# microAI vs Arbiter

The clearest difference is monetization model: Arbiter at free against microAI's free with in-app purchases. Arbiter also leads on ratings volume (16 vs 2). microAI's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.4). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. microAI sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Arbiter sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. 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 microAI against 4.9 for Arbiter. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arbiter has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

microAI ships an update every 9 days, Arbiter fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | microAI | Arbiter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microai/id6744488702/reviews)** | [4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arbiter-local-ai-chat/id6747954532/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **16** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 234 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, Mac | iPhone, Mac |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [genghong Xie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1785558382) | [Jordan Stone](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823554814) |

## What reviewers say

### microAI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microai/id6744488702)

This app provides a private, local AI workspace that organizes your thoughts, projects, and files. It allows you to run AI chat on your device, manage AI models, and build a personal memory system for enhanced productivity and offline use.

**Highlights:** Private Memory Map, Local AI Chat, Long-Term Memory, Projects With Context, Chat With Local Files, Private Journal, GGUF Model Management

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| microAI Pro – Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| microAI Pro – Yearly | $5.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| microAI Pro – Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |


### Arbiter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arbiter-local-ai-chat/id6747954532)

This privacy-focused AI assistant operates entirely on your device, offering offline functionality. Choose from various open-source models to suit your needs, with all conversations securely stored locally. It's ideal for brainstorming, proofreading, and exploring AI capabilities without data collection.

**Highlights:** On-device AI processing, Offline model execution, Document summarization, Privacy-focused design, Multiple AI model selection, Local data storage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Extra Large Tip | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is microAI free?

microAI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Arbiter free?

Arbiter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, microAI or Arbiter?

microAI is rated higher. microAI averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Arbiter averages 4.9 from 16 ratings.

### Do microAI or Arbiter have ads?

Neither microAI nor Arbiter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, microAI or Arbiter?

microAI ships an update every 9 days, and Arbiter fortnightly. Most recently, microAI was updated on October 7, 2026 and Arbiter on October 8, 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.*