Comparison

Local LLM vs EchoCaption

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

Head to head
About

Local LLM

Run advanced AI language models directly on your device without needing an internet connection. Explore a variety of quantized models optimized for mobile performance and enjoy features like real-time streaming and local data storage.

Highlights
  • Run AI models locally on iPhone
  • No cloud or internet required
  • Access quantized AI models
  • Supports GGUF-format models
  • Metal GPU acceleration
  • RAG with embeddings
  • SQLite conversation storage
Features
Read full description

MITHRIL is a private AI assistant that runs on your iPhone and iPad. Your conversations are processed on the device and saved on the device. No account, no cloud, no tracking. TWO KINDS OF MODELS • Apple's on-device model, built into iOS 26 on devices with Apple Intelligence. Nothing to download. • Open models from Hugging Face in GGUF format, from companies like Alibaba, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Mistral, DeepSeek and Liquid AI. Browse by company, see whether a model fits your device's memory before you download it, and switch any time. AN ASSISTANT THAT CAN DO THINGS It knows today's date, the time and your city from your device, and asks before it acts. Texts and emails open as drafts for you to review and send. Choose which abilities it can use: • Reminders and calendar events • Texts, email and phone calls • Look up your contacts • Directions and places nearby • Run your Shortcuts • Web search: Wikipedia, DuckDuckGo, or Brave with your own key • Search your own documents • Today's date and exact math PRIVACY YOU CAN SEE The Privacy map shows what runs on your device, what goes online, and exactly what is sent. A web search sends only the search words, never your conversation, and your location is only turned into a city name. A live list shows every network request MITHRIL makes. VOICE Dictate with Apple's speech recognition, or download NVIDIA Parakeet for more accurate on-device transcription. Hear answers in natural voices generated on the device. The floating assistant stays with you in Picture in Picture while you use other apps. FOR THE CURIOUS Tap the speed line under an answer for a live engine dashboard: tokens per second, time to first token, context use, cache hits and memory. REQUIREMENTS iOS 26. Apple's on-device model needs a device with Apple Intelligence. Open models run on any supported iPhone or iPad. Larger models need more memory, and MITHRIL shows what fits before you download. Models are made by their publishers and downloaded from Hugging Face. MITHRIL doesn't train or host models.

About

EchoCaption

Features
Read full description

EchoCaption helps you generate accurate captions from audio and video—then play them back with perfectly synced subtitles. Whether you're studying, creating content, or saving meeting notes, EchoCaption keeps everything private with on-device transcription and fast subtitle tools. Key Features On-device Speech-to-Text: Fast transcription powered by a Whisper-based model Video Playback + Captions: Watch videos with synced subtitles Export Subtitles: Save results as SRT / VTT or plain text Share Extension Import: Send files from Photos, Files, or other apps straight into EchoCaption Clean & Simple UI: Focus on your content, not complicated settings Perfect for Captioning videos for social media Language learners practicing listening Students transcribing lectures Creators turning clips into subtitle-ready files Privacy EchoCaption runs transcription on device. Your media stays on your iPhone/iPad.

Screenshots

Local LLM4 screens
EchoCaption3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Local LLM at Free against EchoCaption's $1.99. EchoCaption's advantage is iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Local LLM is free to download; EchoCaption costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Local LLM versus EchoCaption: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLocal LLMEchoCaption
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.5 (15 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings15 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB796 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDEPLOY FORWARD LLCKai Chen

In-app purchases

None

Local LLM

No in-app purchases

None

EchoCaption

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Local LLM free?
Local LLM is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is EchoCaption free?
EchoCaption costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Local LLM or EchoCaption have ads?
Neither Local LLM nor EchoCaption shows ads.

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