Kerlig AI vs RewriteBar
Kerlig AI is a macOS app that brings AI-powered writing assistance into any macOS app.
Summary
Kerlig AI and RewriteBar both bring AI-powered writing assistance into any macOS app, but they serve different workflows. Kerlig AI excels at deep, multimodal document interaction, broad model choice (350+ cloud and local), and a one-time license structure—ideal for heavy users and teams. RewriteBar offers a lightning-fast menu-bar UI with a polished command palette for grammar/style fixes, tone adjustments, summarization, expansion, translation (500+ languages), and custom actions—available via subscription or one-time purchase. While RewriteBar is streamlined and cost-predictable, it lacks Kerlig's document/chat features and multi-model flexibility.
Core Features
What are the core features of Kerlig AI and RewriteBar?
| Kerlig AI | RewriteBar | |
|---|---|---|
Universal Integration | Works in any macOS app (Slack, Mail, VSCode, Figma, browsers, etc.) | Accessible in any app via a menu-bar command palette |
PopClip Integration | No PopClip extension available | PopClip extension available for seamless text selection workflow |
Text Enhancements | Real-time grammar, spelling, tone, style, summarization & expansion | Real-time grammar, spelling, tone, style, summarization & expansion |
Multimodal & Document Chat | Chat with PDFs, DOCX, EPUB, CSV, JSON, images, screenshots & web pages | Text-only; no built-in document or image ingestion |
Translation | Unlimited languages via any connected LLM | Instant translation into 30 preset languages |
Custom Actions & Presets | User-defined templates; powerful editor | User-defined templates; ultra-fast keyboard-driven actions |
Model & API Flexibility | Supports 350+ LLMs | Supports 350+ LLMs |
Platform & Compatibility
Kerlig AI
- OS: macOS 10.15+ (Catalina and later)
- Architecture: Intel & Apple Silicon
- Works In: Any text field; Input Documents PDF, DOCX, EPUB, CSV, JSON, PNG, JPG, web pages
RewriteBar
- OS: macOS 13+ (Ventura and later)
- Architecture: Intel & Apple Silicon
- Works In: Any application with a text field
Pricing & Licensing
Find the Right Plan For You
How does Kerlig AI compares with RewriteBar in terms of Pricing and License?
| Kerlig AI | RewriteBar | |
|---|---|---|
Free | Free | Start with 100 free Request |
Entry | $47 for 1 Mac (one year updates) | $29 one-time |
Multiple Devices | $67 for 2 Macs; $297 for 10 Macs | $5/month or $40/year |
Refund & Trial | 14-day money-back guarantee | Free trial available |
Strengths & Gaps
Kerlig AI Strengths
- Full multimodal support (images, OCR, redaction)
- Custom AI Assistants + prompt library for task-specific workflows
- Single, perpetual license with local security
Kerlig AI Gaps
- No subscription tier (less flexible for light users)
- Command menu less standardized
- No built-in prompt-improvement tools
RewriteBar Strengths
- Lightning-fast, keyboard-driven command palette
- Smooth in-line text transformations (grammar, tone, summarize, translate)
- Flexible subscription or one-time pricing
RewriteBar Gaps
- Lacks document/chat or multimodal inputs
- Focuses on text replacement and does not provide chat interface
Which to Choose?
Choose Kerlig AI if…
- You need in-depth, multimodal interactions with documents and images.
- You are willing to pay $47 for one year of updates.
Choose RewriteBar if…
- You value a razor-sharp menu-bar command palette for rapid text edits.
- You prefer a cheaper and simpler solution.
- Your work is primarily text-based and you don't require document/chat features.
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.
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
No credit card required
Monthly Plan
Use our AI Cloud service (3 million words)
$5
USD
- 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
Annual Plan
Use our AI Cloud service (3 million words)
$60
$40
USD
- 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
Pay as you go
One-time purchase. Use your own API key — no subscription, no recurring fees.
$29
USD
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.
BoltAI
See detailed comparison between BoltAI and RewriteBar
Elephas
See detailed comparison between Elephas and RewriteBar
TextWisely
See detailed comparison between TextWisely and RewriteBar
WriterBrew
See detailed comparison between WriterBrew and RewriteBar
Alter
See detailed comparison between Alter and RewriteBar
FixKey AI
See detailed comparison between FixKey AI and RewriteBar
FridayGPT
See detailed comparison between FridayGPT and RewriteBar
Steer
See detailed comparison between Steer and RewriteBar
IntelliBar
See detailed comparison between IntelliBar and RewriteBar
TypoTab
See detailed comparison between TypoTab and RewriteBar
MacCopilot
See detailed comparison between MacCopilot and RewriteBar
Grammarly
See detailed comparison between Grammarly and RewriteBar
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Questions, Answered
- 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
- 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!