PocketLM vs microAI
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PocketLM
This app brings powerful AI models directly to your Apple device for fast, on-device inference. It supports various model types and offers multimodal capabilities, allowing you to chat, reason, and even understand images locally.
- Local-first AI inference
- Supports MLX and GGUF models
- Broad model coverage
- Optimized for Apple Silicon
- Multimodal capabilities (text and image)
- Chat, summarize, and reason
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PocketLM is a local AI app built for Apple devices, designed to make on-device inference faster, lighter, and more practical for everyday use. It supports both MLX and GGUF model types, with broad coverage across model series including Qwen3.5, Qwen3, LFM2.5, LFM2, MiniCPM5, Gemma4, Gemma3n, Gemma3, BitNet, ERNIE 4.5, and EXAONE 4. Why PocketLM? Local-first inference: core chat and reasoning tasks can run directly on your device. Dual format support: works with both MLX and GGUF models for greater flexibility. Broad model coverage: from compact text models to multimodal models with vision capability. Optimized for Apple Silicon: tuned for responsive performance on Apple hardware. More than chat: ask questions, write, summarize, reason, and understand images in one app. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at jiangdi0924@gmail.com. In-App Purchase: Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. Terms: https://joychat.notion.site/Terms-7ae7c25789c14aa2a1691b5821dd882a Privacy: https://joychat.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-9b295e4625a94a2892ac457153880f82
microAI
This app provides a private, local AI workspace that organizes your thoughts, projects, and files. It allows you to run AI chat on your device, manage AI models, and build a personal memory system for enhanced productivity and offline use.
- Private Memory Map
- Local AI Chat
- Long-Term Memory
- Projects With Context
- Chat With Local Files
- Private Journal
- GGUF Model Management
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AI ON YOUR PHONE. POWERED BY YOUR DEVICES. Run private AI directly on your phone. Need more power? Connect your own computer and let it handle the heavy AI work while you keep using microAI from your phone. No sign-up. No cloud AI account required. Ask questions. Talk instead of type. Show AI a photo. Read a file. Work on a project. Save something for later. microAI brings local AI, your devices, and your private context together in one workspace. YOUR PHONE. YOUR COMPUTER. YOUR AI. Your phone can run compatible local AI models on its own. When you need more power, connect your own computer. Scan a QR code and your approved Mac or browser can run the model while you continue using microAI from your phone. That means you can move heavier AI work off your phone—reducing the load, heat, and battery use caused by demanding on-device inference. Use your phone when that is enough. Use your computer when you want more power. You choose where your AI runs. NO SIGN-UP. NO CLOUD AI REQUIRED. Local AI should not require another account. microAI can run compatible models directly on your devices without requiring a cloud AI account. Your computer can also become your own AI compute node. Open the microAI website on your computer, load a compatible local model, scan the QR code, and connect. No separate website account is required. DIFFERENT AI FOR DIFFERENT JOBS Not every task needs the same AI. microAI includes task-focused AI helpers: • Private Chat — Ask, write, plan, brainstorm, or talk. • Image Chat — Ask questions about photos and screenshots. • Voice Chat — Talk instead of typing. • Review Writer — Turn your experience into a clear review. • Photo Tagger — Create titles, descriptions, and keywords for photos. Choose which compatible model powers each job. Use a small model for quick everyday tasks, a vision model for images, or a stronger model running on your computer when you need more capability. TALK. SEE. READ. AI should work with more than a text box. Talk naturally with Voice Chat. Add a photo or screenshot and ask questions about what you see. Add a supported PDF, TXT, or Markdown file and ask questions about its contents. Use microAI for writing, research, documents, photos, ideas, and everyday questions. COME BACK WITHOUT STARTING OVER Your useful context should not disappear into old chats. Create Projects to keep related conversations, files, instructions, and context together. Save quick thoughts in Journal. microAI can remember useful context and bring it back when relevant. Memory Map gives you a visual way to explore your conversations, projects, journals, models, and memories. LOCAL AI WITHOUT THE USUAL SETUP You should not need to be an AI engineer to start using local AI. Find a compatible model, download it, and start. microAI keeps model discovery, downloads, switching, and resource management in one place. Advanced users can also import compatible GGUF models. Actual performance depends on your device, model, and connection. YOUR AI. YOUR DEVICES. YOUR DATA. When AI runs on your phone, compatible models process requests directly on your device. When you connect your own computer, the model runs on the computer you approve while you continue using microAI from your phone. Your model files stay on the device running them. You decide when a remote compute node is connected and used. Internet access may still be required for model discovery and downloads, purchases, ratings, app services, and certain system features. RUN AI YOUR WAY. On your phone when you want portability. On your computer when you want more power. No sign-up. No cloud AI account required. Your AI. Your devices. Your choice. Want to use your computer with microAI? Visit: https://linklocalai.com/ By using microAI, you agree to Apple's Standard End User License Agreement (EULA). Apple EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: microAI at every 9 days against PocketLM's every 3 weeks. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PocketLM sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and microAI sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PocketLM against 5.0 for microAI. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.
PocketLM ships an update every 3 weeks, microAI every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PocketLM | microAI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 234 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | 笛 姜 | genghong Xie |
Customer experience
PocketLM
microAI
In-app purchases
PocketLM
- Light Usage$0.991 Month
- Heavy Usage$0.991 Month
- Annual Premium$8.991 Year
- Lifetime Premium$12.99
microAI
- microAI Pro – Monthly$0.991 Month
- microAI Pro – Yearly7 Days trial$5.991 Year
- Remove Ads$4.99
- microAI Pro – Lifetime$9.99









