# BastionChat vs Aside

The clearest difference is price: BastionChat at $4.99 against Aside's $9.99. BastionChat also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

BastionChat costs $4.99 and Aside $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BastionChat ships an update every 4 months, Aside every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BastionChat | Aside |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $9.99 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Size | 79 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Frederic Ayala Heinrich](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823688846) | [Dinh Quang Trung](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896721621) |

## What reviewers say

### BastionChat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bastionchat/id6747981691)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Aside

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aside-on-device-ai-chat/id6771574702)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BastionChat free?

BastionChat costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Aside free?

Aside costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do BastionChat or Aside have ads?

Neither BastionChat nor Aside shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BastionChat or Aside?

BastionChat ships an update every 4 months, and Aside every 2 months. Most recently, BastionChat was updated on October 30, 2026 and Aside on October 24, 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.*