Comparison

MLX Studio vs LLM API Request

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

Head to head
About

MLX Studio

Experience private AI chat on your Apple devices with this app. It runs entirely on-device, offering 100% privacy and offline functionality. Choose from pre-configured models or import your own, with smart memory and RAM management for efficient conversations.

Highlights
  • 100% Private On-Device Processing
  • Supports 15+ Pre-configured MLX Models
  • Import Custom Models from HuggingFace
  • Vision Understanding (Mac)
  • Image Generation (Mac)
  • Smart Memory and RAM Management
  • Offline Functionality
Read full description

MLX Studio brings powerful AI chat to your Apple devices, running entirely on-device for complete privacy. No data ever leaves your device. Choose from 15+ pre-configured MLX models or import any compatible model from HuggingFace. Store models on external drives to save space. APPLE INTELLIGENCE (iOS 26+ / macOS 26+) Powered by Apple Foundation Models - Apple's on-device AI framework. - Built-in AI: Use Apple Intelligence with no download required - Instant access: Start chatting immediately without waiting for model downloads - Seamless switching: Easily switch between Apple Intelligence and custom MLX models - 4K context support for quick conversations KEY FEATURES - 100% Private: All AI processing happens locally on your device - Multiple AI Models: Choose from curated state-of-the-art language models optimized for Apple Silicon - Vision Understanding (Mac): Analyze images with Vision Language Models - Image Generation (Mac): Create images using Stable Diffusion and FLUX models - Smart Memory: AI remembers important conversation details - Smart RAM Management: Models automatically unload when idle - Works Offline: Use anywhere without internet once downloaded - Native Experience: Built with SwiftUI for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS SUPPORTED DEVICES & MODELS INCLUDED iPhone, iPad, Mac (16GB+ RAM recommended for Mac). Includes Qwen3, Llama 3.2, Gemma 2, vision models, and FLUX/Stable Diffusion. No subscriptions, accounts, or cloud required.

About

LLM API Request

Send requests to various AI models directly from Apple Shortcuts using your own API keys. Supports local models, file attachments, and conversation history. Export conversations and track token usage.

Highlights
  • Use own API keys
  • Supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity
  • Local model support
  • Attach files to requests
  • Conversation history
  • Export conversations as Markdown
  • Token usage tracking
Features
Read full description

LLM API Request lets you send requests to leading AI models straight from Apple Shortcuts, using your own API keys. No subscriptions. No accounts. SUPPORTED PROVIDERS • OpenAI • Anthropic • Google Gemini • xAI Grok • Perplexity KEY FEATURES • Bring your own API key — pay only for what you use (including generating images), at provider rates • Use local models like Gemma 4, and the Apple Intelligence model; Local models can even use web search! • Attach images, PDFs, and text files to your requests • Continue conversations across Shortcut runs with conversation history • Export any conversation as Markdown — great for apps like Obsidian • Track token usage across all models with a built-in dashboard • Export your token usage history • Use Projects to summarize documents and include them in the model's context. Donate the project info to Siri so that it can use that to answer your questions! • Test connections to ensure your key is working and browse available models per provider • Request structured JSON output for automation pipelines SECURITY FIRST Your API keys are stored exclusively in Apple Keychain, protected by Face ID or Touch ID. We run no servers and collect no data — everything stays on your device.

Screenshots

MLX Studio4 screens
LLM API Request4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LLM API Request at 5.0 against MLX Studio's 4.0. On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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

LLM API Request holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
MLX Studio versus LLM API Request: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMLX StudioLLM API Request
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB43 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperMelih GurgahMarc-Henri Bleu-Laine

Customer experience

MLX Studio

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

LLM API Request

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

MLX Studio

No in-app purchases

None

LLM API Request

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MLX Studio free?
MLX Studio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LLM API Request free?
LLM API Request is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MLX Studio or LLM API Request?
LLM API Request is rated higher. MLX Studio averages 4.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while LLM API Request averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do MLX Studio or LLM API Request have ads?
Neither MLX Studio nor LLM API Request shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MLX Studio or LLM API Request?
MLX Studio ships an update every 3 weeks, and LLM API Request every 3 weeks. Most recently, MLX Studio was updated on September 26, 2026 and LLM API Request on October 11, 2026.

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