Skales

Multi-model AI client · Last verified July 22, 2026

Skales vs. Cherry Studio

The best-stocked model window vs. an agent that leaves the window.

Cherry Studio (roughly 48,900 GitHub stars as of July 22, 2026) is the most polished multi-model desktop client there is, and it deserves the audience it has: 300+ preset assistants, a serious knowledge base, WebDAV backup, mini-programs, a theme ecosystem, and provider coverage nobody else matches. If your question is "which app lets me use every model I have keys for, comfortably", this is a very good answer.

The difference is category, not quality. Cherry Studio is where you talk to models; its newer agent mode mainly hosts external CLI agents you install yourself. Skales is the agent: 183 tools that act on your machine, background goals that keep running with the chat closed, a coding IDE, Flow, a media studio and a native mobile app. Cherry Studio is also AGPL-3.0, which is real copyleft - fine for using it, a decision to make before building on it.

Skales Cherry Studio What this means for you
Category Autonomous agent that acts on your computer Multi-model chat client with a knowledge base; agent mode hosts external CLI agents Doing the task vs. having the conversation about it.
Background work /goal keeps working with the chat closed, recurring schedules, OODA self-correction Interactive sessions Skales works while you do something else.
OS-level tools 183 built-in tools: files, browser control, computer use, calendar, email, messengers MCP servers you add yourself Batteries included vs. batteries configurable.
Mobile Native app on both stores, standalone agent with on-device model, optional E2E pairing Separate app repo at v0.1.x, TestFlight beta and APK - not published on either store Shipped vs. still in beta.
Local models Ollama, LM Studio, any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, plus on-device on the phone Ollama and LM Studio supported Honest tie on the desktop.
Creation Flow (decks, docs, prototypes, motion) + Studio (image, video, voice, music) Image generation; TTS/ASR on the roadmap A production suite vs. an image panel.
License BSL 1.1, free for personal/educational/internal business use, Apache 2.0 in 2030 AGPL-3.0 community edition; commercial exemption sold separately; paid Enterprise Edition Both are honest, and both have a paid door - read them before you build on either.
Team story Pair two desktops, Agent Swarm across your own devices, AI Organization Enterprise Edition with admin backend, RBAC and a shared knowledge base Genuine credit: Cherry has the better central-admin answer.

Choose Skales if…

  • You want work done, not answers given - background goals, files changed, mail sent.
  • You want the tools built in rather than assembled from MCP servers you maintain.
  • You want a mobile agent that already ships, including one that runs a model on the phone.

Choose Cherry Studio if…

  • Your job is comparing many models side by side in the most comfortable window available.
  • You want a mature document and knowledge-base workstation more than an autonomous agent.
  • You need a central-admin, multi-seat deployment today - that is their Enterprise Edition.

Common questions

Is Skales better than Cherry Studio?

They solve different problems. The best-stocked model window vs. an agent that leaves the window. Skales is the right choice if: You want work done, not answers given - background goals, files changed, mail sent. Cherry Studio is the right choice if: Your job is comparing many models side by side in the most comfortable window available.

Is Skales free while Cherry Studio is also free?

Skales is free for personal, educational and internal business use (BSL 1.1, converting to Apache 2.0 in 2030). You bring your own AI key or run local models for a total cost of zero.

Can I migrate from Cherry Studio to Skales?

Skales imports settings and conversations from ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, OpenClaw, Hermes and Cherry Studio via Settings → Import from Another Tool.

Sources

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