Comparison

Hal Universal vs Folio

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

Head to head
About

Hal Universal

Features
Read full description

Hal Universal is an on-device AI you can actually understand. Most assistants are a black box. Hal is the opposite. He shows you how he works, remembers across conversations, and gives you real tools to experiment with, all running on your device. SEE HOW IT THINKS Hal shows the work. Tap any answer to see exactly how the prompt was built: the system prompt, memory retrieved, self-knowledge, temporal context, and the token budget, each broken out and counted. When Hal remembers something, he tells you how. When he does not know, he says so. A LAB TO EXPERIMENT AND LEARN Hal is not just a window into how AI works. He is a workbench. The Lab gives you real tools to go deeper: write and run on-device automation scripts, open a local API so your own projects can talk to Hal, and use the built-in command line to drive him directly. Tinker, watch what happens, and learn more about how these systems actually behave. GENUINELY PRIVATE When you use a local model, your conversations never leave your device. No network calls. No server. When you use Apple Intelligence, inference is on-device when offline; when connected, Apple's Private Cloud Compute may be used (encrypted in transit, processed in non-persistent memory). A SELF THAT EVOLVES Hal remembers across conversations, weighted by recency and relevance. He also reflects on his own experience. Shaped by his interactions with you, Hal keeps a Self Model: his own reflections, practical and existential, on how he works and who he is becoming. These are his, written and revised by Hal himself as he learns, not edited by you. He decides which to keep private and which to make shareable, and you can read them all. An AI that changes over time, in the open. MANY VOICES Apple Intelligence is built in, always available. Or download a curated library of tested local models, from small and fast to Ternary Bonsai 8B, an eight-billion-parameter reasoner that still runs entirely on your device. Each has a distinct voice. SALON MODE Put up to four voices in one conversation, either independent or building on each other. Every voice is labeled. There is no hidden orchestration. LISTEN TO HAL Have Hal read his answers aloud, in a voice you choose, at a speed you set. For anyone who wants to understand AI instead of just using it, Hal is a transparent system you can inspect, tune, and learn from. Local models are validated on iPhone 16 and 17 family devices.

About

Folio

Features
Read full description

Folio turns anything you need to keep track of into a notebook you can actually use: groceries and errands, bills and subscriptions, medication and habits, books to read. Over 30 ready-made templates, each with its own fields, statuses and reminders — and every screen works perfectly with Siri and VoiceOver. READY-MADE TEMPLATES • Finance: Payments, Expenses, Subscriptions, Debt/Credit • Content: To Read, To Watch, To Listen • Special Days & Travel: Birthdays, Places to Go, Packing • Routines: Habits, Chores, Maintenance, Plant Care, Pet Care, Exercise • Processes: Applications, Project Tracking, Awaiting, Orders, Loans • Personal Tracking: Inventory, Meal Plan, Courses, Goals, Attendance, Vaccinations • Shopping, To-Do, and a completely blank notebook to start from scratch HANDS-FREE WITH SIRI • "Add to Folio": Siri asks which notebook and what to add, then keeps going with "Anything else?". • "What's on tomorrow in Folio", "What's next in Folio", "What did I do yesterday in Folio". • "When did I last do it in Folio" — perfect for medication, watering plants or feeding pets. • "Read what's left in Folio": long lists are read five at a time. • Every command is listed in Settings > Siri & Shortcuts > All Siri commands. DESIGN IT YOUR WAY • Customize each notebook's fields, statuses, and order with the Field Designer. • Build your own templates, then use or remove them from the template picker. • Organize notebooks into folders, pin the ones that matter most. DATES, REMINDERS & RECURRENCE • Add a date, time, and reminder to any item. • Set daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or completion-based recurrence rules. • Overdue items automatically surface to the top. FULL VOICEOVER SUPPORT • Folio was designed from day one for VoiceOver users — every screen and action is announced clearly. • Status changes, delete/undo, and list updates are announced instantly. • Haptic and sound feedback are fully customizable in Settings. HISTORY & ARCHIVE • Save a snapshot of completed lists to history and review them anytime. • Deleted notebooks and items wait in Trash for a while before you decide. ICLOUD SYNC, NO ACCOUNT NEEDED • Folio doesn't ask you to create an account — it just uses the iCloud account already on your device. • Your notebooks sync automatically across your devices; nothing is stored on Folio's own servers. Your first 2 notebooks are free forever, fully editable — no payment info, no time limit. Need more? Unlock unlimited notebooks, custom templates, folders, and full JSON backup with monthly, yearly, or one-time Lifetime Folio Pro; plain text and CSV export are always free. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Hal Universal4 screens
Folio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hal Universal at none against Folio's 3. Folio's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Folio sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Hal Universal asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hal Universal ships an update every 6 weeks, Folio every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Hal Universal versus Folio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHal UniversalFolio
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMark FriedlanderRECEP GUR

In-app purchases

None

Hal Universal

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Folio

Subscriptions2
  • Folio Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Folio Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Folio Pro Lifetime$69.99

Questions

Is Hal Universal free?
Hal Universal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Folio free?
Folio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hal Universal or Folio have ads?
Neither Hal Universal nor Folio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hal Universal or Folio?
Hal Universal ships an update every 6 weeks, and Folio every 4 days. Most recently, Hal Universal was updated on October 1, 2026 and Folio on October 2, 2026.

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