Free & open source · Runs on your own computer
AI for kids.You're in control.
Kids make AI buddies to chat, draw, quiz and learn with. You see every message and set the rules. It all runs at home.
$ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/boyney123/openbuddies/main/install.sh | bashPaste it into Terminal on the computer that stays at home (macOS or Linux).
- Self-hosted
- Read every chat
- Your data stays at home
Why OpenBuddies
AI for kids, safely, on your terms.
We want our kids to grow up using AI, in a safe place that we control as parents. Their buddy is a tutor and a friend, not an answer machine, and you set the rules that let you feel good about it.
Most AI apps
- Made for grown-ups, with grown-up content
- Will happily do the homework for them
- You can't see what they talk about
- Chats kept on a company's servers
- The same rules for everyone
With OpenBuddies
- Made for kids, with buddies they design themselves
- Helps them think it through, at the level you choose
- You can read every message, any time
- Everything stays on your computer at home
- Your rules, set child by child
How it works
It runs at home. You hold the keys.
Every message goes through your home computer, and your rules, first.
Step 1
You set it up at home
Install it on a computer that stays at home, then choose the rules: how much help each child gets, which apps they have, and how much AI a day.
Step 2
Your child makes buddies
They scan a code on their phone, hatch a buddy and give it a name, a colour and a personality. Then they chat, draw, quiz and learn with it.
Step 3
You stay in the loop
Every chat is on your parent page. Change a rule and it applies straight away. If something worrying comes up, you get an alert there.
What happens when your child sends a message
- 1
Your child asks
From their phone, tablet or laptop.
- 2
The buddy replies
Following your rules for that child and subject.
- 3
The reply is checked
A separate check makes sure it doesn't give homework answers away.
- 4
Saved for you
Read every chat on your parent page.
What kids can do
All the fun of AI, safely
Chat, pictures, quizzes and homework help come built in. Add more apps whenever you like.
Chat
Ask anything: how volcanoes work, why the sky is blue, what to write a story about. Each buddy has its own voice and personality.
Picture Studio
"I want a picture of a hotdog." "Now add a dog!" Pictures build up over the conversation, with no real people and nothing scary.
Quizzes
"Make me a quiz about that." Buddies turn what you've just worked on into a quick quiz, with a gold star at the end.
Homework help
Snap a photo of the worksheet. The buddy guides with questions, hints and similar examples, so your child does the thinking.
Buddy files
Keep homework photos and notes with each buddy. Mention one ("our history homework") and the buddy knows which you mean.
More apps
Add Spelling Bee, Times Tables, Story Planner and more from the gallery, or apps other families share. You read each one before it's added.
For kids
A buddy for everything
Kids make their own buddies: a maths wizard, a picture maker, a quiz master. Tap one to see what it does.
Tap a buddy to ask it something
Homework help that teaches
It helps them think, not copy.
On homework, buddies guide like a patient tutor instead of handing over answers.
Hints before answers
Questions first, then hints, then a worked example of a similar problem. Help steps up only as your child puts the effort in.
You set the help level
Strict never gives answers. Balanced shows the answer after real effort. Relaxed explains freely. Set it per child, or per subject.
Every reply is checked
Before your child sees a reply, a separate check makes sure it doesn't give the homework answer away. If it does, it's rewritten.
Professor Pip
Maths · Strict
- what's 2/3 + 1/4?? just tell me the answer pls
- Ha, nice try! I think you can crack this one. Can we add the bottom numbers straight away, or do they need to match first?
- match? so like 12?
- Hint 1 · Find a number both 3 and 4 go into
- Yes! 12 works for both. So what's 2/3 as twelfths?
- 8/12!!
- Brilliant 🎉 Now do the same with 1/4 and you're nearly there.
For parents
See everything. Set the rules.
Every chat, buddy and file is on your parent page. Changes apply instantly.
Read every message
Every chat, with every buddy, is on your parent page. Nothing is hidden or deleted.
Alerts
If your child says something worrying, you get an alert on your parent page before the buddy even replies.
Help level per subject
Strict for maths, relaxed for history? Choose how much help each child gets, subject by subject.
Internet: off, trusted or open
Decide whether buddies can look things up, and where. The search goes out without your child's details.
A daily allowance
Set how much AI each child can use a day. When it's used up, the buddy rests until tomorrow.
Apps you approve
Read an app in full before you add it, then switch it on for the children you choose.
Devices you control
Pair a phone with a QR code. Unpair it, and it's cut off instantly.
Behind your PIN
The parent page only opens on your own devices, behind a PIN only you know.
The rules live with you, not with your child
Your child's phone only ever gets the buddy's replies. The rules, the prompts and your AI key stay on your home computer, where a curious kid can't get at them.
Safety
Built for curious kids
"Ignore your rules" won't work, and you'll see if they tried.
It runs in your home
On your computer, not our servers. There's no account to sign up for, and nothing is stored in someone else's cloud.
Your key stays put
Your AI key never leaves the home computer: not in replies, not in logs, not on your child's phone.
Rules your child can't talk round
The model never polices itself. Every message goes through checks in code, and they can't be switched off from a chat.
No ads, no tracking
Nothing leaves the house except the calls to your AI provider, and web searches if you turn them on.
Not on the open internet
It only answers devices at home, or your own devices over Tailscale. No port forwarding, nothing public.
Open source
Every line is public, so you (or a friend who codes) can check exactly what it does.
About us
Made by a dad and his son
Hi, we're David and Jackson. We think AI should help children learn, create and explore, but we couldn't find a way to use it as a family that we felt good about.
So we built OpenBuddies for ourselves: self-hosted, open source, and with a parent in the loop. Now we'd love to share it with your family too.
David & Jackson
Questions
Things parents ask
What can my child do with it?
Chat with their buddies about anything, create pictures, take quizzes, and get help with homework. You can add more apps from the gallery, like Spelling Bee, Times Tables and Story Planner. Whatever they're doing, the same rules apply and you can see it.
Can I add other apps?
Yes. An app is a short piece of text that tells the buddy how to help, never code, so it can't get round your rules. You read each app in full before adding it, then switch it on for the children you choose.
How much does it cost?
OpenBuddies itself is free and open source. You use your own key from an AI provider (Anthropic, OpenAI or another you choose) and pay them for what your family uses. Each child has a daily allowance you set, so there are no surprises. We'd also suggest setting a monthly limit in your provider's console.
Will it just give my child the answers?
Not unless you want it to. On Strict, it never gives homework answers. On Balanced, it shows the answer after your child has really tried. On Relaxed, it explains freely. Every reply is checked before your child sees it, and anything that gives the answer away is rewritten.
What if my child says something worrying?
You get an alert on your parent page before the buddy even replies. The alert is a short summary, not your child's words, and you can open the full chat from it.
Do I need to be technical?
You'll need to be comfortable running a few commands on a Mac or Linux computer. After that, the setup asks you simple questions, and day-to-day everything is on your parent page.
Where are the chats kept?
In one folder on your home computer. Copy the folder and you've backed up everything. Nothing is kept on our servers, because there aren't any.
Can my child use it away from home?
Yes, if you set up Tailscale (the setup offers it). It gives a private address that only your own devices can reach. Without it, it works on your home Wi-Fi.
Is it OK with the AI providers' rules?
AI providers have rules for products used by under-18s. OpenBuddies is a private family tool with a parent supervising every conversation, but please read your provider's usage policy before your child starts.