Comparison

Leaf vs Foundation

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

Head to head
About

Leaf

Read full description

Private, offline AI chat that lives entirely on your iPhone. Leaf pairs a calm, botanical interface with Apple’s on-device Foundation Model so you can brainstorm, write, summarize notes, and work through code—even in Airplane Mode. No cloud servers. No accounts. No subscriptions. WHY LEAF IS DIFFERENT • 100% On-Device & Offline — Every prompt and response is generated locally on your iPhone using Apple Intelligence. Zero data leaves your device, and zero water or cloud data-center energy is used. • 4-Layer Context & Memory Engine — Inspired by modern LLM memory systems, Leaf combines session context, long-term user memories, recent chat summaries, and a smart token-based sliding window so it remembers who you are across conversations. • Transparent, Editable Memory — Leaf automatically learns your preferences, skills, and goals as you chat—or you can add, edit, and delete memories anytime in the built-in Memory & Context Inspector. • Smart Cross-Chat Summaries — When you switch topics, Leaf summarizes past threads on-device so you can pick up right where you left off. • No Account & No Subscription — Open Leaf and start chatting immediately. No sign-up, no email, no token paywalls, and no recurring fees. BUILT FOR REAL WORK & EVERYDAY THINKING • Summarize rough meeting or lecture notes into crisp checklists • Draft warm, concise replies and emails without filler • Debug code, compare architectures, and brainstorm weekend projects • Pin important threads and inspect real-time token capacity at a glance YOUR WORDS STAY YOURS In a world of cloud AI that harvests conversations for training, Leaf takes a quieter, local-first approach. Your thoughts stay on your phone—we can’t read them, and we never will.

About

Foundation

Engage in intelligent, private AI conversations that run entirely on your device. No internet or data collection required, offering instant responses and multiple conversation threads for various tasks.

Highlights
  • 100% on-device AI processing
  • Zero data collection
  • Works offline
  • Multiple conversation threads
  • Clean SwiftUI interface
  • Unlimited chat sessions
Features
Read full description

FoundationChat: Intelligent Conversations, Completely Private Experience AI without compromising your privacy. FoundationChat runs entirely on your iPhone or iPad—no internet required, no data sent to servers. Uses Apple’s on-device Intelligence or Cactus open models. PRIVACY FIRST 100% on-device processing—no ChatGPT, OpenAI, or third-party AI Zero data collection—conversations never leave your device No account, login, or tracking FEATURES Natural conversation powered by on-device AI Context-aware responses Multiple conversation threads Clean SwiftUI interface Works offline with instant responses Unlimited chat sessions REQUIREMENTS iOS 26.0 or later Apple Intelligence: iPhone 15 Pro+, iPhone 16+, or iPad with M1+ (enable in Settings) Cactus: iPhone 13 Pro and other devices with 4GB+ RAM (download a model in-app) WHY FOUNDATIONCHAT? Unlike cloud-based chatbots, FoundationChat keeps everything local. Your questions and conversations stay on your device. Ideal for brainstorming, writing help, learning, and any task where privacy matters. Download FoundationChat for truly private AI conversations.

Screenshots

Leaf4 screens
Foundation3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Foundation at every 4 weeks against Leaf's every 3 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Leaf ships an update every 3 months, Foundation every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Leaf versus Foundation: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLeafFoundation
PriceFreeFree
Rating—1.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB8 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBig Numbers, Inc.Sagar Desai

In-app purchases

None

Leaf

No in-app purchases

None

Foundation

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Leaf free?
Leaf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Foundation free?
Foundation is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Leaf or Foundation have ads?
Neither Leaf nor Foundation shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Leaf or Foundation?
Leaf ships an update every 3 months, and Foundation every 4 weeks. Most recently, Leaf was updated on October 28, 2026 and Foundation on November 5, 2026.

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