Alternatives to Private LLM
An offline AI chat app for iPhone, iPad and Mac that runs open language models on the device. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Private LLM
An offline AI chat app for iPhone, iPad and Mac that runs open language models on the device.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Private LLM.
LLMFarm
An iOS and macOS app for running large language models offline on the device using GGML.
LLMFarm is a free, open-source app that runs models offline on iPhone, iPad and Mac, but it is a small single-developer project without Siri and Shortcuts integration.
PocketPal AI
A mobile app for Android and iOS that downloads small language models and runs them on the phone.
PocketPal AI is free and runs small language models on Android and iOS phones, but it is limited to phones and has no Mac app or Siri integration.
Layla
An offline AI assistant app that runs language models directly on Android and iOS devices.
Layla runs models offline on Android and iOS with role-play character creation, using a freemium model instead of a one-time purchase, and it has no Mac version.
LM Studio
A polished desktop app for downloading, running and chatting with local language models, with an OpenAI-compatible server built in.
LM Studio is a freemium desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux with Hugging Face model search and an OpenAI-compatible server, but has no iPhone or iPad version.
Jan
An open-source ChatGPT replacement that runs entirely offline, and can also front cloud providers when you want them.
Jan is free and open source under Apache 2.0, runs offline on Windows, macOS and Linux, and can also front cloud providers, but has no iOS version.
GPT4All
A local AI chat app with document chat built in, from Nomic AI. Stable, MIT licensed, but not updated since early 2025.
GPT4All is free and MIT licensed, adds LocalDocs chat over your own files on desktop platforms, but has had no release since February 2025 and no mobile app.
Ollama
The simplest way to pull down an open language model and run it on your own machine, from one command or a desktop app.
Ollama is open source under MIT, runs models from one command or a desktop app with a local REST API, and targets desktops rather than iPhone or iPad.
Msty
Desktop workspace for chatting with local and hosted AI models in one place.
Msty is a freemium closed-source desktop workspace for Windows, macOS and Linux that combines local and hosted models, with knowledge bases, but has no iOS app.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Private LLM as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
BoltAI
A native macOS AI chat app that works with many cloud providers and local models.
Private LLM runs open models fully offline on Mac, iPhone and iPad with one purchase, but does not connect to cloud providers.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
MLX LM
A Python package and command-line tool for running and fine-tuning language models on Apple silicon.
Ollamac
A native macOS app for chatting with language models served by a local Ollama installation.
Chatbox
A desktop and mobile chat client for AI models, where you supply your own API keys or point it at a local model.
llama.cpp
The C++ engine most local AI apps are built on, running language models on ordinary hardware.
Open WebUI
A self-hosted chat interface that talks to Ollama and any OpenAI-compatible API, so your local models get a proper front end.
