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Connect to AI APIs from OpenAI, OpenRouter, and Ollama

Use flagship cloud models, or connect Ollama on your Mac to access local models from your Apple devices.

Download Cumbersome in the App Store (opens in new tab)
Face/Off Mode
Pick Your Model
Your API Keys

"A feature I have never seen before is the Face/Off mode... The developer built this app out of his own need, which in my experience is a good foundation."

Why Direct API Access
Beats Consumer AI Subscriptions

Here is why Cumbersome is a better choice than paying monthly for ChatGPT or Claude.

  • Price. ChatGPT Plus costs around $20/month even if you use it once or twice. With direct API access, you pay per token. Light users spend a few dollars a month; heavy users pay for what they run, not idle months.
  • Model certainty. Consumer apps can silently swap models. With Cumbersome you choose the exact model and know what answered. GPT-5.1, Claude Sonnet 4.5, Gemini 3 Pro, or hundreds more through OpenRouter or Vercel AI Gateway.
  • Privacy. Conversations sync through iCloud. No backend, no account. Cumbersome connects your API keys on iPhone, iPad, and Mac directly to providers. For zero retention across providers, route through a gateway like OpenRouter. I never see your data.
  • Local AI when you want it. Add Ollama, run models on your Mac, use them from Mac or iPhone over your network. Ollama setup guide.
  • Variety. State of the art shifts fast. One month a model leads at coding, the next at writing or reasoning. Instead of one subscription, get all major providers in one app and switch when the best model changes.
  • Bottom line. A free app where you pay providers directly for what you use, pick models across providers, and keep full control of your conversations.

What You Get

Direct API Access Across Providers

Your API keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI Studio, OpenRouter, and more. No subscription markup. You choose providers model by model.

Switch Models Mid-Conversation

Switch models mid-conversation. Compare how each handles the same thread.

Privacy by Architecture

iCloud sync. No backend, no account. API keys stay in Keychain.

Cost Transparency

Token counts and cost per message. Know exactly what you are spending.

Also Included

Totally free. No upsell, no subscriptions.
Concurrent chats streaming in parallel.
Markdown, LaTeX, code blocks, attachments.
Export as JSON, copy, or share deep links.
Siri and Shortcuts for hands-free use.
VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, full keyboard nav.

Who This Is For

Frustrated by

  • Consumer AI apps that secretly route you to cheaper models
  • Paying $20/month whether you use it once or every day
  • Interfaces stripped down to a chat bubble with no controls
  • Companies harvesting your conversations for training data
  • Waiting months for new models to appear in consumer apps

Built for

  • Developers who want API control without building a client
  • Researchers comparing models across providers
  • Professionals who work across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
  • Anyone who finds "simplified" AI interfaces dumbed-down
  • Power users who want full parameter control

See It in Action

Your API keys, not their subscriptions
Flagship models, no routing to cheaper ones
Full parameter control
Face/Off Mode: pit AI answers against each other
Read more about Cumbersome on our blog →
Peter with dahlias

Built by Peter Bray. Bootstrapper in Beaverton.