Cherry Studio vs Locally AI
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Locally AI
Free app that runs open AI models offline on iPhone, iPad and Mac
Free
Where they differ
- Only Cherry Studio lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Cherry Studio is open source, according to its own site.
- Cherry Studio also covers AI agents.
In commonFree planmacOSiOSWorks offlineLocal-firstAI featuresChat assistant
At a glance
| Cherry Studio | Locally AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | Not published | Free |
| Free plan | The Community Edition is free and open source under AGPL-3.0. It includes no model credits: you connect your own provider API keys or local models. | The app is free on the App Store and Mac App Store, with no login. The US listing shows no in-app purchases. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Shanghai Qianhui Technology Co., Ltd. | Element Labs, Inc. |
| Price read from | github.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Locally AI
- Trying open models on an iPhone, iPad or Mac at no cost
- LM Studio users who want their desktop models on a phone
- Private chats that work with no connection and no account
Worth knowing
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.
Locally AI
- It is available only for recent iPhone, iPad and Mac models, and is optimized for Apple Silicon chips.
- Which models run depends on the device's memory; the site points to iPad and Mac for the largest ones.
- Using larger models through LM Link requires LM Studio running on a computer of your own.
- LM Studio acquired the app in April 2026, and the App Store now lists it as Locally AI by LM Studio.
Key features
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.
Locally AI
- On-device models through MLX
- Downloads and runs open models from the Llama, Gemma, Qwen, DeepSeek, SmolLM, Granite, Cogito and LFM families on Apple Silicon, using Apple's MLX framework.
- Offline, with no account
- Once a model is downloaded, chats run with no internet connection and no login. The vendor says processing stays on the device and no data is collected.
- LM Link to LM Studio
- Links the app to LM Studio on your own computer over an end-to-end encrypted connection, so an iPhone or iPad can use larger models than it could run itself.
- Local voice mode
- Holds real-time spoken conversations with a model, with the speech handled on the device instead of by a cloud service.
- Language and vision models
- Some models take images as well as text, so a chat can analyze a picture. The app also supports Apple's on-device Foundation Models on current OS releases.
- Siri, Shortcuts and Control Center
- Talk to a local model through Siri, call models from the Shortcuts app to build automations, and open the app from Control Center, the Lock Screen or the Action Button.
Plans
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.
Locally AI
Free$0
The full app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: local models, voice mode, Siri and Shortcuts actions, and LM Link to LM Studio.
