BoltAI vs RewriteBar

Choosing the right AI-powered macOS assistant can be a game-changer. This comparison breaks down BoltAI and RewriteBar to help you decide which tool best fits your workflow.

Summary

BoltAI is a native macOS app that injects OpenAI GPT power into every text field, alongside a built-in prompt library, custom AI Assistants, and Stable Diffusion image generation, all for a one-time $69 license (per Mac) with one year of updates. RewriteBar lives in your menu bar, offering a command-palette UI for instant grammar/spelling fixes, tone shifts, summarization/expansion, and translation into 500+ languages. RewriteBar is available via a $5/month ($40/year) subscription (using its own AI service) or a $29 one-time license where you supply your own API key from various providers.

Core Features

What are the core features of BoltAI and RewriteBar?

BoltAIRewriteBar
Integration
Injects GPT into any macOS text field (requires OpenAI key setup)
Works in any macOS app via a menu-bar command palette (Cmd+Shift+P)
PopClip Integration
No PopClip extension available
PopClip extension available for seamless text selection workflow
Grammar & Style
Instant fixes, tone presets via chat UI
Grammar/spelling correction, tone adjustment via command menu
Summarize & Expand
Chat interface supports outlines, summarization, brainstorming
Summarize or expand selections on-the-fly
Translation
Natively via GPT only (no preset language list)
Instant translation into 500+ languages and dialects
Custom AI Assistants
Create tailored "AI Assistants" with system prompts & parameters
Define custom rewrite templates & keyboard shortcuts
Multimodal Inputs
Stable Diffusion image generation, screenshot chat, OCR/sensitive-data redaction
Text-only
Prompt Library
150+ built-in prompts for coding, marketing, writing tasks
No bundled prompt library
Model Flexibility
OpenAI GPT + support for Anthropic, Google, Groq, OpenRouter & local Ollama
Subscription uses RewriteBar's backend (GPT-4.1 suite); one-time license lets you choose from 7 providers
Privacy & Security
API key in Apple Keychain; no middle servers; local redaction
API key in Keychain; direct-to-provider; no RewriteBar servers for one-time license

Platform & Compatibility

BoltAI

  • OS: macOS 12+ (Monterey and later)
  • Architecture: Intel & Apple Silicon
  • Works In: Any text field; image-generation panel

RewriteBar

  • OS: macOS 13+ (Ventura and later)
  • Architecture: Intel & Apple Silicon
  • Works In: Any application with a text field

Pricing & Licensing

How does BoltAI compares with RewriteBar in terms of Pricing and License?

BoltAIRewriteBar
Free
No Premium Features
Free trial: 100 requests (GPT-4o-mini)
One-Time (API Key)
$69 perpetual, 1 device, includes 1 year of updates; OpenAI key required
$29 (lifetime; supply your own API key; choose provider/model)
Subscription
Not available
$5/month or $40/year
Team / Multi-Seat
From $225 to $400
Contact for pricing

Strengths & Gaps

BoltAI Strengths

  • Full multimodal support (images, OCR, redaction)
  • Custom AI Assistants + prompt library for task-specific workflows
  • Single, perpetual license with local security

BoltAI Gaps

  • No built-in text summarization presets or translation presets
  • Requires OpenAI API key (no bundled AI service)
  • Updates only for one year with initial purchase

RewriteBar Strengths

  • Lightning-fast command-palette UI for in-line text fixes
  • Flexible pricing: subscription or one-time with any provider
  • Built-in translation into 500+ languages without extra setup

RewriteBar Gaps

  • Text-only (no images or PDFs)
  • Does not provide chat interface and focuses on text replacement

Which to Choose?

Choose BoltAI if…

  • You need multimodal AI (image generation, OCR, redaction) alongside writing help.
  • You want task-specific AI Assistants and an extensive prompt library.
  • You prefer a one-time license and are comfortable managing your own OpenAI API key.

Choose RewriteBar if…

  • You value an ultra-fast command-palette for quick grammar fixes, tone adjustments, summarization, and translation.
  • You prefer flexible pricing with options for a subscription (AI included) or a one-time purchase (bring your own API key).
  • Your workflow is primarily text-based and you don't need document/image chat or image generation.
  • You want straightforward translation into multiple languages without configuring models.

Ready to Experience the Difference?

Download RewriteBar today and see why our users love RewriteBar over the competition. Start your free trial with no credit card required.

Download RewriteBar FreeRequest Free License

No credit card required • 100 free executions • Cancel anytime

Purchase a License

Trial

Try it for free

Free

  • Up to 100 requests
  • Access to our Cloud AI service
  • Includes 31 AI models
Start for free

No credit card required

Monthly Plan

Use our AI Cloud service (3 million words)

$5

USD

Monthly
  • Access our AI Cloud service (39 models)
  • Option to use your own AI provider API key
  • Choose from 14+ AI providers
  • Choose from 500+ AI models
  • Unlimited app updates
  • Use on unlimited devices

Billed monthly

Save 33%

Annual Plan

Use our AI Cloud service (3 million words)

$60

$40

USD

Annually
  • Access our AI Cloud service (39 models)
  • Option to use your own AI provider API key
  • Choose from 14+ AI providers
  • Choose from 500+ AI models
  • Unlimited requests (With API key)
  • Unlimited app updates
  • Use on unlimited devices

Billed annually

Use RewriteBar with an API Key

Requires an API key

Pay as you go

One-time purchase. Use your own API key — no subscription, no recurring fees.

$29

USD

OneTime

One time payment

  • Requires the use of your own AI provider API key
  • Choose from 14+ AI providers
  • Choose from 500+ AI models
  • Send request directly to AI provider
  • Option to use local models (e.g., Ollama)
  • Unlimited requests (With API key)
  • One-time payment
  • Licensed per device

How does RewriteBar compare to other AI Writing Tools?

We compared RewriteBar to other popular AI writing assistants to help you find the best tool for your needs.

Kerlig AI

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TextWisely

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WriterBrew

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Alter

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FixKey AI

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FridayGPT

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Steer

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IntelliBar

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TypoTab

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MacCopilot

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Grammarly

See detailed comparison between Grammarly and RewriteBar

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Questions, Answered

Have a question? Contact me on Twitter or by email.

  • RewriteBar captures the currently selected text using the macOS clipboard and sends it to a language model for rewriting. The corrected version is then automatically pasted back, replacing the original text.

  • Yes. RewriteBar does not store or track any of your data. How your text is processed depends on the provider you choose:

    • RewriteBar (default): Your selected text is sent to the RewriteBar server, which forwards the request to a language model and returns the corrected version. We do not store your text or API key on our server.
    • Third-Party Providers (e.g. OpenAI, Mistral, Ollama): Your request is sent directly from your device to the provider’s API. RewriteBar never sees or processes your text.

    The app is built using native macOS tools and is just ~20 MB in size — lightweight and privacy-focused.

  • Yes, RewriteBar works with almost any application or website that supports text input. It runs quietly in the background so you can stay focused and keep your writing flow.

    Examples include:

    • Google Chrome
    • Google Docs
    • Microsoft Word
    • Slack
    • WhatsApp
    • Emails
    • Microsoft Teams
    • Notion
    • Visual Studio Code
  • Yes, you can try RewriteBar for free with up to 100 corrections. When you’re ready to continue, you can choose a subscription or a one-time license, whichever suits you best.
  • Yes, you can request a refund within 14 days of purchase. Just reach out via email.

  • RewriteBar App Interface is translated into 12 languages.

    The translation action supports over 500 languages. However, language Support also depends on the selected model. Cloud models like GPT-5 are advanced and support most languages, while smaller local models can only support a limited number of languages.

    If you encounter issues with a specific language, feel free to contact us.

  • RewriteBar (once purchased) and local models do not incur additional costs. Additional charges apply only when using cloud AI providers via the BYOK (bring your own API key) option. In that case, you pay your chosen provider directly.
  • You can cancel your subscription through the Subscription Portal.
    If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via email.
  • No. Subscriptions like ChatGPT Plus/Pro or Claude Pro apply to their chat applications. API access is billed separately by each provider on a pay-as-you-go basis and is not included in those subscriptions. You can use your own API key (BYOK) and pay the provider directly, or use the RewriteBar AI Cloud (included in the RewriteBar subscription).
  • RewriteBar requests macOS Accessibility permissions so it can function as designed. This allows the app to read your currently selected text and replace it with the improved result, so it works seamlessly in your favorite apps. We do not store your data.
  • You can create an API key with any supported provider below:Setup instructions are available in our help center

  • One-Time License: Includes all RewriteBar features but requires you to set up your own API accounts with AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.). You pay the providers directly for usage.

    Subscription: Includes all features from the one-time license plus RewriteBar Cloud access and priority support. No need to set up API accounts—you can access the same AI models through our cloud service. You can still use your own API key (BYOK) or local models at any time.

  • No. There is no Windows version, and none is planned. RewriteBar is purpose‑built and optimized for macOS. We may explore a Chrome extension in the future.
  • You can reach out any time by email. I’m happy to help!