# Pal Chat vs InstaLM

The clearest difference is update cadence: InstaLM at every 4 days against Pal Chat's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pal Chat sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and InstaLM sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pal Chat ships an update every 3 weeks, InstaLM every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pal Chat | InstaLM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (437 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pal-chat-ai-chat-client/id6447545085/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **437** | — |
| Positive reviews | 59.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 104 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pulkit Agarwal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1723503441) | [旻 蔡](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454667188) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### InstaLM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instalm/id6504527345)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| InstaLM Plus (Weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| InstaLM Plus (Monthly) | $19.99 | per month |
| InstaLM Plus (Annual) | $199.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pal Chat free?

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

### Is InstaLM free?

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

### Do Pal Chat or InstaLM have ads?

Neither Pal Chat nor InstaLM shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pal Chat or InstaLM?

Pal Chat ships an update every 3 weeks, and InstaLM every 4 days. Most recently, Pal Chat was updated on October 30, 2026 and InstaLM on September 23, 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.*