Comparison

3sparks Chat vs LM Mini

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

Head to head
About

3sparks Chat

This AI chat client allows you to connect with local and cloud-based language models. It offers features like image and file support, a web content reader, and a home screen widget for quick chat initiation. The integrated AI keyboard helps refine your writing in any application.

Highlights
  • Connect to local and cloud AI models
  • Image and file upload support
  • Web content reader
  • Home screen widget
  • Share extension
  • AI Keyboard Extension for rewriting
  • Customizable prompts and tone
Features
Read full description

Chat smarter with 3sparks Chat – your personal LLM client for local and cloud models. Connect to your favorite AI models, whether they’re running on your own machine or through cloud services: • Local models like LM Studio, Ollama, AnythingLLM, OpenWebUI (Mac, PC, or Linux) • Cloud-based APIs like OpenAI, Mistral, Gemini and others Now with powerful new tools: • Image & file support – Upload images (for vision-capable models) or text files (supported by all models) to enhance your chats. • Web content reader – Fetch and include webpage content in your chats using Jina Reader • Home screen widget – Start a new chat instantly by snapping a photo, uploading an image, pasting clipboard text, or starting blank • Share extension – Send text or links from any app into 3S Chat with a tap Plus, the built-in AI Keyboard Extension lets you rephrase and fine-tune your writing in any app like iMessage, WhatsApp, and email: • Customizable prompts for instant rewriting • Personalized tone and style settings • No forced cloud storage – your data, your choice 3S Chat is optimized for iOS, iPadOS and VisionOS, so you can enjoy a seamless experience across your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro.

About

LM Mini

Chat with your locally hosted language models directly from your iPhone. This companion app connects to your LM Studio server, offering features like conversation management, context visualization, and privacy-first data handling. It also supports image generation through Automatic1111 integration.

Highlights
  • Connect to LM Studio server
  • Chat with local language models
  • Manage multiple conversations
  • Track context usage
  • Dark mode support
  • Image generation integration
Features
Read full description

Chat with LM Studio, Ollama, and oMLX from your iPhone — or run on-device models offline. Private local AI on hardware you control. No cloud chat subscription required. THREE WAYS TO USE IT 1. On-device — download a model and chat with no internet 2. Connected — LM Studio, Ollama, Jan AI, or oMLX over Wi‑Fi or USB 3. Remote — LM Mini Connect from anywhere, encrypted with your key One app for phone-side models and your desktop local setup. WHAT TO EXPECT Phone models are not the same as huge hosted models in a data center. They are smaller, and that is expected. Performance will vary by hardware. What you gain is control: offline use, private chats on your device or your home machine, and freedom to run the open models you choose. BUILT FOR - People already running LM Studio, Ollama, oMLX or Jan AI who want that stack in their pocket - People who want on-device chat when they are offline or away from Wi-Fi - People who care about keeping conversations off third-party chat servers - Researchers, builders, and privacy-minded users experimenting with local AI INSIDE THE APP - Download and run on-device models on your phone - Connect to LM Studio, Ollama, Jan AI and oMLX - Remote access through LM Mini Connect with your encryption key - Manage and download models on LM Studio from your phone - Local conversation history, folders, and context usage tracking - Personas, plus group chat with up to 5 models in one conversation - Voice chat with Kokoro - Image generation with ComfyUI and Automatic1111 - Web search through SearXNG - Memory so your AI can remember details about you - On-device semantic search across your chats - Background generation, so you don't have to sit and stare at the screen - Themes, backgrounds, and avatars - Import chats from LM Studio - Optional encrypted cloud backups - Custom servers with custom headers - Optional APIs when you want them: OpenAI, OpenRouter, Mistral, DeepSeek, Google Gemini, and more - MCP tool calling - In-app support and feature requests - Dark mode and a chat UI meant for daily use PRIVACY For local use, chats stay on your phone, or between your phone and your own computer. We don't need your conversations to make that core local path work. If you choose optional cloud APIs, those requests go to the provider you pick. SETUP On-device: a compatible phone with enough free storage and memory for the model you pick. Connected mode: LM Studio, Ollama, or oMLX on your computer, plus local network or USB access, or LM Mini Connect for remote use. Install LM Mini and keep your local AI with you. Download LM Mini today and start chatting with your local AI models privately and securely! This app uses Apple Standard EULA license and its available at https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

3sparks Chat4 screens
LM Mini4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: LM Mini at Free against 3sparks Chat's $5.99. LM Mini also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). 3sparks Chat's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On review sentiment, 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

LM Mini is free to download; 3sparks Chat costs $5.99 up front. LM Mini sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. 3sparks Chat asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LM Mini holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LM Mini has 154 ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of 3sparks Chat's written reviews are positive against 65% of LM Mini's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

3sparks Chat ships an update fortnightly, LM Mini every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
3sparks Chat versus LM Mini: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter3sparks ChatLM Mini
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (29 ratings)4.5 (154 ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.4% of reviews — better64.7% of reviews
Number of ratings29154 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Vision ProiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB173 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer3sparks Labs LLCSultan Haider

Customer experience

3sparks Chat

All ratings28 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive68.4%
Neutral7.9%
Negative23.7%

LM Mini

All ratings154 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral3.9%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive64.7%
Neutral7.8%
Negative27.5%

Bugs and requests

3sparks Chat

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App freezes and locks up during chats
  • Updates break functionality
  • LLM stops responding after a few messages
  • Chat history stops loading
  • Timeouts make it unusable
Show 4 more
  • Code blocks not shown in reply
  • Garbled responses from certain models
  • App freezes when clicking on a chat
  • Cannot connect to external servers that use the http protocol

Requested features

15 requests
  • German language and keyboard layout
  • Audio input for prompting
  • Set default per connection (token limit, etc.)
  • Enable Search grounding for Gemini models
  • iOS Live Activity for running queries
Show 10 more
  • Option to provide local PDF files
  • Drag and drop of files into chat
  • Backgrounding while streaming responses
  • Support all modalities (image & video input/output)
  • Set default instructions, skip setup, choose default model
  • Lock in default settings (temperature, context window, streaming mode)
  • RAG and web search
  • Live camera OCR and image generation
  • Fix code block display
  • Support http protocol for connections

LM Mini

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

3sparks Chat

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

LM Mini

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$119.99

Questions

Is 3sparks Chat free?
3sparks Chat costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is LM Mini free?
LM Mini is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 3sparks Chat or LM Mini?
LM Mini is rated higher. 3sparks Chat averages 4.2 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while LM Mini averages 4.5 from 154 ratings.
Do 3sparks Chat or LM Mini have ads?
Neither 3sparks Chat nor LM Mini shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 3sparks Chat or LM Mini?
3sparks Chat ships an update fortnightly, and LM Mini every 3 days. Most recently, 3sparks Chat was updated on October 27, 2026 and LM Mini on October 28, 2026.

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