Comparison

Ki vs OpenClient

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

Head to head
About

Ki

Capture, organize, and connect all your learning in one place. This app allows you to save notes, links, code snippets, and ideas, then link them together to build a web of knowledge. Find anything fast with full-text search and visual knowledge graphs.

Highlights
  • Capture notes, links, quotes, code snippets, and ideas
  • Organize with color-coded tags and custom topics
  • Connect notes with bidirectional linking
  • Visualize knowledge with interactive graphs
  • Full-text search and saved searches
  • Quick capture via floating button and widgets
  • Review workflow for managing notes
Features
Read full description

Ki-note is your personal knowledge base. Capture, organize, and connect everything you learn — all in one place. CAPTURE EVERYTHING • Notes, links, quotes, code snippets, ideas, and references • Quick capture with a floating + button from anywhere in the app • Save source URLs and titles for web content. You can share links from Safari to Ki-note! • Tag code snippets with their programming language (Swift, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Rust) • You can insert notes, text, links, into Ki-notes using the Share functionality • You can insert notes using voice in the Control Center widget or using a shortcut with Siri ORGANIZE YOUR WAY • Tags — color-coded labels to categorize your notes • Topics — group related notes under a single theme with custom icons • Smart Collections — automatic filters like Inbox, Favorites, Reading Queue, Unreviewed, Quotes, Ideas, Links, Untagged, and Unlinked • Configurable Quick Access dashboard on the home screen • Pin, favorite, and archive notes • Review workflow — track notes from Inbox → Unreviewed → Reviewing → Reviewed CONNECT YOUR KNOWLEDGE • Link notes together to build a web of ideas • Bidirectional linking — see which notes link to and from each note • Interactive Knowledge Graph — visualize all your notes and their connections • Customizable graph settings for colors, forces, and display options FIND ANYTHING FAST • Full-text search across all notes • Save frequently used searches for quick access • Browse by tags and topics • Filter by note type, status, or collection BUILT FOR YOU • 100% free — no ads, no subscriptions, all features unlocked • Local-first — your data stays on your device with SwiftData • Localized in 6 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese • Light and dark mode with customizable themes • Optional one-time tip to support development Ki-note is designed for students, researchers, developers, writers, and anyone who wants to build a personal knowledge base that grows with them.

About

OpenClient

Connect to your self-hosted AI models for private conversations without subscriptions. Supports multimodal input, real-time streaming, and extensive model compatibility. Offers robust conversation management and personalization features.

Highlights
  • Connect to self-hosted LLMs
  • Real-time streaming responses
  • Multimodal input (photos, PDFs)
  • Conversation history and branching
  • Prompt templates and memory
  • iCloud sync
  • Export conversations to JSON
Features
Read full description

OpenClient is an independent AI chat client for professionals and developers who run their own LLM infrastructure. Connect it to your self-hosted server and chat with your models, without mandatory subscriptions. Compatible with LiteLLM, Ollama, and OpenAI-compatible servers. Supports many popular model families, including GPT, Claude, Llama, Gemini, Mistral, and more. Chat • Real-time streaming responses with Markdown and code block rendering • Collapsible Thinking section for supported reasoning models • Attach photos, camera captures, and PDF documents for multimodal conversations • Drag and drop text, images, and files from other apps (Split View, Stage Manager, Finder on macOS) • Dictate messages with Speech-to-Text and listen with Text-to-Speech • Web search through the search provider configured on your server • Tool-calling support for models that provide function calling • MCP (Model Context Protocol) tools, browse, enable, and use external tools from MCP servers like GitHub, databases, and more, configured on your LiteLLM server • Favourite messages to bookmark and revisit quickly • Per-conversation system prompt and model parameters (temperature, max tokens, top-p) Conversations • Full conversation history with search, pins, and tags • Branch from any message to explore alternatives, then edit and regenerate • Media & Files gallery to browse all attached images and documents • Share content from any app directly into a new conversation via Share Sheet • Apple Shortcuts integration: New Chat, Search Chats, Send File to Chat • Home Screen widgets: New Chat, Search, Quick Actions, Conversations Overview • Control Center button: start a new chat from Control Center • iCloud sync across your Apple devices • Export conversations to JSON • Token usage per message and estimated conversation cost Models • Browse available models with capability badges (vision, tools, JSON mode) • Model detail sheet with context window, pricing, provider, and capabilities • Voice selector for Text-to-Speech models • Switch models per conversation Personalization • Prompt template library for recurring workflows • User profile to provide name and context • Memory to save facts and preferences, synced via iCloud On macOS • Menu bar companion for quick access without opening the main window Privacy • OpenClient does not operate a backend service for your chats. Your requests are sent to the server you configure. • OpenClient does not include advertising SDKs or third-party analytics trackers. This project is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0: https://github.com/ArtCC/openclient-llm Privacy Policy: https://arturocarreterocalvo.com/openclient-llm/privacy Terms of Use: https://arturocarreterocalvo.com/openclient-llm/terms OpenClient is an independent client and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the model or platform providers referenced above.

Screenshots

Ki4 screens
OpenClient4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Ki at 18.6 against OpenClient's 26.0. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Ki sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and OpenClient sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Ki against 5.0 for OpenClient. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ki ships an update every 2 days, OpenClient every 3 days. Both last shipped on September 10, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Ki versus OpenClient: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKiOpenClient
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB256 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJuan CasanuevaArturo Carretero Calvo

Customer experience

Ki

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

OpenClient

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Ki

One-time1
  • Buy me a coffee$0.99
5 purchases

OpenClient

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Support$2.991 Month
  • Annual Support$8.991 Year
One-time3
  • Small Coffee$2.99
  • Medium Coffee$3.99
  • Big Coffee$8.99

Questions

Is Ki free?
Ki is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenClient free?
OpenClient is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ki or OpenClient?
Ki and OpenClient are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Ki or OpenClient have ads?
Neither Ki nor OpenClient shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ki or OpenClient?
Ki ships an update every 2 days, and OpenClient every 3 days. Most recently, Ki was updated on September 10, 2026 and OpenClient on September 10, 2026.

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