Ask Iris vs Asterode
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ask Iris
This app creates a private AI workspace on your device. It allows you to ask questions about your local files like screenshots, PDFs, and images without uploading them to the cloud. You can extract text, summarize documents, and get answers grounded in your own data.
- Local AI model execution
- Ask questions about local files
- Extract text from images
- Summarize documents
- Organize chats and clips
- Model library management
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Your files already contain the answers. Ask Iris turns documents, images, recordings, folders, and conversations into a private AI workspace on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple Intelligence and compatible MLX models run directly on your device, so your content, chats, and model inference stay under your control. EXPLORE THE FULL MODEL LIBRARY FREE FOR 100 DAYS Your full model trial begins with your first message. No account or subscription is required. After the trial, keep using a basic model for free, including Apple Intelligence when available. Unlock Pro once for the full model library and custom models. Your workspaces remain on your device either way. MEET IRIS Your friendly flower companion helps you find your way around. Click Iris in the sidebar to ask how to use the app, choose a model, add sources, or explore a workspace. App guidance uses your configured model in a familiar chat. BUILD A PRIVATE WORKSPACE Create a workspace for a project, topic, collection, or ongoing question. Add a folder at once or bring in PDFs, text documents, spreadsheets, Word files, images, audio recordings, screenshots, camera captures, and video clips. ASK ACROSS EVERY SOURCE Ask about one attachment or an entire workspace. Compare documents, explain an image, extract visible text, summarize a PDF, inspect a clip, or follow an idea across multiple sources. Answers can cite the files and timestamped transcripts they came from, making it easy to check the original context. TRANSCRIBE ON YOUR DEVICE Import supported audio recordings and turn speech into a searchable, timestamped transcript using Apple's on-device speech recognition. Play the recording, jump through transcript segments, and use it as workspace knowledge alongside documents and images. TURN FILES INTO LIVING KNOWLEDGE Ask Iris builds an editable workspace summary and wiki from your content. Useful ideas, source notes, and briefings stay organized as the workspace grows, without exposing the underlying knowledge format or making you maintain a separate database. SEARCH WITHOUT A CLOUD INDEX Private Search finds chats, notes, documents, PDF pages, transcripts, and images across all your workspaces. Jump back to the original workspace, conversation, or source without sending a search index to a hosted service. WORK WITH WHAT YOU SEE Capture a screen or window on Mac, attach images and video, or use Photos and Camera on iPhone and iPad. Explain an unfamiliar interface, inspect a receipt, compare images, or turn a screenshot into a clear bug report. CHOOSE THE RIGHT LOCAL MODEL Start with the built-in Apple Intelligence model on supported devices, with no separate model download. Or browse a focused model library with recommendations based on your device, download a compatible model, or add a supported Hugging Face MLX model. Switch models when speed, memory use, or answer quality matters. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Chats, workspace content, generated knowledge, transcripts, and model inference stay on your device. Ask Iris reaches the network only for actions you choose, such as downloading a model, opening a model card, running an explicitly enabled web search, or completing an App Store purchase. No account is required. ONE PURCHASE, NO SUBSCRIPTION A basic model remains free after the trial, including Apple Intelligence when available. Unlock Ask Iris Pro once to use every compatible model in the library, add custom Hugging Face models, and support ongoing local-first development. Purchases are handled securely by the App Store.
Asterode
Access multiple leading AI models like GPT, Claude, and Gemini in a single application. Features include shared memory, multi-angle reasoning, note creation, and file analysis for enhanced productivity.
- Access multiple AI models
- Shared memory across chats
- Create and reuse notes
- Analyze images and PDFs
- Branch thinking for alternate solutions
- Personalize AI output
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Talk seamlessly with today’s best AI models in one place: GPT, Claude, Gemini, Llama, Grok, Mistral, and more. Leverage powerful features like shared memory, multi-angle reasoning, capturing insights, creating notes, branching and more. SWITCH BETWEEN THE BEST MODELS INSTANTLY Compare perspectives across leading AI models. Start with a model and switch to another mid-conversation. Re-generate replies with different models, switch versions and compare. A MEMORY LAYER THAT WORKS ACROSS CHATS Toggle on the memory layer to let Asterode remember what matters and reuse it when needed, across any model and chat. SAVE, EDIT AND REUSE IMPORTANT INSIGHTS Turn key replies into a personal, organized library for quick access that you can drop back into new conversations as rich context. CREATE NOTES FROM SCRATCH AND USE THEM LATER Capture your thoughts with rich text notes. Use them later in chats. WORK WITH FILES EFFORTLESSLY Upload images and PDFs for analysis, summaries, corrections, explanations, or extraction. BRANCH YOUR THINKING Create version-aware forks to explore alternate paths, different tones, or better solutions. Push your thoughts further while keeping your previous threads intact as ideas grow. PERSONALIZATION Choose tone, detail, readability, creativity, emoji use, and output format so replies match more accurately with your expectations. INCOGNITO MODE Enable Incognito Mode for temporary conversations that are excluded from your chats list, memory, training, and history. BUILT-IN WEB SEARCH Pull in fresh information directly inside any model when you need current data or verification. USAGE TRACKING See your daily and monthly limits across Standard and Premium messages. --- Whether you’re researching, planning, building, writing, or solving hard problems, Asterode helps you achieve better results much faster. One app. One subscription. Powerful features and every major AI model at your fingertips. --- Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://asterode.ai/app-privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Ask Iris at every 4 days against Asterode's fortnightly. Asterode's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Ask Iris sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Asterode sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Ask Iris against 5.0 for Asterode. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
Ask Iris ships an update every 4 days, Asterode fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ask Iris | Asterode |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Abhishek Kulkarni | Istvan Buzas |
Customer experience
Ask Iris
Asterode
In-app purchases
Ask Iris
- Ask Iris Pro$19.99
Asterode
- Asterode Pro$9.991 Month









