OpenChat Connect vs Sencha

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

A native LLM client for on-device inference, LLM APIs, and self-hosted servers, built around a minimal, responsive interface. Download a supported model and chat offline without an API key or account. Or connect OpenRouter, direct providers, and compatible endpoints using your own credentials. On-Device Models • Download models from the built-in catalog, including Gemma 4, Qwen 3.5, Bonsai, and LFM 2.5 • Choose model sizes and quantization options to suit your device • Configure context window, reply length, and image detail where supported • Use streaming, thinking traces, image attachments, and web tools with compatible models • Reduce reprocessing of earlier messages with on-disk prompt caching Model capabilities and performance depend on the selected model and available device memory. Connections and Models • Connect OpenRouter, OpenCode, and direct providers • Add OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible endpoints, including self-hosted runtimes such as Ollama and LM Studio • Use Chat Completions, Responses API, or Messages API • Choose an on-device or connected model per chat • Browse model catalogs and inspect context size, output limits, pricing, and capabilities where available • Configure reasoning effort, prompt caching, routing, and model tools where supported Web Search and Fetch • Use the included free web search via Markdown.new • Or configure Brave Search, Tavily, Exa, Serper, SerpApi, Parallel, or Keenable • Choose search-depth presets for Exa and Tavily • Fetch pages on device or through Markdown.new or Firecrawl • Configure fetch providers and fallbacks independently Files and Output • Attach photos, documents, and PDFs • Send PDFs natively, extract embedded text, run on-device OCR, or render pages as images • Read responses with formatted Markdown, code, mathematical formulas, and tables • Copy generated tables as a table, Markdown, or a complete image Voice Input • Use Apple Speech for on-device dictation • Download local transcription models • Connect API-based transcription providers The app is free, with no ads or app subscription. On-device models require no provider account or API key. Connected services are subject to their own pricing, limits, and data policies.