Liquid Apollo vs Astropad Workbench
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Liquid Apollo
Access a wide range of AI language models, both locally on your device and through cloud APIs. This app allows you to chat with open-source models, connect to your own hosted LLMs, or utilize services like OpenRouter for broad model access.
- Local LLM support
- OpenRouter integration
- Custom backend connections
- Private AI chat
- Access to open-source models
- Connect to hosted LLMs
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Chat with private, local AI models, connect to every open source AI, or your own locally-hosted private LLMs. Apollo is your own customizable client for accessing language models from all around the web. Local model support (powered by LEAP, a Liquid AI product): run smaller LLMs privately and securely on-device. OpenRouter support: bring an OpenRouter API key to chat with every model on the web. Just sign in by creating an account over at OpenRouter and paste it in to Apollo to access nearly every model, from open source models like Meta Llama 3, to closed source models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4. Custom Backend support: want ChatGPT at home? Run an LLM on your computer with tools like LM Studio or Ollama and connect to it with Apollo to host your own private ChatGPT-like mobile app for your family.
Astropad Workbench
Access and control your Mac remotely from your iPhone or iPad. Manage your machine, run desktop applications, and monitor tasks from anywhere with a high-performance, secure connection.
- Real-time Mac control
- Voice dictation to Mac
- Unified multi-display workspace
- Apple Pencil cursor control
- Hassle-free network connections
- End-to-end encrypted sessions
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Access and control your Mac from anywhere. Workbench is a high-performance remote desktop that lets you connect to your Mac from your iPhone or iPad. Manage your machine, run desktop apps, and check in on long-running tasks while away from your desk. Built by the team behind Astropad Studio and Luna Display, Workbench delivers fast, responsive control with crisp visual and reliable performance across all networks. ————— KEY FEATURES Fast, high-fidelity streamlining. Interact with your Mac in real time with responsive controls and sharp visuals. Voice input. Dictate text from your iPhone or iPad and send it directly to your Mac. Unified display. Consolidate multi-display setups into a single workspace that conforms to the resolution of your mobile device. Apple Pencil support. Use your Apple Pencil like a mouse for precise cursor control when interacting with Mac apps. No-hassle connections. Connect instantly without complicated router/network configurations, port forwarding, or manual setup. Secure by design. Astropad doesn’t capture your screen or track your activity, and sessions are secured by modern end-to-end encryption standards. ————— BUILT FOR REMOTE WORKFLOWS Workbench makes it easy to stay connected to your Mac wherever you are. Monitor running processes, access files, manage remote systems, or check in on tools and software that doesn’t have a mobile app. ————— PRICING Workbench includes a Free plan with 30 minutes of access per day. Upgrade to Unlimited for uninterrupted access (subscription required). ————— SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Mac: macOS 15 or later iPhone: iOS 26 or later iPad: iPadOS 26 or later
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Liquid Apollo at free against Astropad Workbench's freemium. Liquid Apollo also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 59%) and ratings volume (645 vs 177). Astropad Workbench's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Astropad Workbench holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 645 and 177 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of Liquid Apollo's written reviews are positive against 59% of Astropad Workbench's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Liquid Apollo ships an update every 10 days, Astropad Workbench every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.
| Parameter | Liquid Apollo | Astropad Workbench |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (645 ratings) | 4.8 (177 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.7% of reviews — better | 58.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 645 — better | 177 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 151 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Liquid AI, Inc. | Astro HQ |
Customer experience
Liquid Apollo
Astropad Workbench
Bugs and requests
Liquid Apollo
Reported bugs
6 issues- Unable to download Liquid Models
- Deleted locally installed models
- OpenRouter support crashes the app
- Voice list doesn't load all available voices
- Backspace lag leading to unintended text deletion
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- Inconsistent behavior when using code blocks
Requested features
10 requests- Add support for more open-source models (e.g. Gemma 3)
- Implement image generation and upload functionality
- Allow scheduling of asynchronous tasks
- Integrate with Hugging Face model repository
- Provide built-in prompt library
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- Add MCP (Multimodal Conversation Protocol) support
- Enable direct OpenAI API integration
- Improve voice chat functionality
- Add option to delete all chat history
- Implement search and filtering for chat history
Astropad Workbench
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Liquid Apollo
No in-app purchases
Astropad Workbench
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Liquid Apollo free?
Is Astropad Workbench free?
Which has better reviews, Liquid Apollo or Astropad Workbench?
Do Liquid Apollo or Astropad Workbench have ads?
Which is updated more often, Liquid Apollo or Astropad Workbench?
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