About Stella
Overview
Stella is a private, local-first search engine for macOS that finds files by meaning instead of filenames. It runs entirely on your device, indexing PDFs, notes, docs, and spreadsheets with on-device AI and no cloud, telemetry, or account. The current release is v1.0.0-beta for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 13 Ventura or later.
Key Benefits
- Search by meaning, not filename — a query for "Q3 revenue report" finds a file named finance_2024_v3.xlsx
- Everything runs on your machine with no telemetry, no accounts, and no data leaving your device
- Indexes text-based documents including PDFs, notes, docs, and spreadsheets locally
- Works offline, on a plane, or off-grid — your library stays searchable at all times
- Free with no subscription, no freemium tiers, and no account required
How It Works
Choose which directories Stella should watch and index. Stella indexes your text-based documents on-device, then you describe what you are looking for in natural language and Stella finds the right file.
Why Choose This Product
Unlike Spotlight, which searches filenames, Stella reads documents and understands what they are about. The 1.5 GB beta download bundles on-device AI models, and a Windows version is coming soon.
Stella Pros & Cons
- No telemetry, no accounts, no data ever leaves the device
- Free with no subscription, freemium tiers, or account
- Works fully offline, including on a plane or off-grid
- Indexes PDFs, notes, docs, and spreadsheets by meaning
- Bundles on-device AI models in a single download
- macOS only — Windows version coming soon
- Requires Apple Silicon (M1 or later)
- Currently a v1.0.0-beta release
Key Features
Meaning-based search
Search for "Q3 revenue report" and find finance_2024_v3.xlsx because Stella understands what each document is about.
On-device privacy
Everything runs on your machine with no telemetry, no accounts, and no data leaving your device, even temporarily.
Local document indexing
Indexes text-based documents including PDFs, notes, docs, and spreadsheets locally on-device.
Works fully offline
Keeps your library searchable on a plane or off-grid, with no internet connection required.
Choose your folders
Lets you select which directories Stella should watch and index before searching.
Free, no account
Free to use with no subscription, no freemium tiers, and no account required.
On-device AI models
Bundles the AI models that power search directly in the 1.5 GB download.
Stella Pricing
Pricing extracted from the product website and may change. Check the source for current details.
How Stella compares
StellaThis | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | Free | — | — |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium | contact_sales | contact_sales |
| Platforms | macOS | macOS, Web | macOS | macOS |
| Top features |
|
|
|
|
| Rating | — | — | — | — |
