microAI vs Cortex | Online & Offline AI
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
microAI
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.
- Private Memory Map
- Local AI Chat
- Long-Term Memory
- Projects With Context
- Chat With Local Files
- Private Journal
- GGUF Model Management
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AI ON YOUR PHONE. POWERED BY YOUR DEVICES. Run private AI directly on your phone. Need more power? Connect your own computer and let it handle the heavy AI work while you keep using microAI from your phone. No sign-up. No cloud AI account required. Ask questions. Talk instead of type. Show AI a photo. Read a file. Work on a project. Save something for later. microAI brings local AI, your devices, and your private context together in one workspace. YOUR PHONE. YOUR COMPUTER. YOUR AI. Your phone can run compatible local AI models on its own. When you need more power, connect your own computer. Scan a QR code and your approved Mac or browser can run the model while you continue using microAI from your phone. That means you can move heavier AI work off your phone—reducing the load, heat, and battery use caused by demanding on-device inference. Use your phone when that is enough. Use your computer when you want more power. You choose where your AI runs. NO SIGN-UP. NO CLOUD AI REQUIRED. Local AI should not require another account. microAI can run compatible models directly on your devices without requiring a cloud AI account. Your computer can also become your own AI compute node. Open the microAI website on your computer, load a compatible local model, scan the QR code, and connect. No separate website account is required. DIFFERENT AI FOR DIFFERENT JOBS Not every task needs the same AI. microAI includes task-focused AI helpers: • Private Chat — Ask, write, plan, brainstorm, or talk. • Image Chat — Ask questions about photos and screenshots. • Voice Chat — Talk instead of typing. • Review Writer — Turn your experience into a clear review. • Photo Tagger — Create titles, descriptions, and keywords for photos. Choose which compatible model powers each job. Use a small model for quick everyday tasks, a vision model for images, or a stronger model running on your computer when you need more capability. TALK. SEE. READ. AI should work with more than a text box. Talk naturally with Voice Chat. Add a photo or screenshot and ask questions about what you see. Add a supported PDF, TXT, or Markdown file and ask questions about its contents. Use microAI for writing, research, documents, photos, ideas, and everyday questions. COME BACK WITHOUT STARTING OVER Your useful context should not disappear into old chats. Create Projects to keep related conversations, files, instructions, and context together. Save quick thoughts in Journal. microAI can remember useful context and bring it back when relevant. Memory Map gives you a visual way to explore your conversations, projects, journals, models, and memories. LOCAL AI WITHOUT THE USUAL SETUP You should not need to be an AI engineer to start using local AI. Find a compatible model, download it, and start. microAI keeps model discovery, downloads, switching, and resource management in one place. Advanced users can also import compatible GGUF models. Actual performance depends on your device, model, and connection. YOUR AI. YOUR DEVICES. YOUR DATA. When AI runs on your phone, compatible models process requests directly on your device. When you connect your own computer, the model runs on the computer you approve while you continue using microAI from your phone. Your model files stay on the device running them. You decide when a remote compute node is connected and used. Internet access may still be required for model discovery and downloads, purchases, ratings, app services, and certain system features. RUN AI YOUR WAY. On your phone when you want portability. On your computer when you want more power. No sign-up. No cloud AI account required. Your AI. Your devices. Your choice. Want to use your computer with microAI? Visit: https://linklocalai.com/ By using microAI, you agree to Apple's Standard End User License Agreement (EULA). Apple EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Cortex | Online & Offline AI
An advanced AI platform offering a hub for powerful models, with offline capabilities and extensive customization. Features dynamic chat, advanced tools, voice interaction, and specialized AI assistants. It's an open-source solution prioritizing user privacy.
- Dynamic AI model selection
- Offline AI functionality
- Advanced tool integration
- Real-time voice chat
- Flow Mode for AI debates
- Customizable AI personalities
- Open-source platform
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Welcome to the core of artificial intelligence! Cortex is an advanced AI platform that brings together hundreds of the world’s most powerful models into a single hub. It works even without an internet connection so you're never left stranded, collects zero chat data, and is completely customizable. Think that's all? • Dynamic Chat: Stop wasting time choosing an AI. Cortex automatically selects the best model for every single prompt, perfecting the responses you get. • Advanced Tools: Weather, code execution, calendar, crypto data, global stock markets, and much more. Cortex's AIs are fully equipped! • Voice Chat: Stop typing. Talk to your AIs as fluently and naturally as you would with a human, using real-time voice chat—even in offline mode. • Flow Mode: Watch different AI models debate among themselves and solve complex problems autonomously. Or, jump into the discussion yourself and let the chaos begin! • Personal Assistants: Bored of standard AIs? Have deep conversations with specialized characters like a teacher, doctor, lawyer, or even an anime girl. Don't worry—if you get bored of them too, creating your very own AI is just a few clicks away. • Limitless Customization: Shape the interface to match your style and mood with modern, aesthetic themes. • Transparency: Beyond keeping your data private, Cortex is a fully open-source platform. Anyone can inspect our code, or even build their own Cortex. It's STILL not over, but if we tried to explain everything, we’d run out of characters. To experience the rest yourself, download Cortex right now and join the core of AI! Terms of Use: https://vertexishere.com/cortex-terms-of-use/ Privacy Policy: https://vertexishere.com/cortex-privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: microAI at every 9 days against Cortex | Online & Offline AI's every 2 months. Cortex | Online & Offline AI's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. microAI sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Cortex | Online & Offline AI sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 microAI against 5.0 for Cortex | Online & Offline AI. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cortex | Online & Offline AI has 13 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
microAI ships an update every 9 days, Cortex | Online & Offline AI every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | microAI | Cortex | Online & Offline AI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 13 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 234 MB | 85 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | genghong Xie | Yasin CAKI |
Customer experience
microAI
Cortex | Online & Offline AI
In-app purchases
microAI
- microAI Pro – Monthly$0.991 Month
- microAI Pro – Yearly7 Days trial$5.991 Year
- microAI Pro – Lifetime$9.99
Cortex | Online & Offline AI
- Cortex Monthly Plus$3.991 Month
- Cortex Monthly Ultra$7.991 Month
- Cortex Annual Plus$39.991 Year
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- Cortex Annual Pro3 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Cortex Annual Ultra$79.991 Year
- 250 Credits$0.49
- 500 Credits$0.99
- 1000 Credits$1.99
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- 2500 Credits$2.99
- 5000 Credits$3.99
Questions
Is microAI free?
Is Cortex | Online & Offline AI free?
Which has better reviews, microAI or Cortex | Online & Offline AI?
Do microAI or Cortex | Online & Offline AI have ads?
Which is updated more often, microAI or Cortex | Online & Offline AI?
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