Ai Chat vs Cumbersome
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ai Chat
Access multiple advanced AI models, including ChatGPT and Gemini, in one app. Generate creative content, enhance productivity, and get fast, reliable answers with a unique AI-powered web search engine and custom bots.
- Access to multiple advanced AI models
- Exclusive HotBot™ AI Assistant
- AI-powered web search engine
- Custom bots and AI personalities
- Fast and reliable chat connections
- Ongoing addition of new AI models
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HotBot™ - Fast AI Chat & Chat Bot Ask questions and receive answers from advanced Ai like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and all other popular models. Direct access to these models is included when using our app. HotBot™ is your all-in-one app, powered by the most advanced AI technology. It’s crafted for seamless conversational experiences, enhanced productivity, and creative content generation. Key Features: - Exclusive access to the HotBot™ AI Assistant. - Access to all other popular AI models. - Always the most up-to-date AI models. - New models are added on an ongoing basis. - The most recent knowledge cut-off dates. - Fast and Reliable Chat: Connect quickly to your favorite AI models. Best-in-Class AI Models, All in One Place HotBot™ gives you direct access powerful AI models. Experience the forefront of AI technology, all within a single app. Unique AI-Powered HotBot™ "Web Search" Engine Obtain highly relevant results powered by advanced natural language processing and web search technology to find what you need faster. Interact with Custom Bots & AI Personalities With access to an ever-expanding ecosystem of custom bots, you can create an image, learn a new language, upload essays in PDF files for proofreading, search the web for the latest NBA news, or engage in natural conversations with recreations of your favorite celebrities. HotBot™ delivers a seamless AI experience through a user-friendly interface. Download HotBot™ now and embrace the future of AI. By using HotBot™, you confirm that you have read, acknowledged, and agreed to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Privacy Policy: https://www.hotbot.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://www.hotbot.com/terms Contact us: https://www.hotbot.com/support Follow us: https://x.com/HeyHotBot/ https://www.facebook.com/HeyHotBot/ https://www.instagram.com/heyhotbot/ https://www.youtube.com/@HeyHotBot
Cumbersome
Connect directly to AI provider APIs for greater control over model selection and parameters. Compare different AI models, pay per use, and customize responses with advanced features. Supports multiple providers and custom endpoints.
- Direct API connections
- Multi-provider support
- Full parameter control
- Face/Off Mode with AI judge
- Concurrent chats
- Edit messages
- Rich content support
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IMPORTANT: Requires your own API keys from OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, Google AI Studio, Z.ai, or Vercel AI Gateway, or your own OpenAI-compatible endpoint. I built Cumbersome because consumer AI apps kept dumbing things down. Cumbersome is the manual transmission of AI apps: more complex, but with far greater control. WHY I BUILT THIS Consumer AI providers like ChatGPT and Claude route requests to cheaper models to keep their costs down. They charge monthly subscriptions whether you use them once or a thousand times. They hide the technical controls that let you tune how models respond. And they lock you into one provider. I wanted an AI client that connects directly to AI provider APIs. I wanted to pick exactly which model I use and know I'm getting it. I wanted to compare different models on the same prompt. I wanted to pay per use instead of subscriptions. So I built it. This is the app I use every day to interact with AI, so I pay attention and try to get it right. SUPPORTED PROVIDERS Bring your API keys, or add your own OpenAI-compatible endpoint, for any of the following: — ChatGPT / OpenAI — Claude / Anthropic — Gemini / Google AI Studio — OpenRouter multi-provider — Vercel AI Gateway multi-provider — Z.ai — OpenAI-compatible custom endpoints, including Ollama, Azure, LM Studio, Groq, Together, and self-hosted backends WHAT YOU GET — A free app. — A versatile API client. One app, every major provider and model. — Total control. Pick your model, tune the parameters, switch providers mid-conversation. — Compare models head to head. Stream multiple chats in parallel and let an AI judge pick the best. — Bring your own tools. Local browser use, reasoning, web search, image generation. — Rich, editable conversations. Markdown, LaTeX, code blocks, attachments, edit and export anything. — Private by design. iCloud sync across devices. Nothing saved to our servers. — Native and accessible on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. MAJOR FEATURES ADDED IN 2026 Highlights only. See What's New on the App Store for the latest. 2026-07-02: Chat appearance themes and reading fonts (Serif, Rounded, Mono). 2026-06-28: Folder-level system message presets. 2026-06-24: Prompt caching, with cache usage shown across providers. 2026-06-17: Reusable system message presets per conversation. 2026-06-16: Offload long system messages to iCloud Drive. 2026-06-15: Pause custom API parameters with a toggle. 2026-06-11: Compact a conversation to lower API costs. 2026-06-07: Run JavaScript and HTML directly from Cumbersome. 2026-06-04: Choose how OpenRouter parses PDFs and which search engine it uses. 2026-05-12: Configurable Quick Prompt shortcut and App Visibility on Mac. 2026-05-09: Conversation folders. Group, move, and organize chats. 2026-05-03: Collapsible sidebar sections, synced across devices. 2026-04-22: AI image generation with OpenAI and Gemini. 2026-04-18: Local browser tool use. AI can search and browse pages. 2026-04-11: Headless mode. The AI works the browser in the background. 2026-04-03: Searchable model picker for long model lists. 2026-03-15: Extended thinking and reasoning across providers. 2026-03-09: Auto-delete conversations after a set number of days. 2026-02-28: OpenAI-compatible custom providers (Ollama, Azure, LM Studio, Groq). 2026-02-25: Only Search When Requested. Keep web search off until you ask. 2026-02-24: Image paste, interactive attachment previews, and PDF thumbnails. 2026-02-21: Siri and Shortcuts integration. 2026-02-20: Vercel AI Gateway support, with model exclusion filters. 2026-02-06: Voice Control, Larger Text, and higher contrast. 2026-01-11: Major accessibility pass. VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, keyboard nav. 2026-01-06: OpenRouter multi-provider integration. THE DEAL The app is free. You pay providers directly for API access. I'm Peter, an indie developer in Reno, Nevada, out among the high desert tumbleweed. No VC money. No growth hacking. Just a tool I wanted to exist.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cumbersome at 87% against Ai Chat's 0%. Cumbersome also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Ai Chat's advantage is iOS requirement (16 vs 18.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Ai Chat sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per month. Cumbersome asks for nothing beyond the download.
Cumbersome holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cumbersome has 79 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Ai Chat's written reviews are positive against 87% of Cumbersome's.
Ai Chat ships an update every 5 weeks, Cumbersome every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ai Chat | Cumbersome |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (2 ratings) | 4.9 (79 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 86.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 79 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 16 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 75 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Hotbot Limited | Folding Sky Co |
Customer experience
Ai Chat
Cumbersome
In-app purchases
Ai Chat
- Premium$19.991 Month
Cumbersome
No in-app purchases









