Comparison

Private LLM vs Chessconnect

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

Head to head
About

Private LLM

This AI assistant offers advanced on-device capabilities for productivity and creativity, ensuring your interactions remain confidential and offline. It supports a wide range of open-source LLM models and integrates seamlessly with Siri and Shortcuts.

Highlights
  • On-device AI processing
  • Wide selection of open-source LLM models
  • Siri and Shortcuts integration
  • Customizable system prompts
  • Offline functionality
  • Family Sharing support
Features
Read full description

Discover the Ultimate Privacy-Focused AI Assistant on iOS: Private LLM Unlock a new realm of productivity and creativity on your iPhone and iPad with Private LLM, the premier AI assistant designed with your privacy in mind. Available for a one-time purchase, it offers a range of AI capabilities without needing a subscription. Experience advanced on-device AI that keeps your interactions confidential and offline. Why Private LLM is Your Go-To AI Companion: - Exclusive AI Model Selection: Choose from a diverse set of open-source LLM models optimized for performance and perplexity on iOS with state of the art OmniQuant quantization: including models from Llama 2, Llama 3.2, Llama 3.1, Google Gemma 2, Gemma 3, Microsoft Phi-3, Mistral 7B, Qwen 2.5, Qwen 3, StableLM 3B and many more. Whether you need help with creative brainstorming, coding, or daily questions, customize your AI experience to meet your unique needs. - Integrated with Siri & Shortcuts: Enhance your AI interactions with Siri commands and customizable Shortcuts. Private LLM seamlessly fits within your Apple ecosystem, making your digital assistant more accessible. - Customizable Interactions: Tailor your AI's responses and interactions with customizable system prompts to match your preferences and needs. - Uncompromised Privacy and Security: With Private LLM, your conversations stay confidential and on your device. Our advanced on-device AI performs robust computing without risking data compromise or needing an internet connection. - Family Sharing & Offline Capabilities: Benefit from a one-time purchase that includes Family Sharing. Download models as needed and enjoy the full functionality of your AI assistant, even without internet access. Supported LLM Model families: - DeepSeek R1 Distill based models - Phi 4 based models - Qwen 3 based models (Qwen3-4B-Instruct-2507) - Qwen 2.5 based models (0.5B, 1.5B, 3B and 7B) - Qwen 2.5 Coder based Models (0.5B, 1.5B, 3B, 7B and 14B) - Llama 3.1 8B based models - Llama 3.2 1B and 3B based models - Google Gemma 2 2B and 9B based models - Google Gemma 3 1B based models - Mistral 7B based models - Yi 6B based models For a full list of supported models, including detailed specifications, please visit privatellm.app/models. Private LLM is not just a chatbot; it's a comprehensive AI companion designed to respect your privacy while providing versatile, on-demand assistance. Whether you're enhancing your creative writing, tackling complex programming challenges, or just seeking answers, Private LLM adapts to meet your needs while keeping your data secure. Start your journey with Private LLM today and elevate your productivity and creative projects with the most private AI assistant for iOS devices. Private LLM is a better alternative to generic llama.cpp and MLX wrappers apps like Enchanted, Ollama, LLM Farm, LM Studio, Locally AI, RecurseChat, etc on three fronts: 1. Private LLM uses a faster and highly-optimized mlc-llm based inference engine. 2. Models in Private LLM are quantized using the state of the art quantization algorithms like OmniQuant, while competing apps use naive round-to-nearest quantization. 3. Private LLM is a fully native app built using C++, Metal and Swift with deep integrations with iOS and iPadOS, while many of the competing apps are bloated and non-native Electron or Flutter based apps. Please note that Private LLM only supports inference with text based LLMs. Model support varies by device capabilities.

About

Chessconnect

Connect your electronic chessboard to your mobile device for an enhanced online chess experience. Play on major platforms, enjoy full game features, and utilize board-specific enhancements.

Highlights
  • Connect electronic chessboards to mobile
  • Seamless integration with Chess.com, Lichess.org, and more
  • Play against bots or human opponents
  • Supports Chess960
  • Enhanced gameplay features
  • Wide electronic board compatibility
Features
Read full description

Great news for iOS users! The Chessconnect app is now available, bringing the most popular browser extension for electronic chess boards directly to your mobile device. Just like the acclaimed Chrome extension, the Chessconnect iOS app lets you seamlessly connect your smart chessboard to top platforms like Chess.com, Lichess.org, Noctie.ai, and Chessiverse.com. Now, you can enjoy the authentic feel of a physical board combined with the power of online play, anywhere you go! Why You'll Love the Chessconnect iOS App: Play Anywhere: Connect your electronic chessboard to your iOS phone or tablet for an unmatched portable chess experience. 100% Free: Get all the great features of Chessconnect without any cost or hidden fees. Seamless Integration: Enjoy direct, legal connections to leading chess sites using their official APIs. Extensive Board Support: Compatible with almost all electronic chess boards that are equipped with Bluetooth LE. Full Online Features: Play against bots or human opponents, participate in live tournaments, solve puzzles, and dive into studies – all from your physical board. Enhanced Gameplay: Benefit from features like optional move delay, sound or speech announcements, and move/time display on compatible chess clocks. Chess960 Support: Enjoy full support for Chess960 (Fischer Random Chess). Download the Chessconnect iOS app today and elevate your game! (Please note: DGT's electronic chess boards require the Chessconnect adapter for DGT and iOS. See here for more information: https://chessconnect.de/#chessconnect-adapter)

Screenshots

Private LLM4 screens
Chessconnect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chessconnect at 100% against Private LLM's 49%. Chessconnect also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and rating (5.0 vs 4.2). Private LLM's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (746 vs 8). On update cadence, ads, 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

Chessconnect is free to download; Private LLM costs $4.99 up front. Chessconnect sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Private LLM asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chessconnect holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Private LLM has 746 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Private LLM's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chessconnect's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Private LLM versus Chessconnect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrivate LLMChessconnect
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (746 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings746 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#12 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB13 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperNumen Technologies LimitedJORN DR. GEHRING

Customer experience

Private LLM

All ratings741 ratings
Positive77.2%
Neutral5.5%
Negative17.3%
Written reviews385 reviews
Positive48.8%
Neutral14.0%
Negative37.1%

Chessconnect

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Private LLM

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when downloading larger models
  • Shortcuts integration issues
  • Conversations get cleared when switching away
  • Doesn't work with accessibility features

Requested features

7 requests
  • Allow importing own models
  • Add chat history and export options
  • Implement voice to chat and RAG features
  • Add support for larger models on Mac
  • Provide more information about each model
Show 2 more
  • Allow creating custom prompt presets
  • Integrate with iOS Shortcuts

Chessconnect

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Private LLM

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Chessconnect

One-time4
  • English Breakfast$3.99
  • Darjeeling$8.99
  • Earl Grey$22.99
Show 1 more
  • Chai Latte$44.99

Questions

Is Private LLM free?
Private LLM costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chessconnect free?
Chessconnect is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Private LLM or Chessconnect?
Chessconnect is rated higher. Private LLM averages 4.2 out of 5 from 746 ratings, while Chessconnect averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Private LLM or Chessconnect have ads?
Neither Private LLM nor Chessconnect shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Private LLM or Chessconnect?
Private LLM ships an update every 5 weeks, and Chessconnect every 5 weeks. Most recently, Private LLM was updated on November 7, 2026 and Chessconnect on November 5, 2026.

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