Key Takeaways
- Free and open source: no account, no subscription, no cloud dependency for the core app β MIT license.
- Cross-platform: iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows β the desktop client (OGAD) is at stable version 0.0.43; the iOS App Store listing is at version 0.0.107.
- 180,000+ combined downloads and 3,000+ GitHub stars, per getoffgridai.co and verified directly on GitHub.
- App Store rating is thin in isolation: 3.1 stars from 26 ratings on the iOS listing as of this review β a fact this review states plainly alongside the stronger cross-platform numbers, not instead of them.
- Models: Llama, Qwen 3.5, Gemma, Phi-4, Mistral, and any GGUF-format model for chat; Stable Diffusion XL for image generation; Whisper for speech-to-text.
- Community: a Slack community and an active r/off_grid_ai subreddit, described by the developer as 600+ members.
- Optional Off Grid AI Pro: $69 lifetime (developer states this price is rising toward $149) or $49/year, per the developer's pricing page β not required for the core on-device chat, vision, image, or voice features.
π In One Sentence
Off Grid AI is a free, open-source, cross-platform (iOS, Android, macOS, Windows) app by Wednesday Solutions, Inc. that runs GGUF language models, Stable Diffusion image models, and Whisper speech-to-text entirely on-device, with 180,000+ combined downloads and 3,000+ GitHub stars, but only 26 App Store ratings.
π¬ In Plain Terms
Think of it as a free, open-source alternative to a subscription AI chatbot β you install it on your phone, tablet, Mac, or PC, download a model once, and everything after that runs on your own hardware with no account and no internet required for chat.
What Off Grid AI Is
Off Grid AI is an open-source app that downloads and runs open-weight AI models directly on a phone, tablet, Mac, or Windows PC, with no server-side component for the core features. Once a model is downloaded, chat, image generation, vision, and voice transcription all run without an internet connection.
It is built by Wednesday Solutions, Inc., whose positioning on its own site is "no account, no subscription for the core, no cloud." The project is split across several GitHub repositories under the off-grid-ai organization: OGAM (iOS and Android, the largest repo at 3,000+ stars), OGAD (macOS and Windows desktop, currently at stable version 0.0.43), plus smaller companion repositories for enterprise governance (OGAC) and local file/text sharing between devices (OGAS).
Off Grid AI's iOS/Android app first reached the App Store as Off Grid AI - Private Local AI, currently at version 0.0.107. That App Store-only view β 3.1 stars from 26 ratings at the time of this review β understates the project's actual reach once the desktop apps, GitHub releases, and Google Play installs are counted together: 180,000+ downloads and 3,000+ GitHub stars, per the developer's own homepage and verified directly against GitHub star counts in this review.
Get It: Download for Every Platform
Off Grid AI is a genuine downloadable app on four platforms β there is no single "official" download; each platform has its own verified link.
iOS
- Where to get it:
- App Store listing
- Notes:
- Requires iOS 17+. Free download, in-app Pro purchase.
Android
- Where to get it:
- Google Play listing
- Notes:
- Requires Android 10+. Direct APK also on GitHub releases.
macOS
- Where to get it:
- DMG download
- Notes:
- Requires macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon (M1 or later). Desktop stable version 0.0.43.
Windows
- Where to get it:
- Setup .exe download
- Notes:
- Desktop stable version 0.0.43, same release channel as macOS.
This review is a companion to Off Grid AI's entry in the Local LLM Software Directory, which lists it alongside other mobile and cross-platform local-AI apps. All four links above were checked directly for this review and returned a live page at the time of writing; version numbers and pricing can change between releases β confirm the current specifics on getoffgridai.co before installing.
How to Get Started
Setting up Off Grid AI takes four steps and no account creation, on any of its four platforms.
- 1Install the app for your platform
Why it matters: Use the App Store, Google Play, or the direct macOS/Windows download links above. All four are free downloads β there is no paywall to install the app itself. - 2Pick a model that fits your device
Why it matters: Off Grid AI supports GGUF-format models from families including Llama, Qwen 3.5, Gemma, Phi-4, and Mistral. Phones and tablets handle smaller quantized models; a Mac or Windows PC with more RAM and a discrete or Apple Silicon GPU can run larger ones. - 3Download the model once
Why it matters: Model files range from roughly 1 GB to double digits of gigabytes depending on parameter count and quantization. This step needs an internet connection; every step after it does not. - 4Chat, generate images, or transcribe speech offline
Why it matters: Once a model is downloaded, turn on airplane mode to verify the offline claim yourself. Text chat, Stable Diffusion XL image generation, and Whisper-based voice transcription all run without a network connection. - 5Optional: join the community or upgrade to Pro
Why it matters: The developer runs a Slack community and an [r/off_grid_ai](https://www.reddit.com/r/off_grid_ai/) subreddit (described by the developer as 600+ members) for support and feature requests. Off Grid AI Pro is a separate, optional purchase layered on top β not required to use the core app.
Pricing: Free Core vs. Off Grid AI Pro
The core Off Grid AI app is free on all four platforms, with no account and no subscription required. An optional Off Grid AI Pro tier adds extras for readers who want more; this review checked the price directly on the developer's own site.
Core app
- Price:
- Free
- What it covers:
- On-device chat, vision, Stable Diffusion XL image generation, and Whisper voice transcription β no account, no subscription, no cloud.
Off Grid AI Pro
- Price:
- $69 lifetime or $49/year
- What it covers:
- Developer states the lifetime price is increasing toward $149 over time; exact Pro-only features should be confirmed on the current pricing page before purchase.
Pricing for optional tiers can change between app updates β this review confirmed the figures above against the developer's site at the time of writing, but readers should verify the current price before buying.
Supported Models
Off Grid AI supports any GGUF-format language model, plus dedicated image and speech models, rather than locking users into a single curated list.
For text and chat: Llama, Qwen 3 and Qwen 3.5, Gemma 3 and Gemma 4, Phi-4, Mistral, and other GGUF-format open-weight models. For image generation: Stable Diffusion XL and other Stable Diffusion-family models. For speech-to-text: Whisper-based transcription models. Model support depends on the app version and the device's available memory β larger models generally need a Mac or Windows PC rather than a phone.
Downloads, GitHub Stars, and the App Store Rating Gap
Off Grid AI's traction looks very different depending on which single source a reader checks β this review checked all of them rather than picking one.
On the developer's own homepage, getoffgridai.co states 180,000+ combined downloads across the App Store, Google Play, and GitHub, and a "600+ strong community." This review verified the GitHub-star portion of that claim directly: the off-grid-ai GitHub organization shows the OGAM repository (iOS and Android, MIT-licensed) at over 3,000 stars, with the OGAD repository (macOS and Windows) at roughly 100 stars β the two together, plus smaller companion repositories, account for the "3,000+ GitHub stars" figure on the homepage.
The App Store listing alone tells a much thinner story: 3.1 stars from only 26 ratings, at version 0.0.107, as of this review. That is a small, weak sample on its own β nowhere near enough ratings to draw a confident quality conclusion from the App Store page in isolation. This review states that fact plainly rather than letting the larger cross-platform numbers paper over it. The honest read: Off Grid AI has a verifiable, sizeable open-source following and download base, but its iOS App Store review history specifically is thin, and a reader relying only on the App Store star rating would see a materially weaker signal than the full picture supports.
Privacy
Off Grid AI's core positioning is "no account, no subscription for the core, no cloud." Because chat, vision, image generation, and voice transcription run on-device once a model is downloaded, none of that content needs to leave the device to function. The app is open source under the MIT license for its mobile and desktop clients, which means the on-device processing claim can be independently checked in the published source code rather than taken only on the developer's word β an option closed-source competitors do not offer.
Readers who want a fully audited privacy review should check the specific repository's source for the version they install, since privacy behavior in open-source software can change between releases.
Trade-Offs: Benefits vs. Limitations
Off Grid AI's biggest strength is being genuinely free, open source, and cross-platform at once β few local-AI apps cover all three. Its biggest weakness is a thin App Store review history that undersells the size of its actual user base.
Free core app, no account, no subscription, no cloud dependency.
- Limitation / caveat:
- Optional Pro tier ($69 lifetime or $49/year) is needed for some extras.
Runs on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows β genuinely cross-platform.
- Limitation / caveat:
- Desktop (0.0.43) and mobile (0.0.107) version numbers differ, since they are separate codebases (OGAD vs. OGAM).
Open source under MIT license; 3,000+ GitHub stars is independently verifiable.
- Limitation / caveat:
- App Store rating is thin: only 26 ratings averaging 3.1 stars as of this review.
Supports chat, vision, Stable Diffusion XL image generation, and Whisper voice β not chat-only.
- Limitation / caveat:
- Larger, higher-quality models still need a Mac or Windows PC rather than a phone.
Off Grid AI vs. Alternatives
Off Grid AI's closest comparisons are other mobile and cross-platform local-AI apps, not general chatbot apps.
App | Platforms | Price | Key difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off Grid AI | iOS/Android/macOS/Windows | Free (Pro optional) | Open source, 4 platforms, weak App Store rating sample. |
| Private LLM | iPhone/iPad/Mac | $4.99 one-time | Closed source, Apple-only, 140+ curated models, OmniQuant quantization. |
| PocketPal AI | iOS/Android | Free | Open source (MIT), mobile-only, no desktop or image generation. |
| Enclave AI | iOS/Android | Free | Mobile-only local chat app; compare model libraries directly. |
| Loci | iPhone/iPad/Android/Mac/Windows | Free | Curated model list and low-friction setup vs. Off Grid AI's open model library. |
Who Should Use Off Grid AI
Readers who want a free, open-source, no-account local-AI app that works the same way across a phone, tablet, Mac, and Windows PC.
Readers who value being able to check the source code behind an on-device privacy claim rather than relying only on a developer's marketing copy.
Readers who want chat, image generation, and voice transcription in one app rather than separate single-purpose tools.
Who Should Not Use Off Grid AI
Readers who want a large, established App Store rating history before installing β Off Grid AI's iOS listing currently has only 26 ratings.
Readers who specifically want a one-time-purchase, closed-source app with a long, curated model catalog β Private LLM fits that case better.
Readers who want to run large, frontier-scale models β those still need cloud AI or a high-end workstation, not a phone or laptop app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Off Grid AI actually free?
The core app is free on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, with no account and no subscription required for on-device chat, vision, image generation, or voice transcription. An optional Off Grid AI Pro tier costs $69 lifetime or $49/year, per the developer's pricing page.
Why does Off Grid AI have such a low App Store rating?
The App Store listing shows 3.1 stars from only 26 ratings as of this review β a small sample that is a weak signal on its own. That number reflects iOS App Store reviews specifically; it does not capture the app's broader footprint across Android, macOS, Windows, and GitHub, where the developer reports 180,000+ combined downloads and where the mobile codebase has more than 3,000 GitHub stars.
Is Off Grid AI open source?
Yes. Its mobile client, OGAM, and desktop client, OGAD, are both published under the MIT license on GitHub, under the off-grid-ai organization. This review verified the star counts and license directly on GitHub rather than relying only on the developer's claim.
What is the difference between Off Grid AI's desktop and mobile version numbers?
They are separate codebases with independent release cycles. The macOS and Windows desktop app (OGAD) is at stable version 0.0.43, while the iOS App Store listing (OGAM-based) is at version 0.0.107. A different version number on each platform is expected for a cross-platform project built from separate repositories, not an error.
What models does Off Grid AI support?
Any GGUF-format language model, including Llama, Qwen 3.5, Gemma, Phi-4, and Mistral families, plus Stable Diffusion XL for image generation and Whisper for speech-to-text transcription.
Does Off Grid AI have a community I can join?
The developer runs a Slack community and an active r/off_grid_ai subreddit, described on the developer's site as having 600+ members.
Verdict
Off Grid AI earns a place among the better free, cross-platform local-AI options, with one honest caveat: its iOS App Store rating history is thin. The 3.1-star/26-rating App Store listing is a weak signal in isolation, and this review does not pretend otherwise. But it sits alongside a verified, open-source codebase with 3,000+ GitHub stars and a developer-reported 180,000+ combined downloads across the App Store, Google Play, and GitHub β a materially stronger picture than the App Store page shows on its own. Readers who want the broadest free, open-source, four-platform option should install it and judge for themselves; readers who want a large existing App Store review history before committing should look at Private LLM instead.
Sources
Off Grid AI official site β download counts, GitHub star claim, community size, and Pro pricing.
Off Grid AI - Private Local AI on the App Store β iOS version number, star rating, rating count, and price.
off-grid-ai GitHub organization β repository list and star counts, verified directly for this review.
OGAM repository (iOS/Android, MIT license) β mobile star count and license.
OGAD repository (macOS/Windows) β desktop version number and releases.
Google Play listing β Android download link.