Comparison

Pal Chat vs OwnNotes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pal Chat

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
Read full description

The last AI iOS app you'll need! Pal Chat is a lightweight, powerful, and feature-rich AI Chat Client for your iPhone. It supports EVERY AI model in one interface, including support for: GPT-5.5, Claude 4.7, Gemini 3.1, Grok 4.3, Cursor, Advanced Voice Mode, Image input, GPT-Image 2, Groq, Perplexity, OpenRouter, DeepSeek, Mistral, Fal.ai, Together.ai, custom endpoints, and fully offline local models. No ads, fully private and secure - NO data is collected. Features Overview: - Save multiple prompts and system messages - Store conversation history on-device - Use Image input to process images - Generate images through GPT-Image, Stable Diffusion, Flux, or Fal.ai - Regenerate responses - Edit your questions - Stream the response - Easily switch between models - See the token length and cost of the conversation - Copy an entire conversation from the history page - Full Markdown, LaTeX, and Syntax Highlighting Support - Siri Shortcuts Support Some Benefits of the App over the website: - No usage limits - Privacy - History is only stored on-device - Lets you edit the system message and temperature values - Universal - easily switch many different models Make sure to get an API Key! ‘Pal’ is not liable for any content generated. Terms of Use: https://bit.ly/termsOfUsePalChatEULA Privacy Policy: https://bit.ly/privacyPolicyPalChatEULA

About

OwnNotes

Features
Read full description

Your Offline Private AI Notebook Turn your iPhone and iPad into a private AI-powered notebook that helps you capture, organize, summarize, and improve your ideas—completely offline. No cloud. No account. No subscription. Everything runs directly on your device, so your notes stay private while you enjoy fast, intelligent AI assistance anywhere, even without an internet connection. Whether you're taking meeting notes, studying, journaling, brainstorming, writing, or organizing research, your AI assistant is always available. Key Features • 100% Offline AI – All AI processing happens on your device. No cloud processing or internet required. • Live Voice-to-Text – Capture ideas naturally with fast and accurate speech transcription. • AI Summaries – Turn long notes into concise summaries and actionable takeaways. • Rewrite with AI – Improve grammar, clarity, tone, and structure with a single tap. • Simplify Complex Information – Convert difficult topics into easy-to-understand explanations. • Brainstorm Ideas – Generate outlines, titles, creative ideas, and writing suggestions from your notes. • Biometric Lock – Protect your notes with Face ID or Touch ID for an extra layer of privacy. • Easy Sharing – Instantly share your notes and AI-generated content with Mail, Apple Notes, Reminders, Messages, and your favorite apps. • Private by Design – Your notes never leave your device. • Works Anywhere – Perfect for flights, travel, classrooms, meetings, or anywhere without internet access. Perfect For • Students • Professionals • Writers • Researchers • Journalers • Content Creators • Anyone who values privacy and offline AI. Why Choose Offline AI? Most AI note-taking apps rely on cloud services that upload your notes to remote servers and require an internet connection. This app is different. Everything runs locally on your iPhone or iPad, keeping your ideas private while delivering fast AI assistance wherever you are. Free to use with ads. Upgrade once with a one-time purchase to remove ads forever. No recurring subscription. Think Freely. Stay Private. No cloud. No internet. Just intelligent AI that keeps your ideas where they belong—on your device.

Screenshots

Pal Chat4 screens
OwnNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Pal Chat at none against OwnNotes's shown. OwnNotes's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pal Chat sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and OwnNotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pal Chat ships an update every 3 weeks, OwnNotes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Pal Chat versus OwnNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPal ChatOwnNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (438 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews59.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings438 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size104 MB12 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPulkit AgarwalRajeev Kadaplackal Rajappan Pillai

Bugs and requests

Pal Chat

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

OwnNotes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Pal Chat

Subscriptions2
  • Pal Chat Pro3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Pal Chat Pro Annual7 Days trial$68.991 Year
1 purchases

OwnNotes

One-time1
  • OwnNotes - Remove Ad$4.99

Questions

Is Pal Chat free?
Pal Chat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OwnNotes free?
OwnNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pal Chat or OwnNotes have ads?
OwnNotes shows ads; Pal Chat does not.
Which is updated more often, Pal Chat or OwnNotes?
Pal Chat ships an update every 3 weeks, and OwnNotes every 3 days. Most recently, Pal Chat was updated on November 4, 2026 and OwnNotes on October 31, 2026.

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