MLC Chat

Name: MLC Chat
Rating: 4.2 (82 reviews)
Author: Tianqi Chen

By: Tianqi Chen

Chat with Open Language Models

Features & Capabilities

MLC Chat lets you chat with open language models locally on iPhone and iPad. After you download a model, all processing runs on-device, with no server support and no internet connection needed, ensuring privacy and that data never leaves your device.

As part of the open-source MLC LLM project, it supports multiple open-model architectures on diverse hardware backends and native applications. The app runs different open models on your phone, and performance depends on your device's VRAM. It is intended for non-commercial use and respects model licenses as applicable.

User Growth & Download Statistics

App AI Open Source Privacy & Security Developer Tools Programming

By:

Tianqi Chen

Rating:

4.20

(82)

Version:

1.6 Last updated: 2024-09-27

Version code:

869309693

Creation date:

2023-05-31

Compatible devices:

Size:

1.71GB

URLs:

Website ,Privacy policy

Full description:

Source:

Apple Apps Store

Data ingested on:

2026-06-07

Compare stats and ranking:

Ranking

# 167,345 ▼ 292

For Developers

Monetize with App Pass Boost with Extension Booster

Contact the developer

Chrome-Stats does not own this Apple app. Please use these information below to contact the Apple app developer.

Developed by:

Tianqi Chen

Apple Apps Store

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mlc-chat/id6448482937

Website:

https://mlc.ai/mlc-llm/

User Reviews

Users praise MLC Chat for on-device, offline inference with no subscription and good on-device speed across several models. However, reliability and usability suffer from crashes, heavy memory/VRAM demands, and unclear model-import options. Conversations aren’t saved, reducing long-term usefulness. Many requests include history/shortcuts support and an OpenAI-like API. Overall, it’s an impressive proof-of-concept for local LLMs, but it needs better reliability, model-management, and feature completeness to appeal to broader users.

Pros

Completely offline/local inference with no subscription
Supports multiple models (Llama, Gemma, Phi, Mistral, etc.)
Surprisingly fast responses on iPhone; strong on-device performance
Free to use; no cloud dependency or subscription
Demonstrates on-device LLAMA2 viability on iPhone

Cons

No conversation history saving; chats aren’t persisted
Difficult to import/add new/custom models; unclear instructions; removal of custom model downloads
Stability issues: crashes with several models on various devices due to memory/VRAM constraints
High VRAM/memory requirements limit device compatibility and can cause throttling/heating
Missing features requested by users: shortcuts, per-model settings, and OpenAI-like API integration

Recent reviews

Look it works so I’ll give it that but you can only use one of 5 models. Maybe it’s hard to code the ability to import others but add that and it’s 5 stars