Cumbersome vs Daotuan Chat

Use Apple Private Cloud Compute, your 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 - Apple Private Cloud Compute - 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 New in 2.0.0: Apple Private Cloud Compute. No API key. Requires iOS/iPadOS/macOS 27, an Apple Intelligence device, and internet. Apple usage limits apply. 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 API providers directly for 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.

Daotuan Chat is a local-first AI chat client for iPhone and iPad. Bring your own API keys and connect to leading AI providers including OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, Zhipu AI, Moonshot, MiniMax, and more. Designed for users who want full control over their AI experience, Daotuan Chat keeps conversations on your device and stores API credentials securely in the iOS Keychain. FEATURES Multi-Model AI Chat • Support for OpenAI-compatible APIs • OpenAI Responses API • Anthropic Claude API • Google Gemini API • Built-in provider presets and custom endpoints • Switch providers and models anytime • Streaming responses with reasoning support • Markdown and LaTeX rendering Images, Files & Web Search • Send images to vision-capable models • Upload PDF, TXT, CSV, JSON, and Markdown files • Native web search support through compatible providers • Read documents, notes, datasets, and code directly in chat Privacy First • Conversations stored locally on your device • API keys secured in the iOS Keychain • No Daotuan Chat account required • No model proxying • No bundled AI credits • Full control over which AI provider receives your requests Voice Features • Speech-to-text input • Text-to-speech playback • Separate credential management for speech services Built for Apple Devices • Native SwiftUI experience • iPhone and iPad support • Light and dark mode • English and Simplified Chinese • Conversation search, pinning, branching, editing, and sharing Daotuan Chat is built for users who prefer a clean, private, and flexible AI client without subscriptions, lock-ins, or vendor restrictions.