The Chatbox Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Chatbox in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Chatbox
The Insider’s Guide
AI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Chatbox’s own pages.
Made by Mediocre, LLC · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Chatbox’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Chatbox’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.4
GPA, above 53 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade
Chatbox is an AI chat client for desktop, mobile and the web. It works with your own API keys for OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek and other providers, with local models through Ollama and LM Studio, or with the hosted Chatbox AI subscription. It covers file and image chat, web search, image generation and a local knowledge base, and its desktop Work Mode lets an agent run code, read and write files and call MCP tools. The Community Edition of the app is open source under GPLv3.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Chatbox, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Bringing your own keys means getting one from OpenAI or Claude first, and local models mean installing Ollama or LM Studio.
- 1
Best for one chat app for your own API keys, on every device
Chatbox is a chat app that works with your own API keys, local models through Ollama or LM Studio, or hosted models you pay Chatbox for, on desktop, phone and web.
- 2
Paid plans start at $3.50 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $3.50 per month, billed annually ($3.99 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
The app is free with your own API keys or local models. The hosted Chatbox AI Free plan gives 10,000 compute points a day on standard models, 5 images and a trial of Work Mode.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 3.4 GPA, above 53 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Chatbox you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Chatbox at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $3.50 per month, billed annually ($3.99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Mediocre, LLC
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 3.4 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.6 on the App Store, 643 ratings
The report card
Best for one chat app for your own API keys, on every device
Chatbox is a chat app that works with your own API keys, local models through Ollama or LM Studio, or hosted models you pay Chatbox for, on desktop, phone and web. But Work Mode and the knowledge base are desktop only, the advanced hosted models need Pro at $16.70 a month billed yearly, and hosted usage runs on compute points that run out.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Lite is $3.50 a month billed yearly, below almost every price in this category, and the app itself is free with your own keys. Pro, for the advanced models and the knowledge base, is $16.70 billed yearly or $19.99 monthly. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The app is free with your own API keys or local models, and the code is open source. No keys? The hosted Free plan gives 10,000 compute points a day on standard models, 5 images and a trial of Work Mode. |
| Features | C | Chat with files and images, web search, image generation and a local knowledge base cover the basics. But Work Mode and the knowledge base are desktop only, and the advanced hosted models need Pro. |
| Ease of use | B | 4.6 from about 640 App Store ratings. The hosted plan needs no setup at all. Bringing your own keys means getting one from OpenAI or Claude first, and local models mean installing Ollama or LM Studio. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and the web. It takes keys for OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter and Azure OpenAI, and talks to Ollama and LM Studio for local models. One licence covers 5 devices at once. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Chatbox is for
- Fits if you already pay for API keys and want one app for all of them
- Works for people who want the same chat app on a laptop, a phone and in a browser
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want the agent or the knowledge base on your phone, as both are desktop only
- Not for you if you want advanced models on the $3.50 plan, since Lite and Free are standard models only
- Tight if you run out of compute points a lot, because extra packs are add-ons that expire after 3 months
- Watch out: a license covers 5 devices at once, and switching plans means buying the new plan from the pricing page
- Pricey if you want the knowledge base or MCP on the hosted service, as both start on Pro at $16.70 a month billed yearly
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$3.50
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Chatbox has a free plan. Paid plans start at $3.50 per month, billed annually ($3.99 billed monthly).
The app is free with your own API keys or local models, and the code is open source.
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.
The free plan
The app is free with your own API keys or local models. The hosted Chatbox AI Free plan gives 10,000 compute points a day on standard models, 5 images and a trial of Work Mode.
Read from chatboxai.app on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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%.
Stated on chatboxai.app
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
AI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, local-first, AI features, chat assistant, AI search, AI agents.
Chat with files and images, web search, image generation and a local knowledge base cover the basics.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- OpenAI
- Claude
- Google Gemini
- DeepSeek
- OpenRouter
- Azure OpenAI
- Ollama
- LM Studio
Who makes Chatbox
Chatbox is published by Mediocre, LLC, named in the footer of chatboxai.app. The app's Community Edition is open source under GPLv3 and runs on your own API keys, while the money comes from the hosted Chatbox AI subscription, billed through Lemon Squeezy.
- Lately
- v1.23.5 · Sep 24, 2026
- v1.23.0 · Sep 1, 2026
- Chatbox 1.23: Memory, and a Work Mode That Keeps Up · Aug 28, 2026
- Introducing Work Mode: An AI That Gets Things Done · Jun 30, 2026
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
53/57
Other AI assistants it is graded above
Chatbox's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 53 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 45 of 57) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $3.50 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 2 of the 38 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Chatbox’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 38 of 57
- AFree plan and trialAbove 43 of 57
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 57
- BEase of useAbove 21 of 57
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 45 of 57
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 45 AI assistants. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Chatbox is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Chatbox you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.4 is higher than 53 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade. It costs $42 a year. Chatbox is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, OpenAI, Claude and Google Gemini among them.
What this rests on. Chatbox’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Cherry Studio, TypingMind, BoltAI, Msty and Jan
The 5 tools Chatbox is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Cherry Studio
Free plan
Open-source desktop AI client for 50+ model providers.
- Only Chatbox lists a web app.
- Chatbox also covers AI search.
- 2.8GPA
TypingMind
Free plan · from $39 one-time
Chat interface for AI models that runs on your own API keys.
- Only Chatbox lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Chatbox is open source, according to its own site.
- TypingMind is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
BoltAI
Free trial · from $79 one-time
Native Mac AI client that runs on your own API keys.
- Chatbox has a free plan. BoltAI does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Chatbox lists a web app.
- Only Chatbox lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- 2.6GPA
Msty
Free plan · from $149/yr
Private AI workspace for local and online models.
- Only Chatbox lists iOS and Android apps.
- Chatbox is open source, according to its own site.
- Msty can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 3.0GPA
Jan
Free
Open-source desktop app for running local and cloud AI models.
- Only Chatbox lists a web app.
- Only Chatbox lists iOS and Android apps.
- Chatbox also covers AI agents.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Chatbox free?
Chatbox has a free plan. The app is free with your own API keys or local models.
How much does Chatbox cost?
Chatbox lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Chatbox work on?
Chatbox is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does Chatbox offer any discounts?
Chatbox publicly lists the following: Lower monthly rate with annual billing.
How is Chatbox rated?
Chatbox's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.6 out of 5 from 643 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Is Chatbox open source?
Yes. Chatbox is open source, according to its own site.
What does Chatbox integrate with?
Chatbox's listing names OpenAI, Claude, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, Azure OpenAI, Ollama and LM Studio.
Who makes Chatbox?
Chatbox is made by Mediocre, LLC.
What are the alternatives to Chatbox?
The closest alternatives to Chatbox in our directory are Cherry Studio, TypingMind, BoltAI, Msty and Jan.
How does Chatbox compare with other AI assistants?
Chatbox's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 53 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 3.
Is Chatbox good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Chatbox A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3.50 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 2 of the 38 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Chatbox?
To replace Chatbox you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Chatbox’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Chatbox's own pages on 6 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-21.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Mediocre, LLC. Prices change, so check chatboxai.app before you buy.
- chatboxai.app/en/pricing
- chatboxai.app/en
- chatboxai.app/en/download
- chatboxai.app/en/guide/chatbox-ai/plans
- chatboxai.app/en/guide/chatbox-ai/quota
- chatboxai.app/en/guide/chatbox-ai/billing
- chatboxai.app/en/guide/getting-started/choose-provider
- chatboxai.app/en/guide/work-mode/overview
- chatboxai.app/en/help-center/chatbox-ai-service-faqs
- github.com/chatboxai/chatbox
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Chatbox, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/chatbox
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Chatbox: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/chatbox
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/chatbox/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after Chatbox, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 AI assistants we grade, compared
- Gemini Insider's GuideGoogle's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps3.8 GPA
- ChatGPT Insider's GuideOpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice3.4 GPA
- Gemini Notebook Insider's GuideGoogle's AI research assistant that answers from your own sources3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Chatbox’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Chatbox is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Mediocre, LLC. Prices and plans change: check chatboxai.app before you buy.