Chatbox vs Cherry Studio

Chatbox

• People who want the same chat app on desktop, phone and browser
• Users with their own API keys who prefer to pay providers per use
• Trying hosted GPT, Claude and Gemini models on a low-priced plan

Cherry Studio

• People who already hold API keys for several model providers
• Running local models through Ollama or LM Studio with a full desktop interface
• Users who want chat history and documents kept on their own device

Chatbox

• Work Mode and the knowledge base are desktop only; the web and mobile apps offer regular chat.
• On the hosted service, advanced models, the knowledge base and MCP services need Pro or Pro+. Lite and Free are limited to standard models.
• Hosted usage is metered in compute points that reset monthly (daily on Free). Extra points are sold as add-on packs valid for 3 months.
• A license works on up to 5 devices at the same time, and switching plans means buying the new plan from the pricing page.

Cherry Studio

• No model access is included: you add your own API keys or local models, and each provider charges for usage separately.
• The Android, iPhone and iPad apps are in beta and are distributed as an APK and through TestFlight.
• Central model access, employee accounts and access control are in the Enterprise Edition only, which is quoted on request.
• AGPL-3.0 terms apply to commercial use; a commercial license that exempts a business from them is arranged by email.

Chatbox

Your own keys or hosted models

Add API keys for OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter and other providers, run local models through Ollama or LM Studio, or subscribe to Chatbox AI for hosted models on one bill.

Work Mode

On desktop, an agent works in a loop of thinking and tool calls: it runs code, reads and writes files, calls MCP servers and queries knowledge bases until the task is done.

File and image chat

Attach PDFs, Word documents, images and code to a conversation so the model can summarize them and answer questions about their content.

Real-time web search

Chat can search the internet for current information. It is toggled from the toolbar in Chat Mode and managed from the control panel in Work Mode.

Local knowledge base

The desktop app stores documents in a local knowledge base the AI can search. Each file must be under 50 MB, in formats such as PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, CSV and EPUB.

Image generation and rich output

Generates images from a text description and renders Markdown, LaTeX formulas, Mermaid diagrams and code with a live preview.

Cherry Studio

Multi-provider chat

Connects to more than 50 providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini and DeepSeek, and to local models through Ollama and LM Studio. One question can be sent to several models at once to compare replies.

Work agent and MCP servers

Work is the agent mode: it carries out a task on its own by reading files, running commands and reasoning over several steps. MCP servers add external tools and services.

Knowledge base

Imports PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, TXT and Markdown files, URLs and sitemaps into a local knowledge base with vector search that chats can draw on.

Quick Assistant and Selection Assistant

A global hotkey opens a small question window, and a floating toolbar calls AI on text selected in any app for translation, summaries or explanations.

Painting, translation and notes

Separate panels generate images with text-to-image models, translate text side by side and keep Markdown notes that can be exported to a knowledge base.

Local storage and backup

Chat history, settings and knowledge base files are stored on the device. Backups can be local or sent to WebDAV, on a schedule if wanted.

Chatbox

• Free$0

  Hosted service for light use: 10,000 compute points reset daily, standard models, web search, 5 generated images and a trial of Work Mode.

• Lite$3.50

  per month, billed annually ($3.99 billed monthly)

  2,000,000 compute points a month on standard models, 25 generated images, web search and Work Mode. No advanced models, knowledge base or MCP services.

• Pro$16.70

  per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly)

  12,000,000 compute points a month, advanced GPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok models, 100 generated images, the knowledge base and MCP services.

• Pro+$33.33

  per month, billed annually ($39.99 billed monthly)

  30,000,000 compute points a month and 200 generated images, with the same models and features as Pro.

Cherry Studio

• Community Edition$0

  The full desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux under AGPL-3.0. You supply your own API keys or local models.

• Enterprise EditionCustom

  A privately deployed server with an admin backend for central model access, employee accounts, shared knowledge bases, access control and backup. Sold as a buyout or subscription.

Chatbox

• Annual discount

  Lower monthly rate with annual billing

  Billed annually, Lite is $3.50 a month instead of $3.99, Pro $16.70 instead of $19.99 and Pro+ $33.33 instead of $39.99, a saving of about 12% to 17%.

Cherry Studio

No public discounts listed.