# Backyard.ai vs PerChat AI

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PerChat AI at 100% against Backyard.ai's 30%. PerChat AI also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). Backyard.ai's advantage is ratings volume (36 vs 4) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backyard.ai sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. PerChat AI asks for nothing beyond the download.

PerChat AI holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backyard.ai has 36 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Backyard.ai's written reviews are positive against 100% of PerChat AI's.

Backyard.ai ships an update every 2 months, PerChat AI every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backyard.ai | PerChat AI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyardai/id6498968886/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/perchat-ai/id6572322893/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **36** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 39 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Ahoy Labs, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1742076359) | [Ryan Laseter](https://appshunter.io/developer/1759207877) |

## What reviewers say

### Backyard.ai

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyardai/id6498968886)

Engage in immersive text and voice conversations with AI-powered characters. Customize your characters with detailed backstories, notes, and visuals. Discover new adventures in a vibrant community and select from multiple AI models for unique interactions.

**Highlights:** AI-powered text and voice chat, Character customization (lore books, notes, images), Community hub for adventures, Choice of 12+ AI models, Extensive character memory

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Standard Plan AI Models | $6.99 | per month |
| Backyard Cloud Standard | $12.00 | per month |
| Backyard Cloud Pro | $34.99 | per month |
| Standard Plan - Yearly | $107.99 | per year |
| Pro Subscription - Yearly | $314.99 | per year |


### PerChat AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/perchat-ai/id6572322893)

Engage in private AI conversations powered by your own device. Create detailed characters and enjoy offline chat experiences. Enhance chats by using a Mac or Windows PC as a remote server for more complex interactions.

**Highlights:** On-device AI processing for privacy, Offline chat functionality, Create detailed AI characters, Role-play with various personas, Use Mac/Windows PC as remote server, Curated LLM model selection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backyard.ai free?

Backyard.ai is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PerChat AI free?

PerChat AI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Backyard.ai or PerChat AI?

PerChat AI is rated higher. Backyard.ai averages 3.5 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while PerChat AI averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Backyard.ai or PerChat AI have ads?

Neither Backyard.ai nor PerChat AI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Backyard.ai or PerChat AI?

Backyard.ai ships an update every 2 months, and PerChat AI every 4 weeks. Most recently, Backyard.ai was updated on October 4, 2026 and PerChat AI on October 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*