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OpenClient Review: Free Apple Chat App for Ollama and LiteLLM

·6 min readBy Hans Kuepper · Founder of PromptQuorum · Discovery engine for open-weight & open-source AI

OpenClient is a free, open-source chat app for iPhone, iPad and Mac that connects to an Ollama, LiteLLM or OpenAI-compatible server you run — it has no model of its own, so it does nothing without that server.

Key Takeaways

  • Maker: Arturo Carretero Calvo, an independent developer; the repository dates from 29 March 2026 and the App Store release from 8 April 2026.
  • License: GNU AGPL v3.0, with the full source public on GitHub.
  • Pace: the GitHub Releases page shows macOS builds on 2, 14 and 22 October 2026, so the project is actively updated.
  • Languages: the interface is available in ten languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Portugal) and Japanese; no Chinese, Arabic or Korean interface is listed.

📍 In One Sentence

OpenClient is an open-source Apple-platform chat client that connects to the Ollama, LiteLLM or OpenAI-compatible server you operate instead of running a model itself.

💬 In Plain Terms

You install it like any app, enter your server's address in Settings and chat with the models that server lists. What happens to your messages after that depends on your server and on any cloud provider it forwards to.

Read in:
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OpenClient is a free, open-source chat app for iPhone, iPad and Mac from Arturo Carretero Calvo, an independent developer. It contains no AI model of its own: you point it at an Ollama, LiteLLM or other OpenAI-compatible server that you run, and it chats with the models that server offers. This review reflects the maker's website and privacy policy, the GitHub repository and the App Store listing, as checked on 24 October 2026.

OpenClient Review: Free Apple Chat App for Ollama and LiteLLM

What Is OpenClient?

OpenClient is a chat front end, not an AI engine: it sends your messages to the server whose address you enter and displays the replies. The maker describes it as a private AI chat for Apple platforms built around "your server, your models, your choice", with support for LiteLLM proxies, Ollama and other servers that follow the OpenAI-compatible API.

The App Store title is "OpenClient: Private AI Chat" and the seller is Arturo Carretero Calvo, who also publishes the source code on GitHub.

Get It

OpenClient installs like any Apple app — App Store or a signed Mac download, no terminal — but it needs a separate server to talk to. Set up Ollama or a LiteLLM proxy first, then enter its address in the app's Settings.

Platform
Where to get it
iPhone and iPadApp Store (free, iOS or iPadOS 26 or later)
MacApp Store or the signed .dmg download (macOS 26 or later)
BetaTestFlight
Websitearturocarreterocalvo.com/openclient-llm
Privacy policyPrivacy policy (dated 15 July 2026)
Source codeGitHub (AGPL v3.0)

Version reviewed: 1.7.30, shown on the App Store as updated on 23 October 2026 (the matching GitHub release is dated 22 October). The App Store price is free in the storefronts checked; the privacy policy also mentions voluntary purchases through Apple.

Features Confirmed by the Sources

Every item below comes from the maker's page, the README or the App Store description.

  • Chat. Streaming Markdown replies, a collapsible "Thinking" block for reasoning models, a system prompt and parameters per conversation, and token and cost estimates when the server returns usage data.
  • Attachments and media. Photos, camera shots and PDFs for multimodal models; image generation with compatible models on your server; speech-to-text dictation and text-to-speech playback.
  • Tools. An agent loop for models that support function calling, web search through your server, and MCP tools exposed by a LiteLLM backend.
  • Conversations. History with search, pins and tags, branching from any message, a private session-only chat, JSON backup and export, and optional iCloud sync.
  • Apple integration. Share Sheet, Shortcuts and Siri actions, a Control Center toggle, widgets and, on the Mac, a menu bar companion.
  • Memory and templates. Notes you save yourself or let the model save, a user profile and reusable system-prompt templates.

Privacy and Network Use

According to the privacy policy, OpenClient has no developer-operated backend for conversations, analytics, telemetry or crash reports, and it sends your messages only to the server address you configure. The server URL and API keys are kept in the device Keychain, and conversations stay on the device or, if you switch sync on, in your own iCloud account.

The policy names the exceptions: anything your server forwards to cloud model or search providers, Apple's speech recognition if you choose it for dictation (Apple does not guarantee it runs on the device), purchases handled by Apple, and the optional feedback board built on Votice, which may send a random persistent device identifier and technical data such as platform, language and app version. The policy is dated 15 July 2026.

📌Note: The source code is public, so the data handling can be inspected, but PromptQuorum did not read the code or monitor network traffic. If your server forwards to a cloud provider, that provider's policy applies to your messages.

Who Should Use It

  • Apple users who already run Ollama or LiteLLM and want a native iPhone, iPad and Mac front end.
  • People who want to read the source of the chat app that handles their prompts.
  • LiteLLM users who want MCP tools and cost data in a mobile client.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Hands-on quality. Streaming speed, battery use, reliability on mobile networks and answer quality were not tested.
  • Server compatibility. The README says basic chat needs only model listing and chat completions; whether a given server supports every feature was not checked.
  • Remote-access security. How you expose and protect your server is outside the app and was not assessed.
  • Long-term support. GitHub lists a single contributor, and the sources state no roadmap or support commitment.

Competitors and Alternatives

Enchanted

Platforms:
iOS, macOS
Price / license:
Free / Apache 2.0
Key difference:
Minimal Apple client for Ollama only
Articles about Enchanted (4)

Also mentioned in:

+7 more not shown

Msty

Platforms:
Windows, macOS, Linux
Price / license:
Freemium / closed source
Key difference:
Desktop chat app for local and cloud models
Articles about Msty (6)

Also mentioned in:

+6 more not shown

Competitor details change often; confirm each app's current price, license and platforms on its own listing.

Compare in directory

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use OpenClient with only a cloud API key?

The README says it works with any server that implements model listing and chat completions in the OpenAI-compatible format. Whether a particular cloud vendor's endpoint qualifies was not tested.

Is there a Windows or Android version?

No. The maker's page lists iOS, iPadOS and macOS only, and the app is written in Swift with SwiftUI.

What address do I enter in Settings?

For LiteLLM, your proxy's address on port 4000. For Ollama directly, its address on port 11434 including the /v1 path, because the app appends API paths without adding or removing /v1.

Verdict

OpenClient suits people who already operate an Ollama or LiteLLM server and want a free, open-source, native client for iPhone, iPad and Mac; it is the wrong choice for anyone hoping for an app that runs a model on the phone. The sources show a feature-rich, frequently updated project, but speed, reliability and the privacy claims were not tested here. Compare Enchanted if you only use Ollama, or Msty for a desktop app that covers local and cloud models.

Sources

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