Cumbersome vs Kilo Code
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cumbersome
Connect directly to AI provider APIs for greater control over model selection and parameters. Compare different AI models, pay per use, and customize responses with advanced features. Supports multiple providers and custom endpoints.
- Direct API connections
- Multi-provider support
- Full parameter control
- Face/Off Mode with AI judge
- Concurrent chats
- Edit messages
- Rich content support
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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.
Kilo Code
This app allows you to code, monitor, and steer AI agents directly from your phone. It supports over 500 AI models and offers a seamless connection to your desktop coding sessions.
- Code from phone with Cloud Agents
- Connect to desktop sessions
- Real-time agent monitoring
- Managed KiloClaw setup
- Support for 500+ AI models
- Open-source platform
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Kilo Code App is the mobile companion for Kilo Code, the open source agentic engineering platform. Code, monitor, and steer your agents from your phone, wherever you are. WHAT YOU CAN DO → Code from your phone with Cloud Agents Spin up a Kilo Cloud Agent, give it a task, and review its work from the chat. Full agentic coding, backed by Kilo's managed infrastructure, without opening a laptop. → Connect to your desktop sessions Pair with a Kilo session running in Kilo CLI or VS Code on your computer. Send instructions, review diffs, and keep an eye on long-running tasks while you're away from the desk. → Watch your agents in real time See sessions running outside the app — CLI, IDE, Slack, or cloud — in a live read-only view. Know what your agents are doing, even when you can't intervene. → Review pull requests Paste a GitHub PR link to see checks and full file diffs with syntax highlighting. Leave line-level comments, batch them into a review, approve, reply in threads, and merge. → Work by voice, or from anywhere Dictate prompts instead of typing. Queue follow-ups while an agent is working. Attach any file type. Share links, text, and files into Kilo from any app's share sheet. → Get pinged when an agent needs you Push notifications when a session needs input, hits a milestone, or your balance runs low. An "Active now" tray keeps live sessions at the top with NEEDS INPUT badges. ALSO IN THE APP → Code Reviewer for GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, with a model per repository → Security Agent: posture dashboard, findings to triage, and policy settings → Organizations: members, roles, usage limits, credits, and invoices → Context pressure and session cost in the chat header, with a per-model token breakdown → Sign in with Apple, Google, or a one-time email code → Light, Dark, or System theme WHY KILO → 500+ AI models supported Premium, free, open-source, and open-weight models. Pick the best one for the task, or let Kilo route automatically. → Open source end to end Read the code, audit the behavior, fork it, extend it, run it yourself. No black boxes, no lock-in. → Built by engineers, for engineers We use Kilo to build Kilo. Every feature ships because we needed it ourselves. Subscription Details Kilo App offers three monthly auto-renewable subscription tiers under "Kilo Pass": - Kilo Pass $19 credits — $24.99/month (entry tier) - Kilo Pass $49 credits — $63.99/month (mid tier) - Kilo Pass $199 credits — $259.99/month (high tier) Each tier grants the corresponding dollar amount of AI usage credits each month, used to run coding agents and chat with AI models inside the app. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the same price as the previous period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal at any time by going to your Apple ID Account Settings after purchase. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://kilo.ai/privacy/ Mobile App Privacy Policy (supplementary): https://kilo.ai/privacy/apps
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Cumbersome at free against Kilo Code's free with in-app purchases. Cumbersome also leads on ratings volume (83 vs 6) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Kilo Code's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, 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. Cumbersome sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Kilo Code sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Cumbersome holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cumbersome has 83 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Cumbersome ships an update every 3 days, Kilo Code every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cumbersome | Kilo Code |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (83 ratings) — better | 4.7 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 86.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 83 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 4 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 77 MB | 78 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Folding Sky Co | Kilo Code Inc. |
Customer experience
Cumbersome
Kilo Code
In-app purchases
Cumbersome
- Cumbersome Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- Cumbersome Pro Annual$39.991 Year
Kilo Code
- Kilo Pass 19 Monthly$24.991 Month
- Kilo Pass 49 Monthly$63.991 Month
- Kilo Pass 199 Monthly$259.991 Month









