Comparison

Open Relay vs Epistles Mail

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

Head to head
About

Open Relay

This app provides a native iOS and iPadOS client for Open WebUI, allowing users to chat with AI models on their server. It features real-time markdown rendering, voice calls with AI, and an admin console for server management.

Highlights
  • Native iOS & iPadOS client
  • Streaming chat with rich markdown
  • Voice calls with AI
  • Admin console for server settings
  • Terminal integration with file browser
  • On-device voice processing
  • Prompt library and skills integration
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Your AI. Your server. Your pocket. Open Relay is a beautiful, 100% native iOS & iPadOS client for Open WebUI. Chat with any model on your server, right from your iPhone or iPad, with a fast, polished experience that feels native. — STREAMING CHAT WITH RICH MARKDOWN — Watch responses flow in word by word with full markdown rendering — syntax-highlighted code blocks, tables, math equations, Mermaid diagrams, inline SVG images, and more. Everything renders beautifully in real time. — VOICE CALLS WITH AI — Call your AI like you'd call a friend. Open Relay uses Apple's CallKit so it looks and feels like a real phone call — complete with an animated orb that reacts to your voice and the AI's response. — ADMIN CONSOLE — Take full control of your WebUI admin settings directly from the app instead of visiting the site. Directly add new integrations, mcp servers, or modify server settings quickly through the app. — TERMINAL INTEGRATION — Give your AI access to a real terminal. Enable command execution from chat, then swipe from the right edge to open a file browser with directory navigation, file upload, preview, and a mini terminal. — SWITCH MODELS ON THE FLY — Type @ to mention any model and switch mid-conversation. A persistent chip in the composer shows which model is active. — PROMPT LIBRARY & SKILLS — Type / to search your prompt library with slash commands, or $ to browse and apply your Open WebUI skills — all without leaving the composer. — KNOWLEDGE BASES (RAG) — Type # to search and attach your knowledge collections, folders, and files. Works exactly like the web UI. — ON-DEVICE VOICE, COMPLETELY PRIVATE — Built-in neural text-to-speech (Marvis) and speech-to-text run entirely on your device via Apple's MLX framework. Download once, then no data ever leaves your phone. Server-based and Apple system voices also supported. — TOOLS & WORKSPACE — Toggle server-side tools on or off per conversation. Tool calls render inline with collapsible details. Manage models, knowledge bases, prompts, skills, and tools directly from the app. — CHANNELS — Collaborative chat rooms where multiple users and AI models interact — organized by Direct Messages, Groups, and Channels. — AUTOMATIONS — Automations let you schedule prompts to run automatically at recurring times. — TASK MANAGEMENT — Task Management gives agentic models a structured way to plan and track multi-step work in a chat. — CALENDAR — Schedule, track, and manage events — with AI that can plan for you. — ORGANIZE EVERYTHING — Drag and drop chats into folders. Pin important conversations. Search across everything. Configure folders with system prompts, default models, and attached knowledge. Archive and restore in bulk. — RICH ATTACHMENTS — Attach files, photos, or paste images into chat. The Share Extension sends content from any app straight into a conversation. — DEEP THEMING — Accent color presets or a custom color wheel. Pure black OLED mode with tinted surfaces. Every change previews live. — MULTI-SERVER/ACCOUNT SUPPORT — Save multiple Open WebUI connections and switch instantly. Full auth support — username/password, LDAP, SSO, and auth proxies like Authelia and Authentik. — HOME SCREEN WIDGETS & SHORTCUTS — Start a chat from a widget or your Action Button. Background notifications alert you when a generation finishes while you're in another app. — ACCESSIBILITY — Independently adjust message text size, conversation title size, and UI element scaling Requires a running Open WebUI server instance. Your models Your rules!

About

Epistles Mail

Consolidate multiple email accounts into a single, unified inbox. Enjoy a native mobile experience with responsive gestures and offline functionality. Prioritizes user privacy with a zero-knowledge cloud vault for secure cross-device setup.

Highlights
  • Unified inbox for multiple providers
  • Native mobile experience
  • Offline functionality
  • Privacy-first design
  • Zero-knowledge cloud vault
  • Local-first sync
Read full description

Epistles is a fast, powerful email app for people who use more than one provider. Bring Fastmail, Gmail, Microsoft 365 / Outlook, ProtonMail, and generic IMAP accounts into one unified inbox, with the polish of a premium client and architecture built for real-world email. MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS, ONE EXPERIENCE See everything in one timeline or drill into a single account when you need focus. Switch providers without switching apps. NATIVE WHERE IT MATTERS Built as a real native mobile experience. Responsive gestures, solid offline behavior, and attention to the small details that make daily email less painful. PRIVACY-FIRST DESIGN Epistles is not an “AI that reads your threads” product. Your mail stays oriented around you and your providers, not server-side content mining for ads or training. ZERO-KNOWLEDGE CLOUD VAULT Cross-device setup backs up connection metadata with encryption designed so the relay can’t unwrap your secrets. LOCAL-FIRST SYNC Keep working when connectivity is spotty; sync when you’re back online. WHO IT’S FOR • Multi-account professionals juggling work and personal mail • Power users coming from Fastmail, Gmail, Outlook, or Proton who want one inbox • Anyone who wants a universal client without giving up control Epistles is independently developed with a simple goal: make excellent email software that respects how people actually use email today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Open Relay4 screens
Epistles Mail4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Epistles Mail at Free against Open Relay's $9.99. Epistles Mail also leads on iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.1). Open Relay's advantage is review sentiment (89% vs 71%) and chart position (#51 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Epistles Mail is free to download; Open Relay costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Open Relay against 5.0 for Epistles Mail. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Open Relay has 27 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Open Relay's written reviews are positive against 71% of Epistles Mail's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly daily. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Open Relay versus Epistles Mail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpen RelayEpistles Mail
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (27 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews — better71.4% of reviews
Number of ratings27 — better4
Update frequencyDailyDaily
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#51 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.116.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB84 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAbhishek BhardwajNetwarden LLC

Customer experience

Open Relay

All ratings27 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

Epistles Mail

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%

In-app purchases

None

Open Relay

No in-app purchases

None

Epistles Mail

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Open Relay free?
Open Relay costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Epistles Mail free?
Epistles Mail is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Open Relay or Epistles Mail?
Open Relay and Epistles Mail are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 27 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Open Relay or Epistles Mail have ads?
Neither Open Relay nor Epistles Mail shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Open Relay or Epistles Mail?
Open Relay ships an update daily, and Epistles Mail daily. Most recently, Open Relay was updated on September 24, 2026 and Epistles Mail on September 13, 2026.

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