Comparison

OnDevice vs RootDeck

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

Head to head
About

OnDevice

This app provides a local AI workbench for your iPhone, running open-source language and vision models entirely on-device. Features include live camera captioning, hands-free voice conversation, and code assistance with various models. It prioritizes privacy with no servers, API keys, or telemetry.

Highlights
  • On-device LLM and VLM execution
  • Live camera captioning
  • Hands-free voice conversation
  • Code assistant with multiple models
  • Document scanner and live OCR
  • Model benchmarking and A/B comparison
  • Mac pairing for inference server
Features
Read full description

OnDevice is a local-first AI studio for iPhone. Run compatible language, vision, speech, and image models on your device. Browse models and choose what to download. Model size, memory use, and speed depend on your hardware. CHAT AND CREATE Ask questions, write, work with code, save snippets, and export conversations. Use camera or photo input with a compatible vision model, or use built-in OCR without downloading a vision model. Voice conversations use local Apple speech by default, with optional downloadable neural voices. Compatible image models support local image generation, which can be restricted with a parental PIN. YOU CHOOSE THE CONNECTIONS Local inference uses installed models. Network features are optional: model discovery and downloads, web search, paired Mac tools, a local API, and iCloud sync. Web providers may receive the queries or content you choose to send and may require their own API account. No app account is required for local use; there is no analytics SDK. REQUIREMENTS Requires iOS 18 or later. Downloadable models need storage and sufficient available memory. The app may pause or refuse heavy workloads when the device is too hot or memory is low. Model compatibility and performance vary by device.

About

RootDeck

Read full description

Manage your servers straight from your iPhone and iPad. RootDeck is a fast, secure SSH and SFTP client — a full terminal and file manager in your pocket. Connect directly to your own servers — no RootDeck account, no cloud in between. Built for developers, sysadmins, and DevOps who need their infrastructure on the go. Features: • Interactive SSH terminal • SFTP file browser and transfers • Upload, download, copy, move, rename, and delete remote files • Password and SSH key authentication • Jump host support for reaching servers behind a bastion • Host key verification to protect against MITM attacks • Saved server profiles • Face ID or Touch ID app lock • Server availability monitoring • Support for Linux, macOS, and Windows OpenSSH servers Credentials are stored securely in Apple Keychain. SSH connections, commands, and transferred files go directly between your device and the servers you choose. RootDeck does not collect analytics and does not send your server data to the developer.

Screenshots

OnDevice4 screens
RootDeck4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: OnDevice at every 3 days against RootDeck's weekly. RootDeck's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OnDevice ships an update every 3 days, RootDeck weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
OnDevice versus RootDeck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOnDeviceRootDeck
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size194 MB14 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperMESUT CAN YAGCIEvgenii Lav

In-app purchases

None

OnDevice

No in-app purchases

None

RootDeck

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OnDevice free?
OnDevice is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RootDeck free?
RootDeck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do OnDevice or RootDeck have ads?
Neither OnDevice nor RootDeck shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OnDevice or RootDeck?
OnDevice ships an update every 3 days, and RootDeck weekly. Most recently, OnDevice was updated on October 16, 2026 and RootDeck on October 8, 2026.

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