# Pythonista 3 vs Pal Chat

The clearest difference is price: Pal Chat at Free against Pythonista 3's $9.99. Pal Chat also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 19 months). Pythonista 3's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (73% vs 59%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Pal Chat is free to download; Pythonista 3 costs $9.99 up front. Pal Chat sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Pythonista 3 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pythonista 3 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 429 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Pythonista 3's written reviews are positive against 59% of Pal Chat's.

Pythonista 3 ships an update every 19 months, Pal Chat every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pythonista 3 | Pal Chat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pythonista-3/id1085978097/reviews)** | [4.3 (429 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pal-chat-ai-chat-client/id6447545085/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 429 |
| Positive reviews | **73.4% of reviews** | 59.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 19 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | — |
| Size | 853 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [omz:software](https://appshunter.io/developer/285608316) | [Pulkit Agarwal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1723503441) |

## What reviewers say

### Pythonista 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pythonista-3/id1085978097)

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Paid · Productivity, #178 Top Paid (US App Store)

Develop and run Python 3 scripts directly on your iPad or iPhone. This complete scripting environment includes popular third-party modules and allows access to iOS features like sensors, location, and photos. Automate your device with app extensions and integrate with Shortcuts and Siri.

**Highlights:** Powerful code editor with syntax highlighting, Interactive prompt with code completion, Integrated visual debugger, Offline Python documentation, UI editor for prototyping, Share sheet and system-wide keyboard extensions, Shortcuts app integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pal Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pal-chat-ai-chat-client/id6447545085)

This app acts as a universal AI chat client, supporting a wide range of models and features like image input, image generation, and offline capabilities. It offers a private and secure experience with no data collection and no ads.

**Highlights:** Supports all major AI models, Image input and generation, Offline local model support, Save prompts and history, Stream responses, Full Markdown and LaTeX support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pal Chat Pro | $6.99 | per month |
| Pal Chat Pro Annual | $68.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent app design
- 🔒 Allows use of own API keys
- 👍 Customizable prompts and instructions
- 🚀 Efficient token usage tracking
- 👍 Responsive developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes with OpenRouter models
- 🐛 Keyboard lag and UI issues
- 💰 Subscription model for previously free features
- 🐛 Rendering issues with mathematical formulas
- 🐛 Inconsistent UI indicators for model outputs

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to change AI provider
- Freezing on long responses
- Unavailability of certain models (e.g., GPT-4o-mini)

**Requested features**

- Conversation history search
- Support for local/self-hosted models
- Multimodal support (vision, audio)
- Ability to edit/delete messages in conversation
- Dynamic model listing from providers


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pythonista 3 free?

Pythonista 3 costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pal Chat free?

Pal Chat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pythonista 3 or Pal Chat?

Pythonista 3 is rated higher. Pythonista 3 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Pal Chat averages 4.3 from 429 ratings.

### Do Pythonista 3 or Pal Chat have ads?

Neither Pythonista 3 nor Pal Chat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pythonista 3 or Pal Chat?

Pythonista 3 ships an update every 19 months, and Pal Chat every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pythonista 3 was updated on October 12, 2026 and Pal Chat on October 9, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*