Comparison

Leaf vs CORTEX_

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” 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 codeβ€”even in Airplane Mode. No cloud servers. No accounts. No subscriptions. WHY LEAF IS DIFFERENT β€’ 100% On-Device & Offline β€” 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. β€’ 4-Layer Context & Memory Engine β€” 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. β€’ Transparent, Editable Memory β€” Leaf automatically learns your preferences, skills, and goals as you chatβ€”or you can add, edit, and delete memories anytime in the built-in Memory & Context Inspector. β€’ Smart Cross-Chat Summaries β€” When you switch topics, Leaf summarizes past threads on-device so you can pick up right where you left off. β€’ No Account & No Subscription β€” Open Leaf and start chatting immediately. No sign-up, no email, no token paywalls, and no recurring fees. BUILT FOR REAL WORK & EVERYDAY THINKING β€’ Summarize rough meeting or lecture notes into crisp checklists β€’ Draft warm, concise replies and emails without filler β€’ Debug code, compare architectures, and brainstorm weekend projects β€’ 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 phoneβ€”we can’t read them, and we never will.

About

CORTEX_

Features
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CORTEX is a Personal Intelligence Operating System built to help you think clearly, remember what matters, organize your world, and move from conversation to action. CORTEX 2.5 introduces a completely rebuilt experience powered by connected CORTEX intelligence. The redesigned interface brings conversation, voice, memory, intelligence tools, connected services, and personalization together in one unified system. EXPLORE CORTEX 2.5 β€’ Communicate naturally through text and voice β€’ Continue conversations with greater context and continuity β€’ Personalize your CORTEX character, voice, appearance, and interface β€’ Explore World intelligence and timely information β€’ Organize priorities, plans, ideas, and responsibilities β€’ Access Finance, Health, Gaming, Nexus, and Signal Zero experiences β€’ Connect supported accounts and services where available β€’ Use supported Tesla experiences with an authorized account β€’ Manage privacy, permissions, connected services, and preferences β€’ Discover intelligent tools designed for everyday life and execution BUILT AROUND YOU CORTEX is designed to become a consistent intelligence layer across the moments, decisions, responsibilities, and systems that shape your life. You remain in control of your information, permissions, connected accounts, and personalized experience. Features that rely on third-party services require the appropriate account, authorization, and availability. CORTEX is not simply another chatbot. It is the beginning of a more connected, personal, and capable intelligence experience. CORTEX is built by CORTEXNODE Inc. Others respond. CORTEX executes. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Leaf4 screens
CORTEX_4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

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

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

Both are free to download. CORTEX_ sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Leaf asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Leaf ships an update every 3 months, CORTEX_ every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Leaf versus CORTEX_: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLeafCORTEX_
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad β€” better
Requires iOS26.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size7 MB337 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBig Numbers, Inc.George Bayze

In-app purchases

None

Leaf

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

CORTEX_

Subscriptions4
  • CORTEX Pro$19.991 Month
  • CORTEX Operator$59.001 Month
  • CORTEX Pro (Yearly)$199.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • CORTEX Operator (Yearly)$499.991 Year

Questions

Is Leaf free?
Leaf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CORTEX_ free?
CORTEX_ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Leaf or CORTEX_ have ads?
Neither Leaf nor CORTEX_ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Leaf or CORTEX_?
Leaf ships an update every 3 months, and CORTEX_ every 6 weeks. Most recently, Leaf was updated on October 28, 2026 and CORTEX_ on October 28, 2026.

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