NSChat vs Local Chat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NSChat
This native chatbot allows you to connect with various AI models using your own API key. It offers a smooth user experience with gestures and haptic feedback, and prioritizes user privacy with no ads, subscriptions, or data collection.
- Connect to popular AI providers
- Use your own API key
- Fluid gestures and haptic feedback
- No ads
- No subscription
- No data collection
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A native chatbot that uses your own API key. - Works with popular AI providers and models - Fluid gestures and haptic feedback - No ads, no subscription, no data collection
Local Chat
Run powerful open language models directly on your Apple devices, even offline. Enjoy private conversations with AI assistants that can be customized to your needs. Save and sync chats across your Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
- Offline AI chat
- Open language models
- Private conversations
- Cross-device sync
- Customizable personality
- Model selection
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Local Chat allows you to run the latest open language models on your Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Once you've downloaded the models, you can use the chat function even when your device is offline. Your chats remain totally private, since no internet connection is required to interact with the chatbots. It's like having your very own ChatGPT right on your device. You can choose to save your chat history on your devices or delete your chats automatically after you're finished. Any chats that you choose to save in your history will be synced via your private iCloud storage to your other devices. Try leading models from the open-source community, including Llama, Gemma, Qwen, Mistral, DeepSeek, and Kimi. Choose from different sizes to find the best fit for your device. You can also customize the chatbot's personality with a system prompt, whether you prefer a helpful assistant, an encouraging coach, a witty conversationalist, or anything else you can imagine. The chat function works with the following devices: - Mac (M1 and later) - iPhone 12 and later - iPad Pro (M1 and later) - iPad Air (4th generation and later) - iPad mini (6th generation and later) - iPad (10th generation and later) On earlier devices, you can view your chat history from your other devices synced via your private iCloud storage. Local Chat is just getting started, and we're planning to continue adding new features in the coming months. If you have any feedback about the app, we'd love to hear it at feedback@localchat.co. --- Privacy policy: https://localchat.co/privacy Terms of use: https://localchat.co/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Local Chat at 4.5 against NSChat's 4.0. Local Chat also leads on ratings volume (56 vs 1). NSChat's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). 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. NSChat sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Local Chat sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Local Chat holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Local Chat has 56 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of NSChat's written reviews are positive against 71% of Local Chat's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
NSChat ships an update every 10 days, Local Chat every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NSChat | Local Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) | 4.5 (56 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 71.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 56 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 164 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Moderato Ltd | Anthony R. DePasquale |
Customer experience
NSChat
Local Chat
In-app purchases
NSChat
- Buy me a coffee$0.29
Local Chat
- Local Chat Pro$8.991 Month
- Local Chat Pro3 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Local Chat Pro$99.99









