TensorChat vs Volocal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TensorChat
This app offers a privacy-focused AI chat experience by allowing you to download and run models directly on your device. Enjoy offline access, manage multiple conversations, and utilize voice and image inputs for a personalized AI interaction.
- On-device AI by default
- Download and manage AI models
- Offline chat functionality
- Multiple chat threads
- Voice input and text-to-speech
- Image understanding
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TensorChat is a privacy-first AI chat app built for people who want AI that stays in their hands. Download models to your device, chat locally, and keep going even when you’re offline. Choose the model that fits your needs, start multiple conversations, and switch between threads anytime. Responses stream live for a fast, natural chat experience, and your chat history stays available on your device. Use text, voice, and images in one app. Supported models can understand image inputs, voice tools let you speak naturally, and text-to-speech helps you listen to responses hands-free. TensorChat is designed for local-first AI: • On-device AI by default • Download and manage models in the app • Offline chat after setup • Multiple chat threads with saved history • Voice input and text-to-speech • Image understanding with supported models If you want a private, flexible AI assistant without depending on the cloud by default, TensorChat gives you a more personal way to chat.
Volocal
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Talk to an AI assistant that runs entirely on your iPhone. No cloud servers, no API keys, no subscriptions -- just real-time voice conversations powered by on-device intelligence. FULLY PRIVATE, FULLY LOCAL Every word you say stays on your device. Volocal runs three specialized AI models directly on your iPhone's hardware -- nothing is ever sent to the internet. After downloading the models on first launch, you never need a network connection again. REAL-TIME VOICE CONVERSATIONS Speak naturally and hear responses streamed back in real-time. Volocal uses a three-stage pipeline -- Speech-to-Text, Language Model, and Text-to-Speech -- all running simultaneously on different chips inside your phone for smooth, low-latency conversations. INTERRUPT ANYTIME Change your mind mid-sentence? Just start talking. Volocal supports barge-in with hardware echo cancellation, so the microphone stays active even while the assistant is speaking. No need to wait for it to finish. NO SUBSCRIPTIONS, NO API KEYS Volocal is completely free and open source. There are no in-app purchases, no subscriptions, and no hidden costs. Download the models once (~2.3 GB, Wi-Fi recommended) and you're set. HOW IT WORKS Volocal splits the workload across your iPhone's specialized processors: - Speech recognition (Parakeet EOU) runs on the Neural Engine - Language model (Qwen3.5-2B) runs on the GPU via Metal - Text-to-speech (PocketTTS) runs on the Neural Engine This separation means all three models can run at the same time without competing for resources, keeping conversations fluid and responsive. LIGHTWEIGHT Total runtime memory usage is approximately 1.2 GB, well within the limits of modern iPhones. REQUIREMENTS - iOS 17 or later - Physical device only (Neural Engine is not available in the Simulator) - ~2.3 GB of storage for model downloads on first launch Volocal is MIT licensed and open source. Built by Fikri Karim.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: TensorChat at 3 against Volocal's 1. TensorChat also leads on iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | TensorChat | Volocal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Daily | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | General Intelligence Technologies Inc. | Fikri Karim |
In-app purchases
TensorChat
No in-app purchases
Volocal
No in-app purchases








