OpenIntelligence vs MoonShine
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OpenIntelligence
Transform your files into a private, searchable knowledge base. This app uses advanced AI to answer your questions with citations, supporting a wide range of document, audio, video, and code formats. It's designed for Apple devices with Apple Intelligence capabilities.
- Private knowledge base creation
- Citation-backed Q&A
- Supports 50+ file formats
- On-device transcription and indexing
- Hybrid search (keyword & vector)
- Multiple query modes
- Background file ingestion
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Ask a question about your own PDFs, contracts, lecture recordings or code, and get an answer with the exact passage it came from. Nothing you import leaves your device unless you allow it. Free to start, no account, no API key. OpenIntelligence reads what you import and answers in plain language, with citations you can tap to see where each claim came from. When your files don't contain the answer, it says so instead of guessing. ANSWERS START IN YOUR FILES Not in a chatbot's imagination. OpenIntelligence searches your library first, pulls the exact passages that matter, and only then writes, using Apple's on-device Apple Intelligence models. Requires an Apple Intelligence-capable device: iPhone 15 Pro or later, or an M1-or-later iPad or Mac, on iOS/iPadOS/macOS 26. Your device already had the intelligence. This gives it your knowledge, and rules of evidence. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Summarize long documents, recordings, or entire libraries. - Compare claims and details across multiple sources. - Find exact facts, dates, specifications, measurements, and table values. - Ask follow-up questions without losing the sources or the thread. - Choose Standard for quick factual work, Deep Think for multi-step questions, or Maximum for broader evidence synthesis. BRING YOUR OWN MATERIAL Import PDFs, Office documents, text and Markdown files, CSVs, code, images and scans, audio, or video. Pages, Numbers and Keynote files need to be exported to PDF first. OpenIntelligence extracts text, uses Vision OCR where needed, transcribes speech, and builds a searchable index for each library. HOW ANSWERS ARE BUILT Exact keyword matching and semantic search work together to retrieve the passages that matter. Apple Foundation Models turn those passages into a natural-language response. Then the app checks its own answer against the passages it actually used, so you can inspect what it's standing on instead of taking its word. If the sources do not establish an answer, the app flags weak support or abstains. No confident filler. WHERE YOUR FILES GO (AND DON'T) Reading your files, searching them, and choosing what to cite all happen on your device, start to finish, before anything is written. On-device answers need no connection at all. On a plane, in a dead zone, in a locked-down office, your library still works. For longer, evidence-heavy questions on iOS, iPadOS or macOS 27, you can optionally allow Apple Private Cloud Compute to do the writing. The app shows you how much would be sent and why, and asks you first. Apple says its servers keep nothing afterwards. Your material is never sent to a third-party AI provider. ANSWERS YOU CAN INSPECT Inline citations connect answers to their supporting pages and passages, one tap from claim to source. If you want more, response details go deeper: source snippets, retrieval quality, verification warnings, timing, and the route that actually produced the answer. The optional telemetry interface goes deeper when you want it and stays out of the way when you don't. LIBRARIES THAT FIT YOUR WORK Keep different subjects, projects, or clients in separate libraries. Choose Local Only or iCloud Drive (paid plans) for each library, and organize ongoing research in saved conversation threads. Siri and Shortcuts actions are available for common document and library workflows. PLANS Every plan runs the same model: Apple Intelligence on your device, Deep Think, and Private Cloud Compute after you approve what is sent. Free: 5 documents, one library, Maximum mode three times a day. Pro lifts that cap and grows to 1,000 documents and 10 libraries, monthly or yearly. Lifetime: one payment, unlimited documents, 20 libraries, Maximum every day, no renewal. OpenIntelligence is built and maintained by one developer. Pro and Lifetime support directly fund continued development. To everyone already supporting the app: thank you. It has been a wild journey. Privacy Policy: https://gunzino.me/openintelligence/privacy
MoonShine
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Meet MoonShine — Your Ultimate On-Device Voice Transcription Assistant. Tired of expensive subscription fees, arbitrary usage limits, or worrying about your private voice recordings being sent to the cloud? MoonShine is here to change that. Powered by cutting-edge, open-source AI technology, MoonShine delivers lightning-fast and highly accurate Speech-to-Text (ASR) capabilities entirely on your device. Whether you're dictating notes, transcribing interviews, or drafting emails on the go, MoonShine turns your voice into text instantly, safely, and for free. Why Choose MoonShine? Absolute Privacy (100% Local Inference) Your voice is your business. MoonShine runs completely offline. No audio data is ever uploaded to the cloud, stored on external servers, or used to train third-party models. What you say stays on your device. Completely Free, Forever No hidden fees, no subscriptions, no ads, and no API keys required. Enjoy unlimited transcription without spending a dime. Works Anywhere, Anytime (Offline Mode) Stuck on a plane, deep in the subway, or out in the wilderness? No problem. Because MoonShine processes everything locally, it requires absolutely zero internet connection to work. Fast & Lightweight Optimized for mobile and desktop, MoonShine transcribes your speech in real-time without draining your battery or slowing down your device. Perfect For: Journalists & Students: Transcribe interviews and lectures securely without internet access. Writers & Professionals: Dictate ideas and draft documents hands-free. Privacy-Conscious Users: Anyone who wants the power of AI without compromising their personal data. Powered by Open Source MoonShine is proudly built upon the incredible moonshine-ai/moonshine open-source project. We believe in democratizing AI technology and making powerful, private tools accessible to everyone. Download MoonShine today and experience the future of private, free, and offline voice transcription!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MoonShine at none against OpenIntelligence's 4. MoonShine also leads on iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). OpenIntelligence's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads and device support 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. OpenIntelligence sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. MoonShine asks for nothing beyond the download.
OpenIntelligence ships an update weekly, MoonShine monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OpenIntelligence | MoonShine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 18.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 167 MB | 67 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gunnar Hostetler | 青兆 李 |
In-app purchases
OpenIntelligence
- Pro Monthly$5.991 Month
- Pro Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Document Pack$2.99
- Lifetime Cohort$59.99
MoonShine
No in-app purchases









