# 3sparks Chat vs LM Mini

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 (4.4 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.

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.

LM Mini holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LM Mini has 155 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.

3sparks Chat ships an update fortnightly, LM Mini every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | 3sparks Chat | LM Mini |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.2 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3sparks-chat/id6736871168/reviews) | **[4.4 (155 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lm-mini/id6751125309/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 29 | **155** |
| Positive reviews | **68.4% of reviews** | 64.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 30 MB | 173 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [3sparks Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689216503) | [Sultan Haider](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669774421) |

## What reviewers say

### 3sparks Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3sparks-chat/id6736871168)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Works great with local LM Studio/Ollama
- 💡 Image enablement appreciated
- 💡 Saving and using system prompts
- 💡 Good value for money (one-time purchase)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes and locks up during chats
- 🐛 Updates break functionality
- 🐛 Cannot cancel subscription/no in-app cancellation
- 🐛 Does not work in prohibited countries without VPN
- 🐛 Timeouts make it unusable

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### LM Mini

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lm-mini/id6751125309)

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:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $119.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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 4.4 from 155 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 30, 2026 and LM Mini on October 30, 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.*