RouterChat for OpenRouter vs OpenChat Connect

RouterChat is a native, unofficial OpenRouter client for iPhone and iPad. Choose the AI model for your task, ask by text or voice, and keep useful answers organized. CHOOSE YOUR MODEL Browse models available to your OpenRouter account, save favorites, and switch models for different tasks. Compare responses with Fusion, or create images and videos with compatible models. Configure supported tools for search and other tasks, then inspect reported tool activity and source excerpts. TALK OR TYPE Record a prompt or listen to a reply. Use Speech for transcription and text-to-speech. Pro adds Hands-free conversations and a CarPlay interface on iPhone. On Apple Watch, enter or record a question, then read or play the answer. KEEP USEFUL ANSWERS Ask about PDFs and most text files with compatible models, including files shared from the iOS share sheet. Attach images when your chosen model supports them. Read answers with Markdown, formatted math, syntax-highlighted code, and Mermaid diagrams. Save useful passages with Bookmarks, name your chats, and return to earlier messages to start new conversation branches. Export chats to Obsidian-compatible Markdown or JSON, and continue saved chats on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with optional iCloud history. For development work, share .ips crash reports, Jetsam reports, and other diagnostic logs to investigate with your chosen model. CONTROL YOUR SETUP Check your OpenRouter key status, credits, balance, usage, and limits. Choose provider data preferences and whether to use iCloud for saved chats and settings. Your OpenRouter key is stored in the device Keychain. FREE APP FEATURES. OPTIONAL LIFETIME PRO. Core chat, manual voice input and playback, manual Speech transcription and text-to-speech, Bookmarks, and exports do not require Pro. RouterChat.Pro is one optional lifetime purchase for iPhone, iPad, and Mac App Store. It unlocks Hands-free and CarPlay conversations, regional endpoint selection, custom system-message editing, and saved parameter profiles for individual models. Current and future Pro features are included. BRING YOUR OPENROUTER ACCOUNT Sign in with OpenRouter or use an API key. Provider usage is billed separately; Pro does not include OpenRouter credits or model licenses. PDF parsing can add charges. Model availability, pricing, capabilities, tool support, and provider data policies vary. Regional endpoints require an eligible account and compatible models.

OpenChat Connect is a free native iOS app with two ways to chat. Download a model and talk to it on your iPhone. Or bring your own API key and use OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter, or any custom endpoint. No OpenChat account. No lock-in. On this device Version 1.2.0 adds curated MLX downloads from Meta, Qwen, and Phi. Pick Fast, Balanced, or Strongest, then choose the On This Device provider. That chat runs on the iPhone. You do not need an API key for it. Your key, any model Paste a key and use OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter, or a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint, including Ollama, LM Studio, or vLLM. The same key setup also covers Mistral, DeepSeek, cloud Qwen, Moonshot, Z.ai, and 01.AI. Pick the model that fits the task. Switch later. The app does not lock you to one provider. One app either way Chats, rules, memory, and skills are stored on the device. You can set global rules and per-chat rules, edit memory, and run a skill with / in the composer. Web search is optional and uses your own search key (Tavily, Exa, Brave, Serper, or SerpAPI). The app can render streaming Markdown and code, send a photo to a vision-capable model, and finish a cloud reply in the background with a local notification. Private by design OpenChat has no backend, no account, and no analytics. On-device model chats are not sent to a cloud model provider. When you choose a cloud model, that message goes from your iPhone straight to the provider you picked. OpenChat does not sit in the middle. API keys and search keys stay in the iOS Keychain. The app is free. Cloud usage is billed by the provider on your key, not by OpenChat. On-device chats do not use a provider key. App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/openchat-connect/id6798106079 Source (MIT): https://github.com/robert-garay/openchat Support: robert@genion.ai