Comparison

Cedar Assistant vs Compass

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

Head to head
About

Cedar Assistant

This AI workspace allows users to select and utilize various language models for different tasks. It supports on-device processing, self-hosted open-source models, and cloud-based AI systems. Users can fine-tune settings, attach files, generate images, and view web citations.

Highlights
  • Choose from multiple AI models
  • On-device processing with Apple Intelligence
  • Connect to self-hosted Ollama servers
  • Integrate with cloud models (Claude, OpenAI, Gemini)
  • Fine-tune conversation settings
  • Attach files and generate images
  • View web citations
Read full description

Cedar is a flexible AI workspace for iPhone and iPad that lets you choose the right model for the job. Use Apple Intelligence for on-device experiences, connect to your own Ollama server for self-hosted open-source models, or work with cloud models from Claude, OpenAI, and Gemini, all from one app. Switch between providers and models per conversation, fine-tune behavior with conversation-specific settings, attach files in supported workflows, generate images with supported OpenAI and Gemini models, and view web citations when supported responses include them. Cedar also brings Claude Managed Agents into the app, giving you a more powerful way to handle multi-step work and specialized assistants in one place. You stay in control of how each conversation is handled. Keep work on-device with Apple Intelligence, route it through your own Ollama setup, or use connected providers when you want access to their hosted models and tools. Cedar is designed to make those choices clear and practical, while securely storing API keys in Keychain. Whether you want private on-device help, self-hosted open-source models, or access to leading cloud AI systems, Cedar makes it easy to move between them without changing apps or workflows. It’s built for people who want one place to explore, compare, and work with modern AI on their own terms.

About

Compass

This AI assistant processes all your questions and attached screenshots locally on your device. Enjoy private, real-time answers without data collection or cloud transmission.

Highlights
  • On-device AI processing
  • Screenshot and photo analysis
  • Notes-style chat interface
  • Private by design
  • No data collection
  • Streaming answers
Features
Read full description

Compass is a professional, privacy‑first on‑device assistant. Ask questions, attach screenshots, and get clear answers with everything processed locally on your iPhone, no data collection, no analytics, and no cloud transmission. What you can do with Compass • Ask quick questions in a clean, Notes‑style chat interface • Attach screenshots or photos and let Compass read them with on‑device OCR • Get focused, streaming answers that feel like a real conversation • Reopen or delete recent chats from a simple home screen Private by design • Your questions and answers stay on your device • Images and extracted text are processed using Apple’s on‑device frameworks • No analytics SDKs, no tracking, no external servers Compass is built for people who want the comfort of AI help without giving up control of their data.

Screenshots

Cedar Assistant4 screens
Compass4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cedar Assistant at weekly against Compass's fortnightly. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Cedar Assistant against 5.0 for Compass. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cedar Assistant ships an update weekly, Compass fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Cedar Assistant versus Compass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCedar AssistantCompass
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthew WoodruffShryas Bhurat

Customer experience

Cedar Assistant

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Compass

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Cedar Assistant

No in-app purchases

None

Compass

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cedar Assistant free?
Cedar Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Compass free?
Compass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cedar Assistant or Compass?
Cedar Assistant and Compass are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Cedar Assistant or Compass have ads?
Neither Cedar Assistant nor Compass shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cedar Assistant or Compass?
Cedar Assistant ships an update weekly, and Compass fortnightly. Most recently, Cedar Assistant was updated on October 16, 2026 and Compass on October 14, 2026.

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