Best Mobile LLM Alternatives to ChatGPT Plus (2024)

8/12/2025

The Best Mobile LLM Alternatives If You're Canceling ChatGPT Plus

So, you're thinking about canceling your ChatGPT Plus subscription. I get it. That $20 a month can start to feel a little steep, especially when a whole universe of other AI chatbots are popping up, many of them free & offering some seriously cool features. Honestly, the world of mobile AI is exploding right now, & if you're not looking around, you're missing out.

Maybe you're tired of the price tag, or maybe you're starting to get a little creeped out by the idea of your every query being stored on a server somewhere. Whatever your reason, you've come to the right place. We're going to dive deep into the best mobile LLM alternatives out there, from the big names you've probably heard of to some super-private, offline-first apps that might just blow your mind.

Here's the thing: the "best" alternative is going to depend on what you're looking for. Are you a power user who needs top-of-the-line reasoning & integrations? A creative who wants to generate images & text on the fly? Or maybe you're just someone who values their privacy above all else. Don't worry, we've got something for everyone.

The Heavy Hitters: Cloud-Based Contenders

These are the big guns, the main competitors to ChatGPT that you've probably seen in the headlines. They're all backed by major tech companies & offer a ton of features, often for free.

1. Microsoft Copilot: The "Everything" Assistant

Microsoft has gone ALL IN on AI, & it shows. Copilot, formerly known as Bing Chat, is basically ChatGPT on steroids. It's powered by OpenAI's latest models, including GPT-4, so you're getting a lot of the same magic that you'd find in ChatGPT Plus, but for free.

What makes Copilot stand out on mobile is its deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem. If you're a heavy user of Microsoft products, this is a no-brainer. It can access your Microsoft 365 content, which means it can help you draft emails, summarize documents, & a whole lot more. The mobile app is slick & easy to use, with a "think deeper" mode that gives you more comprehensive answers. Plus, it has a pretty sweet image generation feature, which is always fun to play with.

Best for: Microsoft users, people who want a powerful, feature-rich assistant for free.
Price: Free; Copilot Pro is $20/month for advanced features.
Mobile App: Available for both iOS & Android.

2. Google Gemini: The Google Ecosystem Powerhouse

You can't talk about AI without talking about Google. Gemini, formerly Bard, is Google's answer to ChatGPT, & it's a seriously impressive piece of tech. It's trained on a massive dataset of text, images, & audio, & it's designed to be a multimodal powerhouse.

The biggest advantage of Gemini on mobile is its seamless integration with the Google ecosystem. Think about it: your AI assistant having access to your Gmail, Google Docs, & Google Maps. It can help you plan trips, draft emails, & summarize your documents with ease. Google is also planning to embed Gemini directly into Chrome & Android, which means it will be an even more integrated part of your mobile experience in the future.

Best for: Heavy Google users, people who want a deeply integrated AI assistant.
Price: Free; Gemini Advanced is $19.99/month.
Mobile App: Available for both iOS & Android.

3. Claude 3.5 Sonnet: The Professional's Choice

Anthropic's Claude is a name that's been gaining a lot of traction, & for good reason. Claude is all about being a helpful, harmless, & honest AI assistant. It's particularly popular among professionals because of its focus on security & privacy. Anthropic claims that they don't train their models on your data, which is a big deal for a lot of people.

On mobile, Claude offers a clean, no-nonsense interface that's great for getting work done. It's particularly good at tasks that require a lot of reading & writing, like summarizing long documents or drafting detailed emails. The free version, Claude 3 Sonnet, is incredibly capable & a great alternative to the free version of ChatGPT.

Best for: Professionals, people who prioritize privacy in a cloud-based AI.
Price: Free; Claude Pro is $20/month.
Mobile App: Web-based, but a mobile app is in the works.

4. Perplexity AI: The Answer Engine

Perplexity AI is a bit of a different beast. It's not trying to be a "do everything" chatbot like ChatGPT. Instead, it's focused on being the best AI-powered search engine on the planet. And honestly, it's AMAZING.

When you ask Perplexity a question, it doesn't just give you an answer; it gives you a detailed summary of the best information from across the web, complete with citations. This is a game-changer for anyone who does a lot of research. The mobile app is clean & easy to use, & the "Pro" version gives you access to a variety of powerful LLMs, including GPT-4 & Claude 3.

Best for: Researchers, students, anyone who wants accurate, up-to-date information with sources.
Price: Free; Perplexity Pro is $20/month.
Mobile App: Available for both iOS & Android.

5. Meta AI: The Socially-Integrated Chatbot

Meta (you know, the Facebook people) has thrown its hat into the AI ring with Meta AI. It's a conversational AI that's integrated into WhatsApp, Instagram, & Facebook. This means you can have a conversation with an AI right in the apps you're probably already using every day.

While it might not be as powerful as some of the other options on this list for things like coding or data analysis, it's a super convenient way to get quick answers, generate images, & have a bit of fun. The fact that it's built on Meta's own Llama 3 model is also pretty cool.

Best for: Social media users, people who want a convenient, integrated AI experience.
Price: Free.
Mobile App: Integrated into Meta's suite of apps.

The Rise of the On-Device AI: Your Data, Your Device

Now, let's get to the REALLY interesting stuff. For a growing number of people, the idea of sending their personal data to the cloud is a non-starter. That's where on-device AI comes in. These are apps that run entirely on your phone, so your data never leaves your device. This means ultimate privacy, offline access, & no subscription fees. Pretty cool, right?

The secret sauce behind this is the development of smaller, more efficient LLMs that can run on the processors in modern smartphones. It's a game-changer for privacy-conscious users.

Why Go On-Device?

Privacy: Your data stays on your device, period. No more worrying about who's reading your chats.
Offline Access: You can use your AI assistant even when you don't have an internet connection.
No Subscriptions: Most of these apps are a one-time purchase or even free.

Here are a few of the best on-device AI apps you can try right now:

1. Haplo AI (iOS & macOS)

Haplo AI is probably the easiest way to get started with on-device AI on your Apple devices. It's a super polished app that lets you download & run a bunch of different open-source models, like Llama & Mistral, completely offline. You can even customize the model's tone & creativity to get the perfect responses.

Best for: Apple users who want an easy, plug-and-play offline AI experience.
Price: One-time purchase.

2. Apollo AI (iOS)

If you're a bit more of a tinkerer, Apollo AI is a great option. It's an open-source local chatbot app for iOS that's built around the popular llama.cpp engine. This means you have a lot more technical control & can really dig in & customize your experience. It's a great choice for developers or anyone who wants to get their hands dirty with local LLMs.

Best for: Developers, tinkerers, people who want to customize their on-device AI experience.
Price: Free (open-source).

3. Private LLM (iOS, iPadOS, macOS)

The name says it all. Private LLM is an AI chatbot that's all about privacy. It runs completely offline on your Apple devices, so you can be sure that your conversations are secure. It's a great choice for anyone who wants a simple, no-fuss private AI assistant.

Best for: Privacy-conscious Apple users.
Price: One-time purchase.

4. Jan (Mac & Desktop)

Jan is a newer player in the on-device AI space, but it's quickly gaining a following for its clean interface & simplicity. It supports a bunch of popular open-source models & runs them directly on your Mac or other desktop computer. It's a great option if you want a polished, distraction-free offline AI experience.

Best for: Mac users who want a simple, elegant offline AI chatbot.
Price: Free.

The Business Angle: Building Your Own AI

This explosion in AI isn't just for individuals. Businesses are also starting to see the potential of creating their own custom AI chatbots. Think about it: an AI assistant that's trained on your company's data & can provide instant support to your customers, 24/7. That's a HUGE deal.

This is where platforms like Arsturn come in. Arsturn is a no-code platform that lets businesses create their own custom AI chatbots trained on their own data. This means you can build a chatbot that knows your products inside & out, can answer customer questions with incredible accuracy, & can even help with lead generation. It's a powerful way for businesses to leverage the power of AI to provide personalized customer experiences & boost conversions.

For businesses that want to provide instant customer support & engage with website visitors around the clock, creating a custom chatbot with a platform like Arsturn is a game-changer. You can build an AI that speaks your brand's voice & provides real value to your customers.

So, What's the Verdict?

The truth is, there's never been a better time to be in the market for a new AI assistant. Whether you're looking for a powerful, cloud-based powerhouse like Copilot or a super-private, offline-first app like Haplo AI, there's an option out there for you.

My advice? Give a few of them a try. Most of the cloud-based options have free tiers, & many of the on-device apps are a one-time purchase. Play around with them, see which one fits your workflow, & don't be afraid to experiment.

The world of AI is moving at a breakneck pace, & it's only going to get more exciting from here. So go ahead, cancel that ChatGPT Plus subscription, & dive into the amazing world of AI alternatives. You might just find something you like even better.

Hope this was helpful! Let me know what you think in the comments below.