Comparison
Onhand vs LocalGen
Two iPhone apps that generate images on the device instead of in the cloud. They differ on pricing, published device requirements, and how clearly they document editing tools.
By Onhand · Updated September 12, 2026
The short answer
Pick LocalGen if you want an app available today on iOS 18. Its App Store compatibility table includes A12 devices, but the developer description recommends A14 or iPhone 12 and later and says iPhone 11 or earlier is unsupported. Pick Onhand if you want the same on-device privacy plus clearly documented tools for restyling, masked repainting and background removal, and you prefer one payment over a subscription. LocalGen release notes list AI Image Edit, but do not define its exact controls. Onhand is coming soon to iPhone and iPad and is not downloadable yet.
Side by side
| What to check | Onhand | LocalGen: AI Art Playground |
|---|---|---|
| Where generation runs | On the device GPU, Apple silicon | On the device, per its App Store listing |
| What it costs | Free download, one-time Pro unlock, no credits | Free with in-app purchases, as listed 12 September 2026 |
| Subscription option | None | Weekly $4.99 or monthly $9.99, as listed 12 September 2026 |
| One-time option | Yes, Pro is the only purchase | Yes, Lifetime $29.99, as listed 12 September 2026 |
| Minimum OS | iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 | iOS 18.0 or iPadOS 18.0 |
| Device reach | Depends on free memory; tested floor iPhone 14 Pro | App Store table lists A12; developer copy recommends A14 or iPhone 12 and later |
| Text to image | Yes, on every model pack | Yes, the described use |
| Image to image from your photo | Yes, every model, with a strength control | General “AI Image Edit” listed; exact controls not documented |
| Masked inpainting | Yes, free fast model only | Not listed |
| Background removal | Yes, on device | Not listed |
| Account required | None | None, per its listing |
| Availability | Pre-launch, not released yet (waitlist) | Public App Store rating history; score and count change over time |
Where does generation happen?
Both apps generate on the iPhone rather than on a server. LocalGen’s App Store listing describes running stable diffusion models locally on the chip, says that prompts and images never leave the device, and says the app works offline once a model is downloaded. It also states that there are no accounts, queues or tokens. No cloud component is disclosed in that listing.
Onhand works the same way for the same reason. Generation and editing run on the device GPU, and prompts, source photos and generated images are never sent to a generation server. Once a model pack has finished downloading, you can put the phone in airplane mode and keep working. Onhand does use limited anonymous analytics and Apple and RevenueCat purchase services, which is written out in full on the privacy page rather than summarised here.
So privacy is not the deciding factor between these two. Both keep the actual image work on the phone. The differences that matter are price shape, device reach, and how much of the app is about photos you already have.
What does each one cost?
Both are free to download, and both sell more inside the app. LocalGen is listed on the App Store as free with in-app purchases, and on 12 September 2026 those were LocalGen Pro Weekly at $4.99, Pro Monthly at $9.99, and Pro Lifetime at $29.99. That gives you a choice: rent it for a short project, or pay once and stop thinking about it. Prices and tiers can change, so check the listing before you buy.
Onhand has one purchase. The download is free and a recommended fast model is free to use with no credits and no image limits. Pro is a one-time purchase that unlocks the rest of the model packs. There is no weekly or monthly option at all. The Pro price varies by storefront and is currently being tested, so the app shows you the price for your store rather than a number quoted here.
Which iPhones can run them?
LocalGen has a lower operating-system requirement, and that is its clearest practical advantage. Its App Store compatibility table requires iOS or iPadOS 18.0 and includes A12 Bionic devices and iPhone XS or later. The developer’s own description is more restrictive: it recommends A14 Bionic or M1 and later, and marks iPhone 11 and earlier, iPad 9th generation and earlier, and iPad Air 3rd generation and earlier as unsupported. Those statements should stay separate: the table describes App Store compatibility, while the developer copy is the practical support guidance.
Onhand requires iOS 26 or iPadOS 26, which rules out many devices that meet LocalGen’s operating-system requirement. Within that, which model packs a device can run depends on free memory rather than chip speed, because the whole model has to fit in RAM while it works. The development and test floor is an iPhone 14 Pro with 6 GB, and the free pack runs there. Larger packs need more headroom.
If your device cannot run iOS 26, Onhand is not an option. LocalGen may be available to install on iOS 18, but check the developer’s supported-device guidance before paying.
Can you edit your own photos?
This is the biggest difference in scope. Onhand is a generator and a photo editor. You can restyle a photo from your library with image-to-image on every model, with a strength control that decides how far the result travels from the original. You can paint over part of an image and regenerate just that area, which is masked inpainting, available with the free fast model. You can remove a background on the device, resize, apply style presets, and keep iterating on a result with a Refine loop that keeps earlier versions. Everything lands in an on-device gallery with history.
LocalGen’s main description focuses on text-to-image work, while its version history says “Added AI Image Edit” in version 4.0.0 and later mentions fixing AI Edit. The listing does not document whether that feature includes strength-controlled image-to-image, masked inpainting, outpainting, upscaling or background removal. General image editing is listed; the exact controls remain undisclosed. If they matter to you, try the free tier before paying.
Onhand has real gaps too, and they are worth saying plainly. There is no outpainting, no LoRA, no ControlNet, no custom model import, no video and no AI upscaling; resize is plain resize. There is no Mac app and no cloud fallback when a device cannot run a pack. Negative prompts do nothing on the Turbo models, because those run at cfg 0, so style belongs in the positive prompt. Text and lettering inside generated images is model-dependent and is never something to count on.
What do we actually know about each app?
LocalGen has a public App Store record and Onhand does not yet. The listing checked on 12 September 2026 shows public ratings, an 18+ age rating, and version 8.0.0 dated 25 August 2026. Exact rating scores and counts change over time, so they are not frozen here. Its privacy label reports data not linked to you, covering product interaction, crash data, performance data and other diagnostic data. A shipped app with a rating history and version record tells you something a description cannot.
Onhand is pre-launch and coming soon to iPhone and iPad. It is not on the App Store yet, it has no ratings, and nothing here has been proven by a large number of users. The app is independently built, and its About page explains how product claims and device measurements are handled.
LocalGen’s official site and App Store page were both checked for this comparison. The App Store version history is the source for the AI Image Edit claim. Exact model architecture, custom-model import, LoRA and ControlNet support are not documented in those sources, so this page does not guess at them.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Onhand if
- You want to edit photos you already have, not only generate from text.
- You want one payment instead of a weekly or monthly charge.
- You want masked inpainting and on-device background removal in the same app.
- Your iPhone or iPad already runs iOS 26 and has memory to spare.
Pick LocalGen: AI Art Playground if
- Your device cannot run iOS 26; LocalGen requires iOS 18, but check its supported-device guidance.
- You want an app you can install and judge today, with a public rating history.
- A short subscription suits the project better than a lifetime purchase.
- Text-to-image is the whole job and photo editing is not part of it.
Frequently asked questions
Is LocalGen really offline, or does it use a server?
Its App Store listing describes local generation on the chip, states that prompts and images never leave the device, and says the app works offline after a model download. No cloud component is disclosed in that listing. As with any app, the App Store privacy label is the other thing worth reading; LocalGen reports diagnostic and product interaction data that is not linked to you.
What is a good LocalGen alternative on iPhone?
Onhand is the closest alternative in intent: on-device generation, no account, and a free model with a one-time Pro unlock instead of a subscription. It adds image-to-image, masked inpainting and background removal. The trade is that Onhand needs iOS 26 and is not on the App Store yet, so it is not yet a like-for-like swap.
Does LocalGen support image-to-image or inpainting?
LocalGen’s version history says “Added AI Image Edit” in version 4.0.0 and later mentions fixing AI Edit. Its listing does not document whether that means strength-controlled image-to-image, masked inpainting, outpainting, upscaling or background removal. General editing is listed, but the exact controls are undisclosed. Check the current free download before buying anything.
Which one runs on an older iPhone?
LocalGen has the lower operating-system requirement. Its App Store compatibility table includes A12 Bionic devices and iPhone XS or later on iOS 18, but the developer separately recommends A14 Bionic or M1 and later and marks iPhone 11 and earlier as unsupported. Treat that developer recommendation as the practical guidance. Onhand requires iOS 26 and enough free memory for the chosen model pack, with an iPhone 14 Pro as the tested floor.
Is a $29.99 lifetime purchase better than a one-time Pro unlock?
It depends on what each unlock includes and how long you use the app. LocalGen Pro Lifetime was listed at $29.99 on 12 September 2026, alongside weekly and monthly options. Onhand sells a single Pro purchase whose price varies by storefront, so the app shows the price for your store. Compare what the unlock actually gives you rather than the two numbers alone.
Can I use either app for commercial work?
That depends on the licence of the specific model that produced the image, not on the app wrapper. Onhand publishes the licences and credits for every model it ships on its licences page, so you can check each one before using a result commercially. For LocalGen, the exact model architecture is not disclosed on its App Store listing, so ask the developer or check its official site.
Sources
Facts about other products come from their own listings and documentation, last checked on the date shown. Corrections are welcome at the address on the About page.
- LocalGen: AI Art Playground on the App Store (checked September 12, 2026)
- LocalGen official site (checked September 12, 2026)
- Onhand privacy: what stays on the device (checked September 12, 2026)
- Onhand: how timings were measured (checked September 12, 2026)
- Onhand model licences and credits (checked September 12, 2026)