# Pal Chat vs RouterChat

The clearest difference is rating: RouterChat at 4.9 against Pal Chat's 4.3. RouterChat also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 59%) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Pal Chat's advantage is ratings volume (429 vs 28) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price 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. RouterChat asks for nothing beyond the download.

RouterChat holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pal Chat has 429 ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Pal Chat's written reviews are positive against 100% of RouterChat's.

Pal Chat ships an update every 3 weeks, RouterChat every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pal Chat | RouterChat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (429 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pal-chat-ai-chat-client/id6447545085/reviews) | **[4.9 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routerchat/id6776368852/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **429** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | 59.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 104 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Pulkit Agarwal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1723503441) | [Aleksei Kolchanov](https://appshunter.io/developer/629996537) |

## 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


### RouterChat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routerchat/id6776368852)

This app provides a native interface for OpenRouter, allowing users to engage in AI conversations across Apple devices. It features a pseudo-voice mode for hands-free interaction and syncs data via iCloud.

**Highlights:** OpenRouter integration, Pseudo-voice mode, Cross-platform sync (iPhone, iPad, Watch, CarPlay), iCloud chat storage, Keychain API key saving, Account status monitoring

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pal Chat free?

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

### Is RouterChat free?

RouterChat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pal Chat or RouterChat?

RouterChat is rated higher. Pal Chat averages 4.3 out of 5 from 429 ratings, while RouterChat averages 4.9 from 28 ratings.

### Do Pal Chat or RouterChat have ads?

Neither Pal Chat nor RouterChat shows ads.

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

Pal Chat ships an update every 3 weeks, and RouterChat every 9 days. Most recently, Pal Chat was updated on September 26, 2026 and RouterChat on September 13, 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.*