that indexes email, meetings and Slack into a local, Obsidian-style backlinked Markdown knowledge graph. It adds an email client, browser, meeting note-taker, background agents and a code mode that drives Claude Code or Codex. Spaces, backed by the self-hostable Harbor server on Postgres, let teammates share a channel and files while each person's own Rowboat answers @mentions locally.

Who it is for: Individuals and small teams wanting a local-first assistant

Strengths

Data stored as plain Markdown on your machine, editable and inspectable
Works with Ollama, LM Studio or hosted models via your own API key
Connects external tools through MCP servers or Composio
Harbor Spaces server is open source, with HTTP, WebSocket and MCP endpoints

Weaknesses

Voice, web search and Composio each need separate third-party API keys
Google services require manual setup steps
Harbor contract is still v0; README warns of breaking changes
Hosted Spaces require a Rowboat account sign-in via Google or Microsoft

What it needs

GPU optional
Needs Postgres (Harbor), Deepgram (optional), ElevenLabs (optional), Exa (optional), Composio (optional)
Models: Ollama, LM Studio, Hosted models via API key
port 4272

Also in Assistants

See all 22

Also in Assistants
Rank	Project	Score
1	OpenClawPersonal AI assistant reachable through Discord, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp and more392k starsMIT	85 out of 100
2	nanobotSelf-hosted Python personal agent with WebUI, TUI and chat-app channels49k starsMIT	84 out of 100
3	openhumanRust agent harness with desktop app, built-in memory and embeddable library42k starsGPL-3.0	84 out of 100
#4	career-opsJob-search agent that scores postings against your CV and drafts applications74.6k starsMIT	77 out of 100
#5	ZeroClawSingle Rust binary agent runtime with 30+ channels and hardware access33k starsApache-2.0	77 out of 100

How to choose

Check which channels it supports today (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, email) and whether each needs a paid API.
Look at how memory is stored and whether you can inspect or wipe it.
Actions need credentials; prefer assistants that scope them per tool.

Health

Releases: Not checked
Top contributor: Not checked
Security advisories: Not checked
Package advisories: Not checked
OpenSSF Scorecard: Not checked

Not read for this project yet: each refresh reads the facts of a few projects. Bots and coding-agent accounts are left out of the commit counts. Not part of the score: how we check.

License in plain words

Apache-2.0 Permissive

Use it at work: Yes
Change it and rebrand it: Yes
Sell it or host it for others: Yes

Your part: Keep the notices and mark the files you change. It also grants you the contributors’ patent rights.

A plain summary, not legal advice. Read the license on GitHub ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where to run it

Vast.ai ↗ (opens in a new tab)Rent a GPU by the hour from a marketplace of hosts.

Referral links: if you sign up through one, we get a commission. They never change a rank.

#14 of 22 in Assistants on Archestack, as of 15 Oct 2026.

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