Comparison
Onhand vs Off Grid AI
Off Grid AI is a local AI suite for phone and desktop: chat, vision, images, voice, documents. Onhand is only an image studio: prompt, restyle, inpaint, stay offline. Same privacy category, different jobs.
By Onhand · Updated September 30, 2026
The short answer
Pick Off Grid AI if you want one app that runs text models, vision, on-device Stable Diffusion, Whisper voice input, documents, and optional links to your own Mac / Ollama / LM Studio over LAN, free and open source, with an optional Pro tier. Pick Onhand if you only care about making and editing images on iPhone and iPad with a short curated catalog, masked inpainting, and no chat or agent surface. Off Grid wins on breadth and shipping maturity; Onhand wins only if you want a purpose-built image product instead of an all-in-one local AI client.
Side by side
| What to check | Onhand | Off Grid AI |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | On-device AI image generation and photo edits | Full local AI studio (chat, vision, image, voice, docs) |
| Where image gen runs | Device GPU, always | On-device Stable Diffusion (Core ML on iPhone; NPU options on Android) |
| Cloud inference | None | None by default; optional remote only to your LAN servers |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad, iOS / iPadOS 26+ | iPhone 12+ (iOS 17+; the App Store lists it for iPhone only), Android 10+ / 4 GB RAM; desktop apps too |
| Price | Free download + one-time Pro for more packs | Free / open source (MIT); Pro listed at $69 one-time or $4.99/month on its website (30 Sep 2026) |
| Account | None | None for local use; Pro uses a license key, not a cloud account (per their site) |
| Image models | Curated packs (about 1 to 4.5 GB) | 20+ image models claimed; SD 1.5 / SDXL-class options in docs |
| Non-image AI | No | Yes: text (GGUF), vision, Whisper STT, tools, projects |
| Photo editing depth | Img2img strength, masked inpainting (free model), background removal | Image generation with live preview; suite focus is broader than surgical photo edits |
| App Store status | Pre-launch; coming soon (waitlist) | Live on the App Store (version 0.0.111 on 30 Sep 2026) |
What are these two products?
Off Grid AI (getoffgridai.co) markets a phone and desktop client that keeps inference on hardware you own. The free tier is positioned as a complete offline suite: chat, image generation, vision, voice input, documents, tools, plus the ability to drive bigger models on a computer on your own network. Pro adds voice output, personas, draft-then-approve actions, and sync, priced as a one-time license whose price is set to climb, or a monthly subscription, on their mobile page as of 30 September 2026. They claim large download and GitHub community numbers on the marketing site; treat those as vendor claims.
Onhand is only about images. Type a prompt or open a photo, pick a curated pack, generate or edit on the device, keep results in an on-device gallery. No chat agent, no Android client, no LAN bridge to a desktop LLM. Narrow on purpose. Still pre-launch, with a waitlist.
Where does generation happen?
Both keep default image generation on the device. Off Grid's docs describe Core ML / Neural Engine paths on iPhone and NPU/CPU paths on Android, with live preview while diffusion runs. Their site also allows pointing the phone at your own desktop Off Grid / Ollama / LM Studio over LAN. Still not a vendor cloud, but it is a network path you opt into.
Onhand has no remote generation switch at all. After a pack downloads, airplane mode is enough.
If "phone-only, never talk to another machine" is the rule, Onhand matches it by having no bridge. If "phone now, bigger box at home later" matters, Off Grid is built for that.
What does each one cost?
Off Grid AI's mobile page (30 September 2026) says the local studio is free and open source (MIT). Pro is optional: $69 once with no renewal (the page says that price will climb toward $149) or $4.99 a month, with one license covering up to 5 devices on mobile and desktop. Activation is described as a license key, not a cloud account, and the App Store listing shows no in-app purchases.
Onhand: free download plus free fast pack; Pro one-time for more packs; no subscription; no image credits. Storefront price not quoted while testing.
For pure image curiosity on a budget, Off Grid's free tier is hard to beat because the whole suite is free. Onhand's paid shape only matters if you want its specific curated packs and edit tools after launch.
How much control do you get for images?
Off Grid is a model browser inside a general AI app: download image models, optionally enhance prompts with a text model, generate with preview. Docs list palettized (about 1 GB) and full-precision (about 4 GB) SD-class options, plus SDXL-oriented iOS builds in their documentation set. You trade setup (pick models, sometimes pair a text model) for flexibility.
Onhand is a short catalog: free fast pack, Pro packs for more looks (including SDXL Turbo and FLUX.2 Klein 4B per product copy). No LoRA, no ControlNet, no arbitrary GGUF or checkpoint import. Fewer decisions, less power-user surface.
Onhand limits to remember: Turbo packs ignore negative prompts; text-in-image not promised; memory, not chip marketing names, gates which packs run (developer floor iPhone 14 Pro 6 GB for the free pack).
Off Grid device floor on their mobile page: iPhone 12 or newer, iOS 17+, 4 GB RAM class guidance, plus Android. Wider than Onhand's iOS 26-only plan. One gap on the Apple side: the App Store lists Off Grid AI for iPhone only (designed for iPhone, no iPad version), while Onhand is built for both iPhone and iPad.
What can each one do to a photo you already have?
Onhand's edit story is explicit: image-to-image with strength, masked inpainting on the free model, background removal, Refine with history. Built as a small photo studio.
Off Grid's public materials emphasize text-to-image Stable Diffusion with live preview inside a chat-style client, plus vision models that analyze photos. That is not the same product promise as masked inpainting or background removal. If surgical photo edits are why you opened this page, verify Off Grid's current edit tools in the shipping app. Do not assume parity with Onhand's list.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Onhand if
- You want a dedicated image app, not a chat, vision, and voice suite.
- You want curated packs plus masked inpainting and on-device background removal.
- You want zero LAN or remote options: device only.
- You want an app built for iPad as well as iPhone. The App Store lists Off Grid AI for iPhone only.
- You are on modern iOS/iPadOS and can wait for App Store release.
Pick Off Grid AI if
- You want local chat, vision, voice, and images in one client.
- You want Android and/or a desktop companion.
- You want free open-source software and optional Pro for voice, personas, and actions.
- You may later drive bigger models on a computer on your own network.
- You need something installable today.
Frequently asked questions
Is Off Grid AI free?
The local studio is described as free and open source (MIT) on getoffgridai.co as of 30 September 2026. Pro is optional: $69 once or $4.99 a month, per its mobile page. Re-check the site and Store listing before you budget.
Does Off Grid AI work offline?
Yes for on-device inference, per their docs and marketing. Optional LAN remotes need your network. Onhand is offline after model download with no remote mode.
Is Onhand an Off Grid alternative for images?
Only for the image-studio slice. Off Grid is a general local AI client that happens to include Stable Diffusion. Onhand does not try to replace Off Grid's chat, vision, or agent features.
Can Off Grid replace Draw Things or Onhand for power users?
For multi-modal local AI, Off Grid is closer to a Swiss Army knife. For deep image-only controls (LoRA, ControlNet, infinite canvas), Draw Things remains the specialist. See the separate Onhand vs Draw Things page. Onhand sits on the simple image-studio end of that spectrum.
Which should I install while Onhand is still pre-launch?
Off Grid AI (and/or Conjure / Draw Things) if you need something from the App Store this week. Use this page to decide whether you still want Onhand's narrower image workflow when it ships.
Does Onhand include chat or vision models?
No. Onhand is an image studio only: generation, restyling, inpainting, background removal, and an on-device gallery. If you need local chat or document tools, Off Grid is the broader product.
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.
- Off Grid AI (checked September 12, 2026)
- Off Grid AI Mobile (checked September 30, 2026)
- Off Grid AI on the App Store (checked September 30, 2026)
- Onhand privacy (checked September 12, 2026)
- Onhand vs Draw Things (checked September 12, 2026)