Cumbersome vs Nimbalyst

IMPORTANT: Requires your own provider API keys or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. I built Cumbersome because consumer AI apps kept dumbing things down. Cumbersome is the manual transmission of AI apps: more complex, but with far greater control. WHY I BUILT THIS Consumer AI apps hide the controls I want and lock me into one provider. I wanted direct API access, the freedom to pick and compare models, and to pay providers for what I use. This is the app I use every day, so I pay attention and try to get it right. SUPPORTED PROVIDERS - ChatGPT / OpenAI - Claude / Anthropic - Gemini / Google AI Studio - OpenRouter multi-provider - Vercel AI Gateway multi-provider - Z.ai - OpenAI-compatible custom endpoints, including Ollama, Azure, LM Studio, Groq, Together, and self-hosted backends WHAT YOU GET - A versatile API client. One app, every major provider and model. - Total control. Pick your model, tune the parameters, switch providers mid-conversation. - Compare models head to head. Stream multiple chats in parallel and let an AI judge pick the best. - Bring your own tools. Local browser use, reasoning, web search, image generation. - Rich, editable conversations. Markdown, LaTeX, code blocks, attachments, edit and export anything. - Private by design. iCloud sync across devices. Nothing saved to our servers. - Native and accessible on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. MAJOR FEATURES ADDED IN 2026 Highlights only. New in 1.74.0: Incognito chats. Search Project documents and conversations with Pro. 2026-09-21: Independent iPad chat windows. 2026-09-14: Read replies aloud as they arrive. Save and Restart after editing. 2026-08-29: Select multiple chats. Mac export/import of all chats. 2026-08-21: Background replies on iOS 26. Question Cards for clarification. 2026-08-18: Web Agent: a shared, interactive browser. 2026-08-06: Highlight passages and attach notes for your next reply. 2026-08-03: Local Python analysis, charts, Mermaid, Markdown export. 2026-07-31: Gemini video. Responses API for custom providers. 2026-07-28: Parallel browser and MCP tools. 2026-07-23: Mind/Meld combines three AI responses into one. 2026-07-18: Full Simplified Chinese support. 2026-07-12: Ghost/Write drafts your next turn. 2026-07-09: Remote MCP servers and tools. 2026-07-02: Chat themes and reading fonts (Serif, Rounded, Mono). 2026-06-28: Folder system message presets. 2026-06-24: Prompt caching, with usage across providers. 2026-06-17: Reusable system presets per conversation. 2026-06-16: Offload long system messages to iCloud Drive. 2026-06-15: Toggle custom API parameters. 2026-06-11: Compact chats to lower API costs. 2026-06-07: Run JavaScript and HTML. 2026-06-04: OpenRouter PDF parsing and search engine options. 2026-05-12: Quick Prompt shortcut and App Visibility on Mac. 2026-05-09: Folders to group and organize chats. 2026-05-03: Collapsible sidebar sections, synced across devices. 2026-04-22: Image generation with OpenAI and Gemini. 2026-04-18: Local browser search and browsing. 2026-04-11: Headless browser mode. 2026-04-03: Searchable model picker. 2026-03-15: Extended thinking and reasoning across providers. 2026-03-09: Auto-delete chats after a set number of days. 2026-02-28: Custom OpenAI-compatible providers. 2026-02-25: Only Search When Requested. 2026-02-24: Image paste, attachment previews, PDF thumbnails. 2026-02-21: Siri and Shortcuts. 2026-02-20: Vercel AI Gateway and model filters. 2026-02-06: Voice Control, Larger Text, higher contrast. 2026-01-11: VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, keyboard navigation. 2026-01-06: OpenRouter integration. THE DEAL Core features are free. An optional Cumbersome Pro subscription adds advanced Project tools and supports ongoing development. You pay providers directly for API usage. I'm Peter, an indie developer in Reno, Nevada, out among the high desert tumbleweed. No VC money. No growth hacking. Just a tool I wanted to exist.

Nimbalyst brings your AI coding sessions to your pocket. Monitor, interact with, and respond to your desktop AI agent from anywhere -- no laptop required. STAY IN THE LOOP Your desktop AI sessions sync to your phone in real time. Control Claude Agent from your phone and track progress on the go from wherever you are. When your AI agent needs input -- a permission approval, a question answered, a plan reviewed -- respond right from your phone. INSTANT PUSH NOTIFICATIONS Get notified the moment your AI agent needs your attention. Tap the notification to jump straight to the session that needs you. SECURE BY DEFAULT All session data is end-to-end encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Your code, prompts, and AI responses are encrypted before they ever leave your desktop. Not even the sync server can read your data. NATIVE iOS EXPERIENCE Built with SwiftUI from the ground up. Native navigation, pull-to-refresh, iPad split view, and instant offline access to previously viewed sessions. No web wrapper -- this is a real iOS app. KEY FEATURES Real-time sync of all AI sessions across your projects Send prompts and follow-up messages to active sessions Approve tool permissions, answer questions, review plans Review code changes and git commit proposals Push notifications with deep-linking to specific sessions Offline viewing of cached session transcripts iPad split view with sidebar navigation QR code pairing with your desktop in seconds Unread indicators so you never miss a message Nimbalyst for iOS is a companion to the Nimbalyst desktop app. A desktop installation is required. Pair your devices by scanning a QR code from Nimbalyst desktop, and your sessions sync automatically. Learn more at https://nimbalyst.com