As local AI-powered tools grow more common, picking the right local AI chatbot matters. Private LLM and LLM Farm both offer on-device AI solutions for Apple users, but their approaches differ. From user experience to token limits, this guide will highlight the key differences and help you decide which app fits your workflow best.

Side-by-Side Feature Comparison

Feature	Private LLM	LLM Farm
Platforms	iOS, iPadOS, macOS	iOS, iPadOS only
Pricing	One-time purchase; Family Sharing supported	Free; open-source
User Interface	Quick to learn; built for everyday users	More complex; aimed at customization
Performance	Generates more tokens per second for faster results	Generates fewer tokens per second
Privacy	Fully offline; no logs, telemetry, or crash reports	Offline but does not emphasize privacy protections
Target Audience	General users who want privacy and ease of use	Developers and power users who prefer customization
Model Support	Curated, optimized models chosen based on user requests	Broad selection, including RAG and vision models
Context Length	On iOS, up to 8K tokens (depends on free memory and model). On macOS, up to 32K tokens for select models.	Up to 1K-2K tokens
Quantization	OmniQuant / GPTQ for faster text generation and quality	Round-to-Nearest (RTN) quantization

Key Differences

Context Length: Longer Conversations with Private LLM

Private LLM supports dynamic context lengths for more detailed interactions. On iOS, it can handle up to 8K tokens per interaction, depending on available memory and the chosen model. On macOS, it can reach up to 32K tokens on select models. This flexibility lets you tackle longer documents and more complex tasks. LLM Farm, limited to about 1K-2K tokens, may feel restrictive when you need deeper conversations.

User Experience: Straightforward vs. More Technical

Private LLM focuses on a clean interface that’s easy to understand right from the start—ideal for anyone who just wants to get things done. LLM Farm, meanwhile, aims at users comfortable with a more technical setup and a less polished interface. It’s a world for those who enjoy tweaking settings and customizing models.

Performance: Faster Text Generation and Quality Output

Private LLM uses advanced OmniQuant and GPTQ quantization, ensuring it generates more tokens per second and smooth interactions. LLM Farm’s older RTN quantization results in fewer tokens per second, so sessions may feel slower by comparison.

Private LLM relies on MLC-LLM as its backend, enabling quick text generation and support for longer context windows. LLM Farm uses a llama.cpp backend, which typically handles fewer tokens and offers reduced throughput.

Privacy: Offline and Data-Safe

Private LLM runs completely offline and collects no logs, telemetry, or crash reports. It’s designed for users who want to keep their data to themselves. LLM Farm is also offline but does not emphasize privacy protections in the same way.

Model Support: Quality vs. Quantity

Private LLM prioritizes well-optimized models and doesn’t rush to add features like RAG or vision unless they genuinely enhance the user experience. For RAG, larger context windows (around 32K tokens) are crucial for it to be truly useful. We’re not there on iOS yet, where most of our users are. For vision models, we believe a chatbot interface on mobile isn’t the best way to interact with images, and we’re working on a separate app to do vision right. Our focus remains on performance, a polished interface, and ensuring that added features genuinely improve the user experience.

LLM Farm supports a broad range of models, including RAG and vision, but these require technical know-how and patience to get meaningful results.

Target Audience: Everyday Users vs. Developers

Private LLM is built for users who value simplicity and quality text generation. It aims to serve those who want a hassle-free experience without sacrificing speed or privacy. LLM Farm is better suited for developers or enthusiasts who want to experiment with features like RAG and vision today, even if they aren’t polished or easy to use yet.

Price Comparison: One-Time Purchase vs. Free

Private LLM: A one-time purchase covers all your Apple devices and supports Family Sharing. Unlike free solutions, we carefully quantize each model on powerful GPUs to ensure higher-quality output and better overall performance.
LLM Farm: Free and open-source, making it tempting for tinkerers who don’t mind spending time tweaking settings and don’t require macOS support.

Conclusion

In the end, it’s about what matters most to you:

If you value an offline, user-friendly chatbot that’s focused on speed, quality, privacy, and working well within Apple’s ecosystem, Private LLM is your best bet.
If you’re a developer who enjoys experimenting with RAG, vision, and other features that aren’t yet streamlined—or you don’t need macOS support—LLM Farm might be the platform you want to explore.

Ready to see what an offline, polished local AI chatbot can do for you? Download Private LLM from the App Store today!