Best Offline AI Chat Apps for iPhone in 2026: 5 Compared
Five offline AI chat apps for iPhone that run language models directly on the device, compared on setup, model control, offline use, cloud options, price, and device requirements. Every figure in the tables is from the app's US App Store listing.
Polyaura, which publishes this page, develops Cloak, one of the five apps. The tables list apps alphabetically.
The short answer
All five apps can generate responses locally after downloading a model, but they take very different approaches.
- Cloak: automatic setup. Cloak chooses and downloads one model automatically; there is no cloud mode.
- PocketPal AI: more control. Users search Hugging Face for GGUF models inside the app, download the ones they want, and run them locally.
- Locally AI, Private LLM, and Enclave offer varying degrees of model choice, platform support, and advanced configuration.
If the main goal is offline AI with almost nothing to configure, Cloak takes the narrowest approach. If the goal is model control or advanced local-AI features, PocketPal AI exposes substantially more.
Side-by-side
All five generate responses on the device once a model is downloaded, with no network needed. The first table covers how each app is set up and what it lets you control; the second covers what it costs and what it runs on.
Setup, model control, and cloud access
| App | Default setup | Model control | Cloud option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloak: Local AI Polyaura |
One model downloaded automatically | Minimal — no catalog; Cloak picks its recommended model, with Apple Intelligence on supported devices while it downloads | No |
| Enclave – Local AI Assistant Piotr Gorzelany |
Choose and download models from a catalog | High — hundreds of open-source models per the listing (Llama, DeepSeek, Gemma, Qwen, Phi, Mistral) | Yes — cloud models with a Pro subscription, no API keys |
| Locally AI by LM Studio Element Labs Inc |
Choose and download a model | High — Llama, Gemma, Qwen, DeepSeek and others via Apple MLX | Yes — LM Link runs models remotely through LM Studio |
| PocketPal AI Asghar Ghorbani |
Choose and download a GGUF model | High — search, bookmark and download GGUF models from Hugging Face in the app | Yes — connects to remote OpenAI-compatible servers such as LM Studio or Ollama |
| Private LLM – Local AI Chat Numen Technologies Limited |
Choose and download a model | High — many open-source families including Llama, Gemma, Phi, Mistral and Qwen | None in listing |
Price and requirements
| App | Price | Minimum OS | Apple devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloak: Local AI Polyaura |
$2.99 one-time; no in-app purchases | iOS / iPadOS 18.0 | iPhone, iPad |
| Enclave – Local AI Assistant Piotr Gorzelany |
Free; Pro subscription and other in-app purchases | iOS / iPadOS 27.0 | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro |
| Locally AI by LM Studio Element Labs Inc |
Free; no in-app purchases | iOS / iPadOS 18.1 | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| PocketPal AI Asghar Ghorbani |
Free; no in-app purchases | iOS / iPadOS 15.1 | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Private LLM – Local AI Chat Numen Technologies Limited |
$4.99 one-time; no in-app purchases | iOS / iPadOS 17.0 | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro |
“Cloud option” means the listing describes a way to send messages to a hosted model; “None in listing” means it does not. Every column is from the US App Store as of October 7, 2026. Prices and availability differ by region.
Why Cloak
We make Cloak, so weigh this accordingly. Everything below can be checked against the tables above.
- Nothing to set up. Cloak is the only app of the five that picks and downloads its model for you. The other four ask you to choose a model that fits your device before the first chat.
- Strictly local. Cloak has no cloud mode, so there is no setting that sends your messages to a server. Enclave offers cloud models with a Pro subscription, and Locally AI and PocketPal AI can run chats on a remote server.
- One price, everything included. Cloak is $2.99 once, with no in-app purchases and no subscription. Of the other paid options, Private LLM is $4.99 and Enclave sells a Pro subscription.
- More than chat. Cloak also records voice memos and turns them into notes, next steps, or a chat about what you said, and Recap rebuilds your last 7 days from Photos, Location, and Voice Memos, all on the device.
- No account. There is nothing to sign up for, and Cloak has no analytics or tracking.
If you want to try many models and tune them yourself, PocketPal AI or Private LLM will suit you better. If you want private AI that works offline with nothing to configure, Cloak is built for that.
Sources
Every row comes from that app's US App Store listing: price, in-app purchases, minimum OS, supported Apple platforms, models named in the description, and what the listing says about setup and cloud access. Listings checked . No benchmarks, quality rankings, or privacy audits are claimed. Listings change — check the current one before installing.
Cloak: Local AI
Private chat, Voice Memos, and Recap. Runs on your device. $2.99 once.
