Comparison

LM Mini vs Open MobileUI

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

Head to head
About

LM Mini

Chat with your locally hosted language models directly from your iPhone. This companion app connects to your LM Studio server, offering features like conversation management, context visualization, and privacy-first data handling. It also supports image generation through Automatic1111 integration.

Highlights
  • Connect to LM Studio server
  • Chat with local language models
  • Manage multiple conversations
  • Track context usage
  • Dark mode support
  • Image generation integration
Features
Read full description

Chat with LM Studio, Ollama, and oMLX from your iPhone — or run on-device models offline. Private local AI on hardware you control. No cloud chat subscription required. THREE WAYS TO USE IT 1. On-device — download a model and chat with no internet 2. Connected — LM Studio, Ollama, Jan AI, or oMLX over Wi‑Fi or USB 3. Remote — LM Mini Connect from anywhere, encrypted with your key One app for phone-side models and your desktop local setup. WHAT TO EXPECT Phone models are not the same as huge hosted models in a data center. They are smaller, and that is expected. Performance will vary by hardware. What you gain is control: offline use, private chats on your device or your home machine, and freedom to run the open models you choose. BUILT FOR - People already running LM Studio, Ollama, oMLX or Jan AI who want that stack in their pocket - People who want on-device chat when they are offline or away from Wi-Fi - People who care about keeping conversations off third-party chat servers - Researchers, builders, and privacy-minded users experimenting with local AI INSIDE THE APP - Download and run on-device models on your phone - Connect to LM Studio, Ollama, Jan AI and oMLX - Remote access through LM Mini Connect with your encryption key - Manage and download models on LM Studio from your phone - Local conversation history, folders, and context usage tracking - Personas, plus group chat with up to 5 models in one conversation - Voice chat with Kokoro - Image generation with ComfyUI and Automatic1111 - Web search through SearXNG - Memory so your AI can remember details about you - On-device semantic search across your chats - Background generation, so you don't have to sit and stare at the screen - Themes, backgrounds, and avatars - Import chats from LM Studio - Optional encrypted cloud backups - Custom servers with custom headers - Optional APIs when you want them: OpenAI, OpenRouter, Mistral, DeepSeek, Google Gemini, and more - MCP tool calling - In-app support and feature requests - Dark mode and a chat UI meant for daily use PRIVACY For local use, chats stay on your phone, or between your phone and your own computer. We don't need your conversations to make that core local path work. If you choose optional cloud APIs, those requests go to the provider you pick. SETUP On-device: a compatible phone with enough free storage and memory for the model you pick. Connected mode: LM Studio, Ollama, or oMLX on your computer, plus local network or USB access, or LM Mini Connect for remote use. Install LM Mini and keep your local AI with you. Download LM Mini today and start chatting with your local AI models privately and securely! This app uses Apple Standard EULA license and its available at https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Open MobileUI

Access your self-hosted AI assistant on mobile with a smooth, modern, and privacy-focused client. Enjoy native performance, smart synchronization, and a mobile-first interface for productivity on the go.

Highlights
  • Native performance
  • Mobile-first interface
  • Automatic synchronization
  • Image uploads and file attachments
  • System-aware dark mode
  • Secure credential storage
Features
Read full description

Open MobileUI is an open-source, native iPhone client for Open WebUI. Connect to your self-hosted server and chat with your AI models on the go: local Ollama models, OpenAI-compatible APIs, or any LLM your Open WebUI admin has set up. Your server, your data. The app connects directly to the Open WebUI server you choose. We do not run any backend that receives, stores or processes your chats, and there are no ads. CONNECT THE WAY YOU HOST • Home lab, VPS or company server • Private networks and Tailscale, including plain HTTP addresses for local setups • Custom domains behind a reverse proxy such as Nginx, Caddy or Traefik • Encrypted HTTPS and WSS connections • Sign in with email and password, LDAP, SSO (OpenID Connect), Google, Microsoft or GitHub CHAT • Real-time streaming responses • Edit and regenerate responses • Switch between AI models in one tap • Attach photos, camera shots, files, web pages and knowledge bases • Web search, image generation and code interpreter when your server enables them • Rich rendering: Markdown, code highlighting, math formulas and source citations • Voice mode: talk to your assistant hands-free and hear the answers read aloud • Voice dictation for your messages • Temporary chats that are not saved ORGANIZE • Folders, pinned chats, search and archive • Share chats and export them BUILT FOR IPHONE • Native performance, smooth animations and gestures • Light, dark and system themes • Smart keyboard handling • Graceful handling of network interruptions • Available in English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Romanian PERFECT FOR • Using your self-hosted AI assistant on the go • Privacy-conscious users who want full control over their data • Teams that need mobile access to their company AI assistant REQUIREMENTS Open MobileUI does not host models or provide an AI service. It connects to an Open WebUI server that you or your organization run. Available features depend on your server settings. OPEN SOURCE Open MobileUI is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license. For support, issues and source code: https://github.com/RonasIT/open-webui-react-native Disclaimer: Open MobileUI is an independent, third-party application. It is not affiliated with the Open WebUI, Ollama or Tailscale projects.

Screenshots

LM Mini4 screens
Open MobileUI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: LM Mini at 65% against Open MobileUI's 0%. LM Mini also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.2) and ratings volume (150 vs 23). Open MobileUI's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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. LM Mini sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Open MobileUI asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LM Mini holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LM Mini has 150 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of LM Mini's written reviews are positive against 0% of Open MobileUI's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LM Mini ships an update every 3 days, Open MobileUI weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
LM Mini versus Open MobileUI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLM MiniOpen MobileUI
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (150 ratings) — better3.2 (23 ratings)
Positive reviews65.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings150 — better23
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size171 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSultan HaiderRonas IT OU

Customer experience

LM Mini

All ratings150 ratings
Positive86.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive65.3%
Neutral8.2%
Negative26.5%

Open MobileUI

All ratings23 ratings
Positive47.8%
Neutral4.3%
Negative47.8%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

LM Mini

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$119.99
None

Open MobileUI

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LM Mini free?
LM Mini is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Open MobileUI free?
Open MobileUI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LM Mini or Open MobileUI?
LM Mini is rated higher. LM Mini averages 4.5 out of 5 from 150 ratings, while Open MobileUI averages 3.2 from 23 ratings.
Do LM Mini or Open MobileUI have ads?
Neither LM Mini nor Open MobileUI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LM Mini or Open MobileUI?
LM Mini ships an update every 3 days, and Open MobileUI weekly. Most recently, LM Mini was updated on October 20, 2026 and Open MobileUI on October 15, 2026.

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