# Elio Chat vs smallm

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Elio Chat at none against smallm's 4. smallm's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. smallm sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Elio Chat asks for nothing beyond the download.

Elio Chat ships an update fortnightly, smallm weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elio Chat | smallm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuki Hamada](https://appshunter.io/developer/1819243205) | [株式会社オルタナティブエンタープライズ](https://appshunter.io/developer/1164424053) |

## What reviewers say

### Elio Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elio-chat/id6757635481)

This AI assistant operates entirely on your device, ensuring all conversations remain private and never leave your iPhone. It offers powerful AI models, image recognition, and voice input, integrating seamlessly with your iOS features like calendar and reminders.

**Highlights:** 100% offline operation, On-device AI processing, Deep iOS integration (Calendar, Reminders, Photos), Powerful AI models, Image recognition, Voice input

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### smallm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallm-local-ai-chat/id6761262624)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| フルバージョン | $9.99 | one-time |
| 開発者を支援(3,000円) | $19.99 | one-time |
| 開発者を応援(5,000円) | $29.99 | one-time |
| 開発者を支援 (10,000円) | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elio Chat free?

Elio Chat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is smallm free?

smallm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Elio Chat or smallm have ads?

Neither Elio Chat nor smallm shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Elio Chat or smallm?

Elio Chat ships an update fortnightly, and smallm weekly. Most recently, Elio Chat was updated on October 31, 2026 and smallm on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*