LM Mini vs. Private LLM
Both apps run open-source LLMs on Apple devices without sending chats to the cloud. LM Mini goes further with Android, LM Studio integration, group chat, MCP tools, and a free tier — often at a lower price.
| Feature | LM Mini | Private LLM |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, Android, macOS | iOS, iPadOS, macOS |
| Pricing | Free tier + LM Mini Pro subscription | One-time purchase (~$10–15) |
| Source code | Open-source core (MIT); Pro features closed | Closed source |
| On-device models | GGUF (all devices; four starter models free) + MLX on Apple Silicon (Pro) | Proprietary OmniQuant/GPTQ catalog |
| LM Studio / remote desktop | Local Wi‑Fi (free) + Share with phone on Mac (Pro) | Not supported |
| Android | Full native app | Not available |
| Group chat (multi-model) | Yes (Pro) — debate, roleplay, writing rooms | No |
| MCP & tool calling | Web search, MCP servers, tools | Limited Shortcuts integration |
| Image generation | Stable Diffusion + ComfyUI from phone | No |
| Cloud providers | OpenRouter, Mistral, DeepSeek, Gemini, Z.AI, Vercel AI Gateway, any OpenAI-compatible API (Pro) | On-device only |
| Apple Shortcuts | App Intents + lmmini:// URL scheme | Deep Siri / Shortcuts integration |
| macOS native app | LM Mini Home (direct download or Mac App Store) | Native macOS app + context menu |
| Custom model import | One GGUF import free; Hugging Face downloads and unlimited GGUF / MLX imports with Pro | Curated catalog only |
| Family Sharing | App Store standard | Explicit Family Sharing support |
When LM Mini is the better choice
- You already use LM Studio and want mobile + remote access from anywhere.
- You need Android or want one app across phone and tablet ecosystems.
- You want group chat (Pro), MCP tools, web search, or ComfyUI image generation.
- You prefer starting free and upgrading to Pro only for remote access, Group Chat, bigger models, and cloud/search features.
- You want to import custom GGUF models from Hugging Face (Pro).
When Private LLM may fit better
- You want a one-time purchase with no subscription option at all.
- You need a native macOS menu-bar / context-menu rewriter without LM Studio.
- You only use Apple devices and prefer their curated OmniQuant model pack.
Apple Shortcuts
Both apps integrate with Siri and Shortcuts. LM Mini offers 22 workflow pages with Ask, Search, Summarize, Translate, and Voice Chat actions plus a documented lmmini://shortcut/... deep-link API.
Try LM Mini free
On-device AI, LM Studio and Ollama, voice, widgets, and Apple Shortcuts — iPhone, iPad, Android, and Mac.
Download LM Mini