Does my connection history leave this Mac?

In typical use, connection history and rules stay on-device in local storage. If you use a cloud model or external service through Keep with BYOK, that provider’s data rules apply to the traffic you send there.

What Mac should I plan for?

Citadel targets macOS 14.0 or later on Apple Silicon (arm64). Map view and the main app require macOS 14+. An Apple Developer account is needed if you build the full release with the embedded Network Extension.

Will my Intel Mac run Citadel?

No. The main app target is Apple Silicon only. Intel-based Macs are not supported.

What is the difference between Fortress and Keep?

Fortress is the network guardian: activity, suspects, history, rules, DNS, and per-app filtering. Keep is the agent workspace: models, MCP, skills, CLIs, sessions, and teams, running behind Fortress policy.

Prism is the glass-dark design system and shell: LivingCanvas, surfaces, optional desk companion, and localization. It is how Citadel presents Fortress and Keep, not a separate product.

Do I need cloud AI to use Citadel?

No. You can run local models via Ollama, LM Studio, or native MLX. Cloud providers are optional through BYOK when you choose them.

Does Fortress use machine learning to score threats?

Suspects rely on hard local signals only, unsigned apps, first-seen destinations, sensitive ports, with explanations you can inspect. There is no opaque ML threat score.

What happens before I approve the network filter?

Activity, map, Suspects, and on-device history still work for observation. Remembered allow/deny and DNS blocklists need the privileged helper and Network Extension for full enforcement.

How do I get notified of releases?

Star the GitHub repository to follow releases and roadmap updates. Download signed builds from the Releases page when they are published.

Why is there a sponsor section for cloud products?

Citadel is free and open source. The strongest way to support the team is to use Aisance Cloud or Cyclones Cloud, Swiss AI platforms from the same company that extend what you start locally. Sponsorship is optional; the walls stay yours either way.

Why is Citadel macOS only?

We choose a stack optimized for Apple Silicon, Network Extensions, and local agent work. There is no Windows or Linux version for now: we prefer consistent testing and updates on a Mac fleet we can stand behind.

Network · Agents · Local

Citadel | Network control & local AI for macOS

Q: Is Citadel open source?

Yes. Citadel is licensed under Apache License 2.0 with additional branding obligations: preserve Citadel, Fortress, and Keep naming, official marks, and the notices files. See the LICENSE in the repository.

Your network guardian. Your agents. One menu bar.

Fortress watches every connection. Keep runs your agents inside the walls. You stay in charge, on your Mac, on your terms.

View on GitHub Download releases

Citadel Fortress activity with live network map

Security and agents live in separate worlds

Firewalls block without context. Agent apps chat without seeing what is on the wire. You end up alt-tabbing between System Settings, terminal proxies, and half a dozen chat windows, with no shared picture of what your Mac is doing.

One menu bar for visibility, policy, and agents

Citadel is a native macOS menu-bar app: Fortress enforces network policy, Keep runs local and cloud AI agents behind those walls, and Prism keeps the experience calm. Humans and agents share the same perimeter. Open, inspectable, and yours.

Three pillars, one place on your Mac

Fortress watches the network. Keep is where agents help with files, code, and chores. Prism is the shell that ties it together: ambient canvas, menubar presence, and a desk companion when you want one.

Fortress

Live telemetry, explainable suspects, and rules you can reason about, from the menubar to a 2D/3D flow map.

Keep

Local models, cloud BYOK, MCP tools, agent CLIs, teams, and schedules, all guarded by Fortress network policy.

Prism

A glass-dark design system for long sessions: LivingCanvas, readable typography, and optional delight without noise.

Fortress: your network guardian

Live telemetry, explainable suspects, and rules you can reason about, from the menubar to a 2D/3D flow map.

Activity

Process families, site breakdown, live map, and one-click allow or deny from the stream.

Suspects

Hard local signals only: unsigned apps, first-seen destinations, and sensitive ports, no opaque ML scoring.

History

Persisted connections on this Mac, with filters and CSV export when you need a record.

Rules

Domains, IPs and CIDR, process identity (name, bundle ID, Team ID), blocklists, and expiry you can inspect.

DNS and per-app filter

Local DNS over HTTPS with blocklist integration, plus a Network System Extension for process-level enforcement.

Menubar and Crest

Protection status, mode picker, and recover UI when the icon is hidden, Fortress stays reachable.

Keep: agents inside the walls

Your agents run inside Citadel, local models, cloud BYOK, MCP tools, teams, and schedules, all guarded by Fortress network policy.

Local models

Ollama, LM Studio, and native MLX on-device via mlx-swift when you want inference to stay on this Mac.

Cloud BYOK

OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, xAI, OpenRouter, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints with your own keys.

Agent CLIs

Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Goose, Cursor, Copilot, and more via ACP, orchestrated from Keep.

Sessions and teams

History, fork, search, multi-agent orchestration, and cron schedules for recurring work.

Workspace

Folder picker, attachments, file preview, and voice scribe so agents work on the files you choose.

Permission modes

Standard, auto-edits, full auto, or plan-only, you set how far agents may go.

MCP, skills, and agent CLIs

Keep extends through MCP servers, bundled skills, and agent CLI integrations, the same extension model as modern agent harnesses, running behind Fortress.

MCP servers

Configure servers, OAuth, and scan agent configs from the Tools panel.

Skills

PDF, Mermaid, cron, office automation, remote agent setup, and more bundled for real chores.

Agent CLIs via ACP

Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Goose, Hermes, OpenClaw, Cursor, Copilot, and peers in one shell.

Channels

Chat platform bridges and remote access through pairing plugins when you need them.

Privacy by architecture

Citadel is built for the Mac you actually use, not a remote dashboard. Connection history and rules live locally. Agent traffic inherits the same Fortress policy as everything else.

On-device first

Connection history and rules stay on this Mac (SQLite and app group). No remote control plane required for day-to-day use.

Transparent suspects

Every signal is explainable. Fortress does not hide behind opaque ML scores.

Agent traffic guarded

Keep inherits Fortress policy. Apps and agents share the same walls.

Open components

Swift UI, privileged helper, and Network Extension you can inspect. CoworkCore backend from AionCore under Apache-2.0.

How it works

Watch

Fortress surfaces live connections, suspects, and history so you see what your Mac is doing on the wire.

Guard

Allow, deny, and write rules you can reason about. DNS blocklists and per-app filtering enforce the perimeter.

Work

Run agents in Keep, local or BYOK, with MCP, skills, and CLIs behind the same Fortress policy.

Ready when you are

Citadel ships as a signed macOS app. Download a release for daily use, or build from source for development. Approve the helper and network filter for full Fortress protection.

Download the DMG

Open Releases, download Citadel.dmg, drag to Applications, and launch from Spotlight, Citadel lives in the menu bar.

Approve first-run permissions

Allow the login item / helper and the network filter in System Settings, then confirm Protection active in Fortress.

Build from source

Clone the repo on Apple Silicon, run the debug build script, or use CitadelFull with Developer ID signing for the embedded Network Extension.

Observation without approval

Activity, map, Suspects, and history still work for local observation. Full allow/deny enforcement and DNS blocklists need the helper and NetExt.

Why Citadel is Mac only

Spreading effort across every operating system dilutes testing and support. We ship one native macOS app tuned to Apple Silicon, Network Extensions, and the privacy posture teams already expect on a Mac.

Apple Silicon first

Recent Macs combine the Neural Engine and unified memory, ideal for on-device agents and live network maps. Citadel builds on that architecture.

Native enforcement

Per-app filtering uses Apple’s Network System Extension model. Helper, DNS proxy, and UI stay aligned with how macOS actually grants trust.

Performance you can plan for

Local AI and live maps depend on RAM, thermals, and concurrent work. One platform means guidance on chip tier reflects reality.

Swiss product discipline

Cyberesia builds in Geneva for people who want visibility and control under their own roof. A macOS-only scope keeps engineering focused on the perimeter and the agents behind it.

Open source. Yours to run.

Clone the repo, download a release, or talk to us about enterprise deployment and policy-aligned packaging.

Apple Silicon Mac (arm64) required. macOS 14.0 or later. Keep macOS updated while Apple still ships updates for your model.
Menu-bar app by default, no Dock icon unless you change that.
Full Fortress enforcement needs approval of the privileged helper and Network System Extension.
Xcode 15+ and XcodeGen if you build from source; Apple Developer account for CitadelFull with embedded NetExt.

Open source

Apache-2.0 + branding terms

Citadel for Mac

Inspect the code. Build it. Run it on your Mac.

Free

/source & releases

Fortress, Keep, and Prism ship together as one menu-bar app. Star the repo to follow releases; download the DMG when a build is published.

The project is under active development. Issues and pull requests are welcome, run the debug build and tests before opening a PR.

Compatibility

macOS 14.0 or later
Mac with Apple Silicon (required). Intel-based Macs are not supported
Internet connection for first clone, optional model downloads, and app updates
Privileged helper + Network Extension approval for full per-app enforcement
Optional local stacks: Ollama, LM Studio, or native MLX for on-device agents

Included

Fortress: Activity, Suspects, History, Rules
DNS over HTTPS proxy with blocklist integration
Per-app Network System Extension (release builds)
Keep: local models, cloud BYOK, sessions, and teams
MCP, skills, and agent CLI integrations via ACP
Prism glass-dark shell with LivingCanvas
English and French in-app localization

For builders

Build from source with XcodeGen and debug scripts
CitadelFull scheme for signed NetExt packaging
Demo flags for synthetic Fortress traffic
CoworkCore backend from AionCore (Apache-2.0)
Inspectable Swift UI, helper, and NetExt sources

Star on GitHub Open releases

Enterprise

Custom

Organizations with deployment or policy requirements.

Contact us for tailored packaging, procurement paths, and alignment with organization-wide agentic AI programs, including pathways toward the Cyclones AI suite and governed automation.

Everything in the open-source app
Enterprise deployment and policy-aligned options
Deeper integrations for org-wide agentic AI programs
Interoperability with third-party tools and existing workflows
Pathways to align Citadel with the broader Cyclones AI suite
Dedicated contact for rollout and qualified account discussions

Sponsor

Use the cloud. Fund the walls.

Citadel is open source. The strongest sponsorship is not a one-off tip, it is to subscribe to and use Aisance Cloud or Cyclones Cloud. Same team behind Citadel; two Swiss AI platforms that extend what you started locally.

Aisance Cloud

Campus flashcards, quizzes, mind maps, and tutors; Camille for admin; Finance; Cosmos chat; Imagine for visuals, structured skills for families and teams. Guard agents on-device with Fortress; bring cloud models into Keep via BYOK.

Try Aisance Cloud

Cyclones Cloud

Cyberesia’s business showcase on cyclones.cloud: Genesis coworkers, Orbit workflows, Veloce, Plume, and multi-app missions. Start with local agents in Keep; graduate to full cloud orchestration when you are ready.

Try Cyclones Cloud

Citadel holds the perimeter. The cloud expands the playbook.

Licensed under Apache License 2.0 with additional obligations: preserve Citadel, Fortress, and Keep naming, official logo and branding assets, and include NOTICES.md, ATTRIBUTIONS.md, and CHANGELOG.md. See the repository LICENSE for full terms.

Frequently asked questions