Comparison

Locally AI by LM Studio vs PlugOS

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

Head to head
About

Locally AI by LM Studio

Run powerful AI models like Llama and Gemma directly on your iPhone and iPad. Enjoy offline, private, and secure AI interactions without any data collection. Optimized for Apple Silicon for fast performance.

Highlights
  • Run AI models offline
  • 100% private, no data collection
  • Optimized for Apple Silicon
  • Supports multiple AI models
  • Chat, analyze, and create with AI
Features
Read full description

Run AI models like Llama, Gemma, Qwen, and more on your iPhone and iPad. Offline. Private. No login. No data collection. Powered by Apple MLX. Meet Locally AI by LM Studio, the AI app that respects your privacy. No login. No data collection. Just pure intelligence, running entirely on your iPhone and iPad. Why Locally AI? - 100% Offline: No internet needed. Chat anywhere. - Total Privacy: No login, no data collection. Your data stays on your device. - Optimized for Apple Silicon: Powered by Apple MLX for lightning-fast responses. - Multiple models supported: Run Llama 3.2, Google Gemma 2 & 3, Qwen 3, DeepSeek, and more. - Chat, Analyze, Create: Ask complex questions, analyze images, or generate text. Download Locally AI now! Privacy Policy: https://locallyai.app/privacy-policy.html Terms & Conditions: https://locallyai.app/terms.html

About

PlugOS

This app securely connects to dedicated hardware for managing sensitive data locally. It ensures privacy by processing and storing all information on the device, without internet access or cloud reliance. Enjoy a secure and private digital experience for various applications.

Highlights
  • Local data processing and storage
  • Hardware-level security isolation
  • No internet connection required
  • Device authentication and status checking
  • Firmware updates
  • Resistant to complex attacks
Features
Read full description

Say goodbye to the worries of data leakage and privacy invasion! PlugOS App is the official companion application for PlugOS smart security hardware, allowing users to securely connect and manage PlugOS devices on their iPhone. PlugOS device is a fingertip-sized smart security hardware equipped with local storage and a dedicated computing unit, designed specifically to provide a secure and private data operation experience. With PlugOS App, you can easily complete device authentication, status checking, secure data display, parameter settings, and firmware updates. All sensitive data is processed and stored locally on the PlugOS device, ensuring that data does not touch the ground, leave traces, or connect to the internet. Core Features 【Hardware Isolation, Pure Security】 All your sensitive operations and data processing are carried out within the secure chip inside the PlugOS hardware, completely physically isolated from your mobile phone or computer device. No data traces are left, no internet connection is made, and no cloud storage is involved, ensuring that your information is always in your control. 【Ultimate Privacy, Never Tracked】 PlugOS adheres to its commitment to privacy: we do not collect any of your user data, do not track your usage behavior, and will never have any advertising disturbances. You can enjoy a truly pure and private digital space on any PlugOS-supported device, including iOS. 【Convenient and Flexible, Plug and Play】 By connecting the hardware through the PlugOS App, you can access the secure services and private data content provided by PlugOS. The PlugOS App makes all this incredibly simple. 【Multifunctional Security Applications】 Whether you are engaging in private communication, managing digital assets, enjoying private audio and video, handling work secrets, or isolating applications, PlugOS can provide you with a secure, private, convenient, and feature-rich operating environment. 【Resistant to Complex Attacks】 The PlugOS hardware and App work together to effectively resist complex software and hardware attacks, ensuring that you can use it with peace of mind. Note: The PlugOS App is only compatible with PlugOS exclusive hardware and does not interfere with iOS security mechanisms. It fully complies with the App Store Review Guidelines.

Screenshots

Locally AI by LM Studio4 screens
PlugOS2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Locally AI by LM Studio at 4.7 against PlugOS's 3.7. Locally AI by LM Studio also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 50%) and ratings volume (1.9K vs 3). PlugOS's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Locally AI by LM Studio holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Locally AI by LM Studio has 1.9K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Locally AI by LM Studio's written reviews are positive against 50% of PlugOS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Locally AI by LM Studio ships an update weekly, PlugOS monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Locally AI by LM Studio versus PlugOS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLocally AI by LM StudioPlugOS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.9K ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews75.6% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.9K — better3
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.116.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB41 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperElement Labs IncShanghai Pingbo Info Tech Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Locally AI by LM Studio

All ratings1,912 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral2.4%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews663 reviews
Positive75.6%
Neutral8.3%
Negative16.1%

PlugOS

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Locally AI by LM Studio

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Stops responding when Airplane mode is turned on
  • Interface issues on iPhone 15 Pro

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add option to switch between downloaded models
  • Implement autoscroll feature
  • Add support for more model types (e.g. SolvLM2, Grante Vision)
  • Allow users to add models from Hugging Face

PlugOS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Locally AI by LM Studio

No in-app purchases

None

PlugOS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Locally AI by LM Studio free?
Locally AI by LM Studio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PlugOS free?
PlugOS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Locally AI by LM Studio or PlugOS?
Locally AI by LM Studio is rated higher. Locally AI by LM Studio averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while PlugOS averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Locally AI by LM Studio or PlugOS have ads?
Neither Locally AI by LM Studio nor PlugOS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Locally AI by LM Studio or PlugOS?
Locally AI by LM Studio ships an update weekly, and PlugOS monthly. Most recently, Locally AI by LM Studio was updated on November 7, 2026 and PlugOS on October 30, 2026.

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