# OpenWand

> A free, open-source desktop AI assistant that lets you press a hotkey from any app to capture context, query any LLM provider, and get streamed answers with voice in/out — without switching windows.

OpenWand is a completely free, open-source desktop AI assistant built in Python and released under the MIT License by developer SunnyLich. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, sitting as a small animated overlay icon that responds to custom hotkeys from any application. The latest release is v0.11.1, published in September 2026.

## What It Is

OpenWand is a hotkey-driven LLM chat interface designed for fast AI co-work without breaking focus. Rather than switching to a separate chat window, users press a hotkey, pick an intent from a quick picker, and OpenWand captures the relevant context — selected text, clipboard, focused app, open documents, browser tab, memory, local files, or Git/GitHub context — then streams the reply directly in an overlay bubble. It supports speech-to-text input and text-to-speech output, so users can talk instead of type and listen instead of read.

## Provider Freedom and Local-First Design

OpenWand is built around the principle that your workflow should stay portable regardless of which AI provider you use. Supported providers include Anthropic, Google AI Studio, Groq, OpenAI (both API key and subscription modes), and custom endpoints including local inference servers. Free API routes are documented as well. Context budgets are configurable per caller, so users can keep token costs low for quick queries or go deep on long-context tasks when needed.

## Core Capabilities

- **Overlay and hotkey system**: Opens a quick picker over whatever app you are using; no window switch required
- **Voice mode**: Hold a hotkey to dictate instead of type; opt into spoken replies that stream word by word
- **Context capture**: Reads selection, clipboard, focused app, open documents, browser tab, memory, local files, Git/GitHub context, or a screen region you draw
- **Chat workspace**: Full chat window with conversation history grouped and searchable by project, safe native Markdown rendering, and mid-conversation context attachment
- **App actions (Windows)**: Verified preview-first actions for PowerPoint (create/restyle slides, update speaker notes), LibreOffice Calc (charts, table cleaning, sorting, analysis), and VS Code (focused fixes and refactors) — all show proposed changes before applying
- **Agent Team**: Configurable multi-agent setup where users define the project, goal, team composition, models, and permissions
- **Memory and add-ons**: Persistent memory across sessions; extensible with custom add-ons and rewritten prompts
- **ChatGPT/Codex and Claude CLI integration**: Can scan local conversation files and present them inside a full-width picker

## Architecture and Customization

The application is written in Python and designed to be fully customizable. Users can edit hotkeys, prompts, providers, context sources, allowed tools, voice settings, update behavior, and UI options through a Settings panel. A portable build option is documented for users who want a self-contained installation. The `.env` reference and caller configuration system give fine-grained control over which context sources are active per action.

## Update: OpenWand v0.11.1

The latest release, v0.11.1, was published on September 27, 2026, with the repository last pushed the same day. The project was created in May 2026 and has been actively developed since, with the documentation site versioned at `v0.11`. The GitHub repository is tagged with topics including `mcp`, `model-context-protocol`, `overlay`, `voice-assistant`, `speech-to-text`, and `text-to-speech`, signaling ongoing investment in MCP integration and voice capabilities as core product directions.

## Features
- Hotkey-triggered overlay from any application
- Speech-to-text input and text-to-speech output
- Context capture from selection, clipboard, focused app, browser tab, local files, Git/GitHub
- Support for multiple LLM providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google AI Studio, Groq, and custom endpoints
- Free API routes and local inference server support
- Full chat workspace with project-grouped conversation history
- App actions for PowerPoint, LibreOffice Calc, and VS Code (Windows)
- Agent Team with configurable project, goal, team, models, and permissions
- Persistent memory across sessions
- Custom add-ons and prompt editing
- MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration
- Portable build option
- Configurable context budgets per caller
- Native Markdown rendering in chat

## Integrations
Anthropic Claude, OpenAI / ChatGPT, Google AI Studio, Groq, Codex CLI, Claude CLI, LibreOffice Calc, Microsoft PowerPoint, VS Code, Git, GitHub, Local inference servers, Custom API endpoints

## Platforms
WINDOWS, MACOS, LINUX, API, VSC_EXTENSION, CLI

## Pricing
Open Source

## Version
v0.11.1

## Links
- Website: https://sunnylich.github.io/OpenWand/
- Documentation: https://sunnylich.github.io/OpenWand/
- Repository: https://github.com/SunnyLich/OpenWand
- EveryDev.ai: https://www.everydev.ai/tools/openwand