ClaudePrism
Your research stays
on your machine.
A private, offline-first scientific writing workspace powered by Claude.
LaTeX + Python + 100 scientific skills — all running locally.
Editor + AI Chat + PDF
Write LaTeX with Claude assisting in a side panel — live PDF preview on the right
The problem
Your unpublished paper shouldn't train
someone else's model.
Cloud-based AI writing tools store your research on remote servers. ClaudePrism keeps everything local. Here's the full picture:
AI Model
Prism: GPT-5.2 (cloud)
ClaudePrism: Claude Opus / Sonnet / Haiku (local CLI)
ClaudePrism runs Claude Code as a local subprocess. You choose the model per-session.
Runtime
Prism: Browser (cloud)
ClaudePrism: Native desktop (Tauri 2 + Rust)
Native app means faster performance, offline access, and no browser tab management.
LaTeX Compilation
Prism: Cloud
ClaudePrism: Tectonic (embedded, offline)
Tectonic downloads packages once and caches them. After that, compilation is fully offline.
Python Environment
Prism: —
ClaudePrism: Built-in uv + venv
One-click setup for project-level virtual environments with uv, the fast Python package manager.
Scientific Skills
Prism: —
ClaudePrism: 100+ domain skills
Curated prompts and tool configurations that give Claude deep knowledge in specialized scientific fields.
Version Control
Prism: —
ClaudePrism: Git-based history with labels & diff
Where Documents Live
Prism: OpenAI cloud servers
ClaudePrism: Your local disk only
This is the fundamental difference. Your .tex files, data, and figures never leave your machine with ClaudePrism.
Model Training Opt-out
Prism: Available (Settings > Data Controls)
ClaudePrism: Available (Privacy Settings or API key)
Both tools allow opting out. However, with Prism your documents still reside on OpenAI servers even after opting out.
Data Exposure After Opt-out
Prism: Documents remain on OpenAI servers
ClaudePrism: Nothing leaves your machine
Opting out of training doesn't remove your files from cloud storage. With ClaudePrism, there's nothing to remove.
Feedback Pitfall
Prism: Thumbs up/down sends entire conversation to training
ClaudePrism: No such mechanism
Even with training opt-out, clicking thumbs up/down in ChatGPT sends the full conversation for model training.
Source Code
Prism: Proprietary
ClaudePrism: Open source (MIT)
Audit the entire codebase yourself. Know exactly what data is sent where.
Both tools allow opting out of model training. The critical difference is where your documents live. With cloud-based tools, your unpublished research exists on third-party servers regardless of training settings. With ClaudePrism, files never leave your machine — only prompts are sent for AI inference.
Everything you need to write science
A complete workspace — no browser tabs, no cloud dependencies.
Privacy First
Documents stay on your local disk. Only prompts are sent to the Claude API. Full opt-out available.
100+ Scientific Skills
Domain-specific skills for bioinformatics, cheminformatics, ML, clinical research, and more.
Built-in Python
One-click uv + venv setup. Run analysis, generate plots, and process data without leaving the editor.
Git-Based History
Every save creates a snapshot. Label checkpoints, browse diffs, and restore previous versions.
Capture & Ask
Drag to select any region in the PDF — the capture is pinned to chat so you can ask Claude about equations, figures, or tables.
Select & Prompt
Select text in the editor to instantly proofread, ask questions, or run commands on the selection.
Project Wizard
Pick a template, describe your project, drop reference files — ClaudePrism generates initial content with AI.
Zotero Integration
Connect your Zotero library via OAuth. Browse collections, search references, and insert citations directly into your manuscript.
100+ Scientific Skills
Domain-specific knowledge for Claude — browse, search, and install.
Powered by K-Dense Scientific Skills — curated prompts and tool configurations by K-Dense AI.
Showing 48 of 48+ skills. Browse all on GitHub
Honest status
Built for real research — not there yet.
ClaudePrism is an early-stage open source project. Some features work great, others are in progress. Here's exactly where we are.
Shipped
- LaTeX editor with AI chat
- Offline compilation (Tectonic)
- Proposed changes review with diffs
- Git-based version history
- 100+ scientific skills
- Python environment (uv + venv)
- Capture & Ask (PDF region)
- Template gallery & project wizard
- Multi-file project navigation
In Progress
- Real-time collaboration
- Reference manager (beyond Zotero)
- Figure & table generation pipeline
- Custom model endpoints (Ollama, local LLMs)
Planned
- Integrated literature search
- Automated citation formatting
- Experiment notebook integration
- Plugin ecosystem
- Cloud sync (optional, encrypted)
Missing something you need? Open an issue — contributions are welcome.
Get started in minutes
From install to first draft — three steps.
Install
Download the app or install via Homebrew. No account setup required.
Pick a Template
Choose from paper, thesis, presentation, poster, or letter templates. Add reference files by drag & drop.
Write with Claude
Claude assists with editing, review, citations, and analysis. Accept or reject every suggestion.
Compare the workflows
Cloud Workflow
- 1Open browser, navigate to cloud editor
- Upload your .tex files to their servers
- Your unpublished research now lives on third-party servers
- AI processes your content on cloud infrastructure
- Hope your opt-out settings are correct...
Local Workflow
- Open ClaudePrism on your desktop
- Select a template or open local .tex files
- Everything stays on your disk — nothing uploaded
- Claude processes prompts only, files stay local
- Compile offline with Tectonic, export PDF