OpenMessage is the local-first messaging layer for AI.
The market already proved demand for unified messaging. The gap now is open, local-first, AI-native messaging infrastructure that people can actually trust.
The opportunity
Messaging is still fragmented across consumer and work networks. Unified messaging has proven value, but the most visible products remain cloud-dependent, closed-source, and weak on local developer access.
At the same time, assistants are shifting toward acting on local tools through MCP and similar protocols. Messaging is one of the highest-value surfaces those assistants still cannot operate in safely and locally.
What OpenMessage is
OpenMessage is a local-first, open-source messaging client with a built-in AI control layer. Today it supports Google Messages, live WhatsApp, and Signal, ships as a native macOS app or standalone Go runtime, and exposes the local workspace through MCP.
- Local-first: message history, search, and sessions live on the user's machine.
- AI-native: the same runtime powers both the UI and the local tool surface for assistants.
- Open source: auditable code, extensible integrations, and low trust overhead.
- Native where it matters: Swift wrapper on macOS instead of Electron, plus a plain Go runtime for headless or Linux usage.
Expansion path
The product gets stronger each time a new route plugs into the same thread workspace and local MCP surface.
| Service | Bridge | Status | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Messages (SMS/RCS) | mautrix/gmessages | Shipped | Core local messaging route |
| whatsmeow | Shipped | Largest global consumer network | |
| Signal | signal-cli / bridge | Shipped | Privacy-conscious users |
| Telegram | mautrix-telegram | Planned | Large cross-platform network |
| Discord | mautrix-discord | Planned | Community and developer use |
| Slack | mautrix-slack | Planned | Work messaging |
| iMessage | local importer / bridge | Longer-term | Mac-bound but strategically important |
Business model
The likely model is open-core distribution with premium AI and team features on top of the local client.
- Free core: local messaging, local search, route management, and MCP access.
- Premium: hosted AI features, better cross-thread summarization, and managed credits.
- Team / enterprise: shared context, admin controls, compliance features, and secure deployment support.
Competitive landscape
| Product | Open source | Local-first | AI / MCP | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenMessage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free |
| Beeper | Partial | No | No | $10/month |
| Franz / Ferdi | Partial | Mostly | No | Free / paid |
| Google Messages Web | No | N/A | No | Free |
Why now
- MCP adoption: local tool protocols are becoming a default integration path for assistants.
- Messaging proved valuable: Beeper and Texts.com validated the category, but not the local-AI angle.
- Bridge ecosystems are maturing: the hard protocol work is increasingly reusable instead of greenfield.
- User trust is scarce: local-first is an increasingly defensible product choice in messaging.
Current traction
- Native macOS app and local web runtime shipping from the same codebase.
- Google Messages, WhatsApp, and Signal support in the current product.
- Local MCP server, diagnostics, search, notifications, and route-aware threading.
- Open-source distribution and a live product site at openmessage.ai.
Ask
Looking for collaborators, contributors, and people who care about local AI, messaging infrastructure, and developer-facing product surfaces. Reach out at max@maxghenis.com.