# Pal Chat vs LM Mini

The clearest difference is update cadence: LM Mini at every 3 days against Pal Chat's every 3 weeks. LM Mini also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.3) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

LM Mini holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 435 and 154 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Pal Chat's written reviews are positive against 65% of LM Mini's.

Pal Chat ships an update every 3 weeks, LM Mini every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pal Chat | LM Mini |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (435 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pal-chat-ai-chat-client/id6447545085/reviews) | **[4.5 (154 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lm-mini/id6751125309/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **435** | 154 |
| Positive reviews | 59.0% of reviews | **64.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 104 MB | 173 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pulkit Agarwal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1723503441) | [Sultan Haider](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669774421) |

## 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


### LM Mini

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lm-mini/id6751125309)

Chat with your locally hosted language models directly from your iPhone. This companion app connects to your LM Studio server, offering features like conversation management, context visualization, and privacy-first data handling. It also supports image generation through Automatic1111 integration.

**Highlights:** Connect to LM Studio server, Chat with local language models, Manage multiple conversations, Track context usage, Dark mode support, Image generation integration

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $119.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pal Chat free?

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

### Is LM Mini free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pal Chat or LM Mini?

LM Mini is rated higher. Pal Chat averages 4.3 out of 5 from 435 ratings, while LM Mini averages 4.5 from 154 ratings.

### Do Pal Chat or LM Mini have ads?

Neither Pal Chat nor LM Mini shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pal Chat or LM Mini?

Pal Chat ships an update every 3 weeks, and LM Mini every 3 days. Most recently, Pal Chat was updated on October 24, 2026 and LM Mini on October 25, 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.*