Your text, your computer, your AI - Zero cloud, zero tracking, zero compromise.

ClipAid is a privacy-first alternative to Grammarly that improves your text using YOUR local AI instead of sending your data to someone else's cloud.

The Problem with Grammarly:

• ❌ Sends your text to their servers
• ❌ You don't know what they do with it
• ❌ Requires internet connection
• ❌ Closed-source (can't verify behavior)
• ❌ Subscription required

ClipAid's Solution:

• ✅ Text stays on YOUR computer
• ✅ Uses YOUR local AI (LM Studio, Ollama, etc.)
• ✅ Works offline
• ✅ Open source (994 lines you can read)
• ✅ Free forever

Option A: LM Studio (Recommended for beginners)

1. Download from https://lmstudio.ai
2. Install and open LM Studio
3. Download a model (e.g., "gemma-2-2b-it" or "Phi-3-mini")
4. Click "Start Server" (default port: 1234)

Recommended Model: Gemma 2 2B or Gemma 3 4B - fast, accurate, works great for text editing

Option B: Ollama

1. Download from https://ollama.ai
2. Install and run: ollama serve
3. Pull a model: ollama pull gemma2:2b or ollama pull llama3

Option C: Any OpenAI-compatible API

• LocalAI, text-generation-webui, or any other
• Must support /v1/chat/completions endpoint

⚠️ Note: Thinking models (like o1, QwQ) are not supported - they take too long to respond for real-time text editing.

1. Download ClipAid-Pro.exe
2. Double-click to run
3. Icon appears in system tray (bottom-right, near clock)
4. Copy any text (Ctrl+C)
5. Popup appears with improved version!

That's it! No installation, no registration, no cloud signup.

You copy text → ClipAid reads clipboard → Sends to http://127.0.0.1:1234 → Your local AI processes it → Result shows in popup

127.0.0.1 = Your Computer (localhost, never leaves your machine)

❌ Never send data to external servers
❌ Never collect analytics or telemetry
❌ Never log your text
❌ Never phone home
❌ Never check for updates online
❌ Never require registration
❌ Never show ads
❌ Never track you

1. Open Source: Read all 994 lines in ClipAid-Pro.cs
2. Single File: No hidden DLLs or dependencies
3. Network Monitor: Use Wireshark - you'll see ONLY localhost traffic
4. File Monitor: Use Process Monitor - you'll see ONLY ClipAid.config.json

See TRANSPARENCY_REPORT.md for complete code documentation.

1. Copy any text (Ctrl+C)
2. Wait 500ms (filters accidental copies)
3. Popup appears with improved text
4. Click "Use" to copy improved version
5. Or click "Use & Paste" to paste automatically

ClipAid offers 5 quick actions:

Change Action: Click "Try Different" button to see all options

Custom Prompt: Click "✎ Custom" to enter your own instruction

• Esc - Close popup
• Ctrl+Enter - Use & Paste

Right-click system tray icon → Settings

What You Can Configure:

• API Endpoint (if not using default port 1234)
• Max tokens (response length limit)
• Default action (which runs automatically)
• All 5 action prompts (customize instructions)
• Temperatures (AI creativity levels)
• System prompt (master AI behavior instruction)

{
  "Endpoint": "http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1/chat/completions",
  "MaxTokens": 256,
  "SystemPrompt": "Edit the text and return only the improved version. No explanations.",
  "DefaultAction": "Improve"
}

Stored in: ClipAid.config.json (same folder as .exe)

If your AI runs on different port (e.g., 11434 for Ollama):

1. Right-click tray icon → Settings
2. Change endpoint to: http://127.0.0.1:11434/v1/chat/completions
3. Click OK

Want "Improve" to also fix capitalization?

1. Right-click tray icon → Settings
2. Find "Improve Prompt" textbox
3. Edit to: "Fix all grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors..."
4. Click OK

Fix:

1. Check your local AI is running (LM Studio, Ollama, etc.)
2. Verify server is on port 1234 (or change ClipAid settings)
3. Try opening http://127.0.0.1:1234 in browser - should see API docs

Check:

1. ClipAid icon in system tray? (may be hidden - click ^ arrow)
2. Copied at least 5 characters? (minimum requirement)
3. Copied less than 5000 characters? (maximum limit)
4. Waited 500ms after copying? (accidental copy filter)

This is normal - ClipAid positions popup near cursor but:

• Stays within screen bounds (20px margin)
• Won't overlap taskbar or screen edges
• If multi-monitor, appears on same screen as cursor

Currently not supported, but workaround:

• Right-click tray icon → Exit (when working with sensitive data)
• Re-run ClipAid when done

Verify the code yourself:

# Compile (requires .NET Framework 4.0 - built into Windows)
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\csc.exe /target:winexe /out:ClipAid-Pro.exe ClipAid-Pro.cs

# Your build should match provided .exe

ClipAid works with ANY OpenAI-compatible API:

• LM Studio (local) - Recommended: Gemma 2 2B, Gemma 3 4B, Phi-3-mini
• Ollama (local) - Try: gemma2:2b, llama3, phi3
• text-generation-webui (local)
• LocalAI (local)
• vLLM (local or remote)
• Even real OpenAI API (if you trust them with your data)

Best models for ClipAid: Small, fast models (2-7B parameters) work best for real-time text editing. Gemma 3 4B provides excellent quality with fast responses.

Not recommended: Thinking models (o1, QwQ, DeepSeek-R1) - their extended reasoning time makes them impractical for quick text editing.

Just change endpoint in settings!

Want different settings for work vs personal?

1. Copy ClipAid.config.json to ClipAid-Work.config.json
2. Edit work config
3. Run ClipAid with: ClipAid-Pro.exe (uses ClipAid.config.json)
4. Or: Rename configs when switching contexts

• OS: Windows 7 or later (Vista might work)
• Framework: .NET Framework 4.0 (pre-installed on Windows 7+)
• RAM: ~20 MB (tiny!)
• CPU: Any (runs on background thread)
• Disk: < 1 MB
• Network: None (unless you count localhost)
• Local AI: LM Studio, Ollama, or compatible server

If you find ANY behavior not documented:

1. Check TRANSPARENCY_REPORT.md (line numbers provided)
2. Search ClipAid-Pro.cs for the function
3. Report with: What happened vs what documentation says

Feature requests welcome! Especially:

• UI improvements
• New actions
• Better prompts
• Performance optimizations

Pull requests must maintain transparency:

• Keep single-file architecture
• Add inline comments for complex logic
• Update TRANSPARENCY_REPORT.md
• No external dependencies
• No network calls except localhost AI

MIT License - Do whatever you want with it!

Copyright (c) 2025 ClipAid

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
and/or sell copies, with no restrictions.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

Why This Exists:

People are tired of not knowing what Grammarly does with their data. Whether it's a confidential work email, a private journal entry, or a sensitive document - your text shouldn't leave your computer without your explicit consent.

Built for:

• Privacy advocates
• Security-conscious professionals
• Writers who value data ownership
• Anyone who wants transparent tools

Inspired by:

• The open-source community
• Local AI movement (LM Studio, Ollama)
• Right to privacy

• Issues: Check TRANSPARENCY_REPORT.md first
• Questions: Read ClipAid-Pro.cs (994 lines, very readable)
• Verification: Build from source and compare

Remember: If you can't read the code, you can't trust the app. That's why we keep it simple, transparent, and fully documented.

For choosing transparency over convenience.
For valuing privacy over features.
For demanding better from your tools.

Your text, your rules. 🔒