Comparison

Chatbox vs CHM Reader

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

Head to head
About

Chatbox

This application acts as a universal client, connecting you to leading AI models across various devices. It offers features like code assistance, image generation, and smart file understanding, all while prioritizing local data storage for privacy.

Highlights
  • Connect to multiple AI models
  • Analyze documents, images, and code
  • AI-powered code generation and optimization
  • Text-to-image generation
  • Local data storage for privacy
  • Cross-device synchronization
Features
Read full description

Harness the power of the world's most advanced AI models right on your phone! An all-in-one AI client that's ready to use right out of the box — no complex configuration needed. Core Features: - Seamlessly Connect Global AI Models Access ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other leading AI models worldwide. Regardless of which model you prefer, Chatbox lets you integrate them seamlessly. Flexibly configure your own model services, switch freely, and maintain full control — one app for all your AI needs. - Intelligent Document Understanding Upload PDFs, Excel sheets, images, and more. AI instantly extracts, analyzes, and summarizes your content with precision. Whether it's reading research papers, reviewing contracts, analyzing reports, or identifying objects in images — complex documents become easy to work with. - Real-Time Web Search Built-in web search capability enables AI to access breaking news, trending information, market data, and academic insights in real time. Say goodbye to outdated training data and get the latest, most accurate answers. Track technology trends, get current news commentary, or access real-time data — all with a single question. - Powerful Complex Format Rendering Support for HTML web previews, LaTeX mathematical formulas, and Markdown rich text. Whether it's AI-generated interactive pages, complex scientific formulas, structured notes, or code snippets — everything is rendered with professional-grade precision instantly. - AI Image Generation Powerful image generation at your fingertips. Describe what you want, and instantly create high-quality illustrations, design sketches, and creative posters. Spark inspiration, accelerate creation, and bring every idea to life. What Chatbox can help you: - Students & Researchers → Read papers, write formulas, render LaTeX, search literature in real time — academic productivity on steroids - Professionals → Analyze documents, generate reports, track industry trends — your second brain at work - Creative Minds → Brainstorm ideas, generate images, refine copy, leverage trending topics — endless inspiration - AI Enthusiasts → Experience multiple models in one place, explore AI frontiers with ease Our Privacy Commitment: We prioritize your data security above all else. All your information and conversation history are securely stored locally on your device by default, ensuring you maintain complete control over your privacy.

About

CHM Reader

Features
Read full description

CHM Reader is a modern reader for technical manuals, offline help files, and archived reference material. No account is required—choose a file and read it directly on your iPhone or iPad. RELIABLE CHM PARSING • Import CHM files from Files, iCloud Drive, and other document providers • Preserve nested contents, the default page, images, tables, code, and internal links • Detect common legacy encodings used by Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Western, and Cyrillic documents • Change the encoding and reparse an individual document if text appears garbled COMFORTABLE READING • Restyle old or desktop-oriented pages for a cleaner mobile layout • Choose reading themes, including Dark Mode • Adjust typeface, text size, line spacing, and paragraph spacing • Keep your reading position, progress, history, and bookmarks • Find information with nested contents and full-text search PDF EXPORT Convert the current chapter or the entire document to a paginated PDF, then save, print, or share it with the system share sheet. LOCAL AND PRIVATE Parsing, reading, search, and PDF conversion happen locally on your device. The app requires no sign-in and contains no ads, analytics SDKs, or tracking code. Document scripts, remote resources, and external web links are blocked. FREE USE AND LIFETIME UNLOCK You can fully parse 5 different CHM files for free. Parsing a 6th new file requires a one-time Lifetime Unlock purchase; this is not a subscription. Deleting imported files does not reset the lifetime count. Eligible purchases support Family Sharing and can be restored.

Screenshots

Chatbox4 screens
CHM Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chatbox at none against CHM Reader's 2. On price, update cadence, ads 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. CHM Reader sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Chatbox asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Chatbox versus CHM Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChatboxCHM Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (659 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings659 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB6 MB
Age rating17+9+
DeveloperMediocre Apps文利 罗

Bugs and requests

Chatbox

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Cannot select Ollama models
  • Custom API URL connections failing
  • Live scrolling issues during streaming
  • Proxy settings not working on mobile

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for local Ollama models
  • Improve organization features (folders, projects, etc.)
  • Implement iCloud syncing
  • Add Chinese language support

CHM Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Chatbox

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

CHM Reader

One-time2
  • chm阅读器会员$1.99
  • chm阅读器永久会员$1.99

Questions

Is Chatbox free?
Chatbox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CHM Reader free?
CHM Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chatbox or CHM Reader have ads?
Neither Chatbox nor CHM Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chatbox or CHM Reader?
Chatbox ships an update weekly, and CHM Reader weekly. Most recently, Chatbox was updated on October 20, 2026 and CHM Reader on October 18, 2026.

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