Privacy AI is live · free plan, paid from $9.99/yr · last verified 9 Nov 2026 · viability healthy
Privacy AI
Offline AI chat on iPhone, iPad, and Mac that runs open-source LLMs on-device via Core ML — no cloud, no data collection.
If your device is an iPhone, iPad, or Mac and your priority is that your text never touches a server, Privacy AI is one of the cleanest ways to get that: models run on-device through Core ML, the app reports no data collection or sharing, and chat works with the network off. The $0.99/mo PRO plan (2-week free trial) is the low-commitment route, and the $14.99 one-time PRO FOUNDERS purchase is the better deal if you expect to keep using it past ~15 months. The $9.99/yr PRO plan works out cheaper than monthly for anyone staying a year. Look at llama.cpp front-ends or Ollama on desktop instead if you want to load your own model files or need non-Apple hardware.
Verdict generatedVerified 5d ago · liveness 70/100 · cite: rightaichoice.com/tools/privacy-ai
- Privacy-conscious professionals handling confidential material
- Apple users who want offline AI on iPhone, iPad, or Mac
- Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase over an ongoing subscription
- Households that want one subscription shared via Family Sharing
- Anyone on Android, Windows, or Linux
- Users who need web search or real-time information in their assistant
- Users who need image, audio, or vision capabilities
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Skip Privacy AI if you work across Android, Windows, or Linux, or if you need an assistant that can search the web, read images, or generate media — it's Apple-only and text-only.
Only one model is included free; the rest of the library stays locked until you buy a subscription or the one-time PRO FOUNDERS purchase.
At $0.99/mo or $9.99/yr (with a 2-week free trial) and a $14.99 one-time PRO FOUNDERS option, Privacy AI sits well below the $20/mo typical of cloud AI subscriptions — and the yearly plan is the cheapest way to keep full model access. The one-time purchase is the value pick if you'll still be using it after about 15 months. Compared with free alternatives like Ollama or llama.cpp on desktop, you're paying for the curated, quantized model library and an Apple-native interface rather than for raw
In short
Privacy AI — Offline AI chat on iPhone, iPad, and Mac that runs open-source LLMs on-device via Core ML — no cloud, no data collection. Best for Privacy-conscious professionals handling confidential material, Apple users who want offline AI on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase over an ongoing subscription. Free to start; paid plans from $9.99/yr.
What is Privacy AI?
Privacy AI — Offline AI chat on iPhone, iPad, and Mac that runs open-source LLMs on-device via Core ML — no cloud, no data collection. Best for Privacy-conscious professionals handling confidential material, Apple users who want offline AI on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase over an ongoing subscription. Free to start; paid plans from $9.99/yr.
Privacy AI is an offline AI chat app for Apple devices that runs open-source large language models directly on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac using Core ML. Once a model is downloaded, everything works without an internet connection, and the app states that it collects and shares no personal data. The app ships with one preloaded model so you can start chatting immediately; a subscription or one-time purchase unlocks the wider model library, which the vendor lists as LLaMA, Mistral, Phi3, StableLM, and Gemma2. Privacy AI dynamically shows only the models that can run on your specific device, so limited-RAM hardware isn't offered a model it can't handle. You get granular controls over each conversation — sampling temperature, a custom system prompt, and Top-p value — plus a native Apple interface with dark mode and chat export. The subscription supports Family Sharing, and bulk licensing is available on request for organizations. It is built for Apple-only users who handle sensitive material and would rather not send text to a cloud assistant. It is text-focused and Apple-exclusive: there is no Android, Windows, or Linux build, and no image, audio, or vision capability is documented.
Key features
- Offline AI chat with no internet connection needed after model download
- On-device inference via Apple Core ML
- Open-source model library including LLaMA, Mistral, Phi3, StableLM, and Gemma2
- Adjustable sampling temperature
- Custom system prompts
- Adjustable Top-p value
- Dynamic model list filtered to what your device can run
- Quantized models tuned for limited-RAM Apple hardware
- One preloaded model included free
- Text generation, summarization, and translation
- Chat export
- Dark mode
- Native interface for iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Family Sharing on the subscription
- Bulk licensing for organizations on request
Behind the verdict
Privacy AI's core pitch is narrow and honest: an Apple-native chat client that runs quantized open-source models locally through Core ML, so the network is never part of the loop once a model is downloaded. That single design choice — local inference — is what separates it from nearly every mainstream assistant, and it is also the reason the app can credibly state that it collects and shares no personal data. The model library is the main thing you're paying for. The free download includes one preloaded LLM, and the vendor names LLaMA, Mistral, Phi3, StableLM, and Gemma2 as the advanced open-source models available to paid users. Part of the value is the optimization work itself: the vendor explains that supporting an indie developer pays for quantizing larger models so they run acceptably on Apple hardware with limited RAM, and the app dynamically filters the model list to what your specific device can handle — a sensible guardrail that avoids the common disappointment of downloading a model your phone can't run. Controls are better than the category average for a phone-first app. You can set sampling temperature, write a custom system prompt, and adjust Top-p, which is enough to push a small local model toward terse technical answers or a looser conversational tone. The interface is native to Apple platforms with dark mode and chat export, and Family Sharing means one subscription covers household devices. Where it stops is equally clear. It is Apple-only — no Android, Windows, or Linux. It is text-only: no image understanding, no image or audio generation, and no vision features are documented anywhere in the vendor material. Customization is bounded by the models the app offers; you can't point it at your own model files or run fine-tuning. There's also no web search or real-time data, because there is no cloud connection to fetch it. If those constraints match how you actually use an assistant — drafting, summarizing, translating, journaling on a device you already own — the trade is a good one. If you need any of them, this is the wrong app and you'll know within the 2-week trial.
Models under the hood
as of 2026-09-14
Limitations
- Privacy AI runs only on Apple hardware — Mac, iPad, and iPhone — so there is no Android, Windows, or Linux option.
- It is text-only: no vision, image generation, or audio features are documented by the vendor.
- Model choice is limited to the app's own curated and quantized library; you cannot bring your own model files or fine-tune.
- Because everything runs on-device with no cloud connection, there is no web search and no real-time data.
- The quality you get on any given device depends on its RAM, and the vendor notes that optimizing larger models for limited-RAM Apple hardware is itself the work you're paying for.
as of 2026-09-27
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Is Privacy AI still active?
Privacy AI is live · free plan, paid from $9.99/yr · last verified 9 Nov 2026 · viability healthy.
Viability score
How well maintained and how widely used is Privacy AI? Built from what the vendor actually publishes (docs, changelog, tutorials, integrations, pricing), whether the site is live, and how much real users discuss it. How we calculate this
Last calculated: November 2026
How we score →What do users say about Privacy AI?
What people actually say about Privacy AI — is it worth it?
We ran a structured research pass across product reviews, community discussions, and post-purchase forum threads to surface the patterns vendors won't publish themselves. Below: the recurring strengths, the hidden costs people mention most, and the cohort that consistently regrets adopting this tool.
ResearchedDiscussed by users across 5 sources (Hacker News, YouTube, Product Hunt, App Store, Lemmy) · researched Sep 23, 2026.
Weighted by the 65 posts each of 5 sources contributed.
- +Genuine offline inference — models run on-device with no internet after download
- +Dev team ships frequent updates and fixes reported issues fast
- +Lets users experiment with multiple open-source models (LLaMA, Mistral, Gemma2)
- +Adjustable temperature, system prompts, and Top-p give real tuning control
- +Respected as a top-tier iOS inference client alongside Minis
- −Reported tracking-data collection contradicts the 'Privacy AI' name and pitch
- −No one-time purchase to permanently unlock the full model library
- −Interface is crowded and too complicated for beginners
- −Local models cannot be deleted to reclaim storage
- −Heavy RAM and battery usage strains older or lower-end devices
- • Recurring subscription required to keep accessing the full model library
- • Storage footprint from undownloaded-deletable models can add up on smaller devices
- • Device resource drain (battery, RAM) is an indirect cost users overlook
How we verified this
Every listed fact about Privacy AI — pricing, features, links, status — is re-read from the vendor's own pages by our verification pipeline and each change is logged with a date; the last pass ran on 9 Nov 2026. Analysis is drafted with AI models and checked against our editorial standards before publishing; see how we verify.
Verification history
We have re-verified Privacy AI 10 times since . Each pass re-reads the vendor's own pages and re-checks every listed field against that evidence; passes where nothing had changed are marked as such.
- — changed SSL certificate
- — changed description, who it suits, our verdict, features, hidden costs, limitations, switching in, switching out, who should skip it, pricing tiers, pricing fit, setup time, summary, use cases
- — changed SSL certificate
- — changed domain expiry
- — changed description, summary, our verdict, pricing tiers
- — changed SSL certificate
Showing the 6 most recent of 10 verification passes.
Free to cite with attribution — this page re-verifies continuously.
How much does Privacy AI cost in 2026?
Privacy AI: Free to start; paid plans from $9.99/yr. Pricing last verified 9 Nov 2026.
Plans compared
Every published Privacy AI tier, its price as the vendor publishes it, who it fits, and what it adds over the tier below. The 12-month cost projection follows.
| Plan | Price | Billing | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | — | Anyone who wants to try offline, on-device AI on an Apple device before paying anything.Adds: Starting tier: one preloaded LLM, on-device processing, no internet required after download, no data collection or sharing. |
| PRO Monthly | $0.99/mo | monthly | Short-term or uncertain users who want the full model library without committing to a year or a one-time purchase.Adds: Adds access to locked models and future models on top of the free tier, with a 2-week free trial; billed month-to-month at $0.99/mo. |
| PRO Yearly | $9.99/yr | yearly | Committed users who expect to keep using the app for a year or more and want the lowest ongoing cost.Adds: Same locked and future model access as monthly, billed at $9.99/yr — the vendor shows this as 20% off versus paying monthly, and it includes the 2-week free trial. |
| PRO FOUNDERS One Time | $14.99 | — | Buyers who want permanent access to the model library without any recurring payment.Adds: One-time $14.99 purchase granting the same locked and future model access with no subscription, listed as a limited-time offer. |
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Privacy AI's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
At $0.99/mo or $9.99/yr (with a 2-week free trial) and a $14.99 one-time PRO FOUNDERS option, Privacy AI sits well below the $20/mo typical of cloud AI subscriptions — and the yearly plan is the cheapest way to keep full model access. The one-time purchase is the value pick if you'll still be using it after about 15 months. Compared with free alternatives like Ollama or llama.cpp on desktop, you're paying for the curated, quantized model library and an Apple-native interface rather than for raw
Has Privacy AI's pricing changed?
No plan price for Privacy AI has moved since we began logging in Aug 2026; the pricing page is re-read on every verification pass.
Who should pick Privacy AI?
Pick Privacy AI if you are Privacy-conscious professionals handling confidential material, Apple users who want offline AI on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase over an ongoing subscription, Households that want one subscription shared via Family Sharing.
Look elsewhere if you are Anyone on Android, Windows, or Linux, Users who need web search or real-time information in their assistant, Users who need image, audio, or vision capabilities, Developers who want to load their own model files or run fine-tuning.
Skip it if Skip Privacy AI if you work across Android, Windows, or Linux, or if you need an assistant that can search the web, read images, or generate media — it's Apple-only and text-only.
GeneratedReal-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Privacy AI actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
Downloads a model over Wi-Fi, then switches to airplane mode and pastes contract passages into Privacy AI for summarization and rewording.
Outcome: Sensitive text is processed entirely on-device, so nothing is sent to a cloud provider and the work continues even with no connection.
Buys the PRO subscription, turns on Family Sharing, and installs Privacy AI on a shared iPad, an iPhone, and a Mac, each pulling only the models its hardware can run.
Outcome: One subscription covers the household, and each device shows a model list matched to its own RAM.
Trials the monthly plan for the 2-week free period, then switches to the $14.99 one-time PRO FOUNDERS purchase to keep access to locked and future models.
Outcome: Full model library access with no ongoing subscription payment.
Use cases
- Chat with an AI assistant on a flight or in a remote area with no connectivity
- Work through sensitive documents locally instead of pasting them into a cloud assistant
- Tune a custom system prompt so a local model adopts a specific tone for personal writing projects
- Run private writing and drafting assistance on a Mac without sending text off-device
- Compare how different on-device models like Mistral and Gemma2 answer the same prompt
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Privacy AI — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
First value takes about 5 minutes: install the app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and start chatting immediately with the included preloaded model. Unlocking the wider library adds the time to subscribe or buy the one-time upgrade plus the download of your first larger model — model downloads run longer on slower connections and are the biggest variable.
Switching to or from Privacy AI
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From ChatGPT or Claude on mobile: install Privacy AI, download a model over Wi-Fi, then run the same drafting or summarizing prompts locally with no account required.
- →From Ollama on desktop: keep Ollama for your Mac, and add Privacy AI on iPhone and iPad for the same offline pattern on devices where Ollama doesn't run.
- →From Apple Notes or a notes app used for drafting: move your drafting prompts into Privacy AI chats and export the results for reference.
- ↗To Ollama: move to a desktop-first local runner if you need to load your own model files, accepting that it doesn't cover iPhone or iPad the same way.
- ↗To a cloud assistant: switch if you need web search, real-time information, or image and audio features, accepting that your text leaves your device.
- ↗To llama.cpp front-ends: move there if you want direct control over quantization and model formats rather than a curated in-app library.
Resources & guides
Tutorials & Learning
YouTube returned 6 videos for “Privacy AI”, and we withheld 6: 6 could not be judged, because “Privacy AI” is a single word that other videos use for other things. We are showing none, because we could not prove any of them are about Privacy AI.
Official links
What are the best Privacy AI alternatives?
The closest alternatives to Privacy AI we list are Ollama, Atomic Chat and Iris Android. Ranked by direct product-type match, not category overlap.
| Alternative | Pricing | Starts at | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ollama | Freemium | Pricing not published | — |
| Atomic Chat | Free | Free | — |
| Iris Android | Free | Free | — |
Alternatives to Privacy AI
View all
Ollama
Ollama runs open models locally or through per-token cloud inference, with an OpenAI-compatible API endpoint.
Atomic Chat
Atomic Chat runs 1,000+ open models fully offline on Mac, Windows, Linux or phone — no account, no message caps.
Iris Android
Iris Android runs GGUF language models offline on your phone using llama.cpp — no server, no account, no data leaving the handset.
Tools that pair well with Privacy AI
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside Privacy AI, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
Ollama
Ollama runs open models locally or through per-token cloud inference, with an OpenAI-compatible API endpoint.
Atomic Chat
Atomic Chat runs 1,000+ open models fully offline on Mac, Windows, Linux or phone — no account, no message caps.
Iris Android
Iris Android runs GGUF language models offline on your phone using llama.cpp — no server, no account, no data leaving the handset.
Privacy AI vs its closest rival
Privacy AI's closest head-to-head is with Audioeye.
Our Privacy AI vs Audioeye verdict written Jul 3, 2026 is more than 90 days old, so it is being re-reviewed against current data and is not shown.
Frequently asked questions
Categories
Best-of guides
For makers of Privacy AI
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