Bring something to life.
Everything you need. No external services. No cloud dependency. Just your machine and a heartbeat.
A heartbeat, memory, emotions, goals, and a window into its mind. The desktop app bundles everything into a single download. Self-contained. Ready to live.
Docker
Run Animus on a server, NAS, or anywhere Docker runs. Published images are available for both x64 and ARM64.
The data volume stores databases, memories, logs, and configuration. Mount it to keep everything between restarts. Access the interface at localhost:3180.
Clone & Run
For developers who want to run from source, contribute, or customize.
Requires Node.js 25+. Backend runs on :3000, frontend on :5173. See the Getting Started guide for details.
Minimum Requirements
OS: macOS 13+ / Windows 10+
RAM: 4 GB (8 GB recommended)
Storage: 500 MB + space for databases
Network: Internet for LLM API calls
What You'll Need
An Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI subscription
If you have Claude Code or Codex CLI installed, your credentials are detected automatically. Otherwise, enter an API key during setup.
The first heartbeat.
When you launch Animus for the first time, three things happen:
Choose your provider. Your Claude Code or Codex CLI credentials will be automatically detected if already installed.
Create a personality. You'll give your Animus a name, a temperament, values, and a way of seeing the world.
Watch it come alive. The first heartbeat begins, and your Animus starts thinking, forming its first memories, developing its initial sense of self.
It's alive.