# A Third Ear vs KernelAI

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: KernelAI at 16.4 against A Third Ear's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. A Third Ear sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year and KernelAI sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

A Third Ear ships an update fortnightly, KernelAI every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | A Third Ear | KernelAI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.6 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kernelai-offline-ai-chat/id6757350731/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **43** |
| Positive reviews | — | 80.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 816 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MESS Software Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1824898162) | [Anes Khadiri](https://appshunter.io/developer/1863184646) |

## What reviewers say

### A Third Ear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-third-ear/id6753905938)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A ThirdEar Annual Sub | $4.99 | per year |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### KernelAI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kernelai-offline-ai-chat/id6757350731)

This AI assistant operates entirely on your device, offering private, offline access to over 43 free models. It functions without an internet connection, ensuring your data remains secure and inaccessible to anyone but you. Enjoy AI capabilities anywhere, anytime, with no data collection or subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Private, offline AI operation, No internet required, Zero data collection, Access to 43+ free AI models, Vision AI for image analysis, File attachments for document understanding, Ad-free experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Kind Tip. | $3.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip. | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is A Third Ear free?

A Third Ear is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is KernelAI free?

KernelAI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do A Third Ear or KernelAI have ads?

Neither A Third Ear nor KernelAI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, A Third Ear or KernelAI?

A Third Ear ships an update fortnightly, and KernelAI every 3 weeks. Most recently, A Third Ear was updated on October 30, 2026 and KernelAI on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*