Comparison

MLC Chat vs Layla AI

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

Head to head
About

MLC Chat

Engage in conversations with open language models directly on your iPad or iPhone. Once a model is downloaded, all interactions occur locally, ensuring privacy and offline functionality without internet access. This app is designed for non-commercial use, allowing you to run various open-source language models on your device.

Highlights
  • Local AI model chat
  • Offline functionality
  • No internet required
  • Privacy-focused
  • Open-source project integration
  • Downloadable language models
Features
Read full description

MLC Chat lets users chat with open language models locally on ipads and iphones. After a model is downloaded to the app, everything runs locally without server support, and it works without internet connections do not record any information. Because the models run locally, it only works for the devices with sufficient VRAM depending on the models being used. MLC Chat is part of open source project MLC LLM, with allows any language model to be deployed natively on a diverse set of hardware backends and native applications. MLC Chat is a runtime that runs different open model architectures on your phone. The app is intended for non-commercial purposes. It allows you to run open-language models downloaded from the internet. Each model can be subject to its respective licenses.

About

Layla AI

Features
Read full description

Layla: The Ultimate AI Call Assistant Tired of interruptions? Overwhelmed by spam, sales calls, and unknown numbers? Layla is your sophisticated AI personal assistant designed to answer your phone, screen every call, and protect your focus. Layla doesn't just block spam—she handles legitimate calls intelligently, ensuring you only engage when it truly matters. How Layla Works: Seamless AI Call Management - Divert Your Calls: You redirect incoming calls (especially unknown numbers) to your dedicated Layla subscription number. - AI Answers Instantly: Layla intercepts the call and engages the caller, asking questions based on your custom instructions. - Real-Time Screening: The AI determines if the call is urgent, spam, or important. - Instant Summary: Once the call is over, you immediately receive a private, detailed transcript and a quick, clear summary of the conversation. Key Features Designed for Professionals & Privacy - Absolute Privacy: Your call data (audio, transcripts, and summaries) is strictly private, visible only to you, and never used to train our AI model. - Zero Spam Interruption: Layla handles spam and telemarketers before your phone even rings, freeing your mind from constant disturbances. - Accurate Transcripts & Summaries: Get the full context in seconds. Review the AI-generated summary or listen to the full, crystal-clear recording at your convenience. - Custom Prompts: Personalize Layla's conversation style and key questions. Tell her exactly how to greet callers and what information to prioritize (e.g., "Ask the caller their name and the purpose of their visit"). - Full Audio Recording: Listen back to the complete call audio stored securely in your private Layla account.

Screenshots

MLC Chat2 screens
Layla AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Layla AI at every 3 weeks against MLC Chat's every 2 months. Layla AI also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MLC Chat ships an update every 2 months, Layla AI every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
MLC Chat versus Layla AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMLC ChatLayla AI
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (84 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews68.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings84 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.7 GB48 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperTianqi ChenOmar Emad

Bugs and requests

MLC Chat

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Phi model crashes on iOS 26.0.1 17 Pro Max
  • App crashes on iPad Pro 4th Gen, iPadOs 17.7
  • RedPajama model crashes app on initialization
  • Update is extremely slow
  • Download model button disabled in new version
Show 12 more
  • RedPajama model crashes, custom model download removed
  • App closes when hitting send on iPhone 13
  • Conversation resets when app is backgrounded
  • Vicuna and Mistral 7B models cause crashes
  • Some 7b q4f16/q4f32 models crash on iPhone 15 Pro
  • App crashes on iPhone 13 mini
  • Cannot load other models from URL
  • Crash on iPhone 12
  • Severe heating and frequency reduction on A15
  • Low VRAM failed initialization on 3GB LP DDR4X phone
  • Cannot run 4bit model on iPhone 15 with 8GB RAM
  • Loading models from HF MLC official Repo causes crashes

Requested features

14 requests
  • Ability to import custom models (from URL/Hugging Face)
  • Support for more specific models (DeepSeek, Phi-2, Gemma 2B/7B, MoE Mixtral 8x7B, LLaVA)
  • History of conversations
  • iOS shortcuts support
  • Ability to export entire responses
Show 9 more
  • Information on VRAM requirements per phone/model
  • Ability to change system message/create custom profiles
  • Ability to edit responses and system prompt
  • Add coffee support
  • Delete downloaded models
  • Change settings per model (repetition penalties, temperature)
  • How-to guide for importing/recompiling LLMs
  • Estimate model compatibility before download
  • Support for CN and ZH languages

Layla AI

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

MLC Chat

No in-app purchases

None

Layla AI

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MLC Chat free?
MLC Chat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Layla AI free?
Layla AI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MLC Chat or Layla AI have ads?
Neither MLC Chat nor Layla AI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MLC Chat or Layla AI?
MLC Chat ships an update every 2 months, and Layla AI every 3 weeks. Most recently, MLC Chat was updated on October 22, 2026 and Layla AI on October 19, 2026.

Other comparisons