Skip to main content
OpenSourceAlternatives

Fullmoon

Open source · OSI-approvedStatus: unknownNew

Private offline AI chat with on-device LLMs for iPhone and Mac

Alternative to ChatGPT

Fullmoon is a free app that chats with small open language models running entirely on Apple devices, with no account and nothing sent to the cloud. It suits iPhone, iPad, and Mac owners who want a private AI chatbot that keeps working offline.[1][2]

Quick verdict

Apple-device owners who want AI chat without sending data to a cloud service benefit most from Fullmoon. Its strength is chatting with quantized Llama 3.2 and DeepSeek distilled models that run entirely on-device through Apple's MLX framework and work fully offline. The constraint is Apple-only hardware with a handful of small mobile-sized models whose answers trail larger cloud assistants, so anyone needing top-tier reasoning or non-Apple support should choose something else. If privacy and offline use on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac decide the choice, use Fullmoon; if maximum capability across devices matters more, use a cloud assistant such as ChatGPT.[1][2][3]

Key features

  • Private on-device LLM chat Chat with large language models directly on the device: the official site describes local intelligence with nothing sent to the cloud and no account required.[1][2]

  • Fully offline once downloaded The app works fully offline without internet once a model is downloaded, so conversations continue with no connection.[1][2]

  • Quantized Llama 3.2 models It ships with quantized Llama 3.2 model variants sized between 0.7 and 1.9 GB, chosen to fit mobile-sized hardware.[1][2]

  • DeepSeek R1 distilled models DeepSeek R1 distilled models are offered alongside Llama in the same small downloadable range.[1][2]

  • Apple silicon via MLX and Metal 3 Models are tuned for Apple silicon through Apple's MLX array framework with Metal 3 graphics acceleration.[1][2]

  • Four Apple platforms One app covers iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.[1][2]

  • Personalization with on-device history Theme, fonts, and the system prompt are adjustable, and chat history stays stored on the device.[1][2]

  • Shortcuts actions Apple Shortcuts actions feed local model output into other workflows on the user's device.[1][2]

Who will love it

  • Apple-device owners who want AI chat without sending data to a cloud service: on-device inference keeps every conversation local.[1][2]

  • People who need a chatbot that keeps working with no internet connection: full offline use after a model download covers travel and dead zones.[1][2]

  • Anyone trying small open models tuned for Apple silicon hardware: the curated Llama and DeepSeek downloads make local experimentation a store install.[1][2]

Who should avoid it

  • Anyone outside Apple hardware: the app runs only on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision, with no Android, Windows, Linux, or web path documented.[1][2]

  • Users needing top-tier reasoning or broad knowledge: model choice is limited to a handful of small mobile-sized models whose answers trail larger cloud assistants.[1][2]

  • Teams needing support contracts or a managed service: no enterprise support or hosted offering is documented, with help coming from the site and the public repository.[1][2][3]

Alternatives and compatibility

ChatGPT is the cloud-hosted counterpart for heavier work: it serves chat, work, and coding from the cloud in one place, while Fullmoon keeps lighter chat local and offline on Apple devices.[1][2]

A TestFlight program carries the latest features and models ahead of App Store releases for users who want the newest builds.[1]

Distribution is free on the App Store and open source under MIT from Mainframe Computer, with no paid tier or account documented.[1][2][3]

Questions worth asking

What is the best Fullmoon alternative for non-technical users?

ChatGPT is the easier pick for non-technical users: it runs in the cloud with no model downloads and no Apple-only hardware requirement, while Fullmoon suits users comfortable choosing and downloading small on-device models.[1][2]

Is Fullmoon really no-code?

Yes. Fullmoon installs from the App Store with no code or server setup; picking a model and adjusting the theme, fonts, or system prompt are in-app choices, not programming.[1][2]

How much does Fullmoon cost per month?

Fullmoon itself is free on the App Store with no paid tier or account documented, so there is no subscription or per-seat price to compare. Checked October 2026.[1][2]

Can you self-host Fullmoon?

There is no server to self-host: models run on the user's own Apple hardware with chat history saved locally, and the iOS app is MIT-licensed open source. The repository alone adds no hosted or enterprise offering.[1][2][3]

Sources and editorial review

Source research. Reviewed on October 9, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.

We have not run or tested this product.

  1. Fullmoon official site

    official · Observed October 5, 2026

    Official product site: local-intelligence positioning, fully offline private chat, Apple silicon via Swift MLX and Metal 3, iOS/iPadOS/macOS/visionOS, Llama 3.2 and DeepSeek R1 distilled models 0.7-1.9 GB, themes/fonts/system prompt, Shortcuts actions, TestFlight builds, free and open-source positioning by Mainframe.

  2. mainframecomputer/fullmoon-ios repository

    official · Observed October 5, 2026

    Vendor repository page: mainframecomputer/fullmoon-ios described as chat with private and local large language models.

  3. fullmoon-ios README

    official · Observed October 5, 2026

    Vendor README: iOS app for chatting with local LLMs optimized for Apple silicon on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with locally saved chat history, appearance customization, supported Llama 3.2 and DeepSeek models, and credit to Apple's MLX Swift.

  4. fullmoon-ios LICENSE

    official · Observed October 5, 2026

    Vendor license file: MIT permission grant and warranty disclaimer attributed to Mainframe Computer, Inc., copyright 2024.

  5. Fullmoon App Store listing

    official · Observed October 5, 2026

    Vendor App Store listing: Fullmoon local intelligence, Free by Mainframe Computer, Inc. for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision; fully offline private on-device chat with DeepSeek R1 and Llama models, personalization, Shortcuts, free open-source positioning.

  6. ChatGPT overview

    official · Observed October 5, 2026

    Vendor overview page: OpenAI cloud assistant for chatting, working, and coding in one place, with apps, downloads, and pricing tiers.

Compared with these products

Similar projects

Related projects with shared categories, technologies, or licensing.

GPT4All

GPT4AllAIOpen

Private desktop chatbot that runs open LLMs fully on-device

Stars77.4K
Commit1y ago
LicenseMIT

GPT4All is a free desktop app from Nomic that runs open language models entirely on your own computer, with no cloud calls.

LibreChat

LibreChatAIOpen

The open-source, self-hosted AI chat platform for every model.

Stars45.5K
Commitjust now
LicenseMIT

LibreChat is a free, self-hosted chat workspace for many AI providers and local models, with agents, retrieval, and team controls.

Ollama

OllamaAIOpen

Run open language models locally with one command

Stars179.9K
Commit14h ago
LicenseMIT

Ollama reduced local model hosting from an afternoon of CUDA troubleshooting to a single pull command. It handles model download, quantisation selection, GPU offloading, and memory management, and exposes an OpenAI-compatible endpoint on localhost.

AnythingLLM

AnythingLLMAIOpen

Self-hosted AI workspace for chatting with documents and running agents

Stars66.7K
Commitjust now
LicenseMIT

AnythingLLM is a self-hostable AI workspace for chatting with documents, running AI agents, and switching between local and hosted language models.

LocalAI

LocalAIAIOpen

Self-hosted OpenAI-compatible runtime for local AI models

Stars49.5K
Commitjust now
LicenseMIT

LocalAI is a self-hosted runtime that runs AI models locally behind OpenAI-compatible endpoints.

llama.cpp

llama.cppAIOpen

Inference engine that runs LLMs on almost any hardware

Stars126.6K
Commit8h ago
LicenseMIT

llama.cpp is the layer most local model tooling is built on. It is a C and C++ inference engine with no Python runtime, aggressive quantisation support, and hand-tuned kernels for a remarkably wide range of hardware.