Steer vs RewriteBar
Choosing the right AI-powered writing assistant can be a game-changer. This comparison breaks down Steer and RewriteBar to help you decide which tool best fits your workflow.
Summary
Steer is a native AI-powered writing assistant for macOS and Windows with lightning-fast shortcuts across applications. It offers a comprehensive writing suite with professional-grade features for content creators and writers. 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 Steer and RewriteBar?
| Steer | RewriteBar | |
|---|---|---|
Platform | Native macOS and Windows app | macOS only - menubar command-palette |
Integration | Lightning-fast shortcuts across applications | 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 |
Speed | Lightning-fast shortcuts for instant results | Select text → Choose action → Transform |
Writing Tools | Comprehensive writing suite with AI assistance | Grammar correction, style changes, translation |
Cross-Platform | macOS and Windows support | macOS only |
Pricing Model | Lifetime license ($99) | Subscription or one-time $29 license |
Workflow | Professional writing assistant | Simple menubar interface |
Learning Curve | Intuitive interface with shortcuts | Minimal setup required |
Target Users | Professional writers and content creators | Quick text transformations |
Feature Focus | Complete writing workflow | Focused text transformation |
Platform & Compatibility
Steer
- OS: macOS and Windows
- Architecture: Intel & Apple Silicon
- Works In: Any application with lightning-fast shortcuts
RewriteBar
- OS: macOS 13+ (Ventura and later)
- Architecture: Intel & Apple Silicon
- Works In: Any application with a text field
Pricing & Licensing
How does Steer compares with RewriteBar in terms of Pricing and License?
| Steer | RewriteBar | |
|---|---|---|
Free | No free trial available | Free trial: 100 requests (GPT-4o-mini) |
One-Time (API Key) | $99 lifetime license | $29 (lifetime; supply your own API key; choose provider/model) |
Subscription | Not available | $5/month or $40/year |
Team / Multi-Seat | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
Strengths & Gaps
Steer Strengths
- Lightning-fast shortcuts across applications
- Cross-platform support (macOS and Windows)
- Comprehensive writing suite with professional features
- Works in any application
Steer Gaps
- Higher price point ($99 lifetime)
- More complex feature set may be overwhelming for simple tasks
- Requires more setup and configuration
- No free trial available
RewriteBar Strengths
- Simple, focused interface for quick text transformations
- Flexible pricing: subscription or one-time with any provider
- Lightweight and fast with minimal setup
- Built-in translation into 500+ languages
RewriteBar Gaps
- Limited feature set compared to professional writing tools
- macOS only - no cross-platform support
- Manual text selection required
- No advanced writing workflow features
Which to Choose?
Choose Steer if…
- You need lightning-fast shortcuts for writing across multiple applications.
- You want cross-platform support (macOS and Windows).
- You prefer a professional writing assistant with comprehensive features.
- You work across many applications and need professional-grade tools.
Choose RewriteBar if…
- You want a simple, focused tool for quick text transformations.
- You prefer a lightweight menubar app with minimal setup.
- You primarily need grammar correction and style improvements.
- You want flexible pricing with subscription or one-time options.
- You prefer a straightforward interface without overwhelming 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
All licenses include the full app. Pay once, then add extra devices or RewriteBar Cloud anytime.
Trial
Try it for free
Free
- 1 Active Device
- 100 Credits (One-Time)
- BYOK
- Third Party Providers
No credit card required
Standard
One-time license with cloud credits and API key support.
$29
USD
- 1 Active Device
- 100 Credits (One-Time)
- Unlimited App Updates
- Third Party Providers
- BYOK
- Local AI Providers
One-time payment
Pro
One-time license with RewriteBar Cloud Subscription for 1 year.
$59
USD
- 3 Active Devices
- 3 Million Credits (Monthly)
- Unlimited App Updates
- Third Party Providers
- BYOK
- Local AI Providers
- 1 Year RewriteBar Cloud Subscription
One-time payment
Optional Add-Ons
Extra devices or RewriteBar Cloud Subscription.
Extra Device
Add one Active Device to your license.
$19
USD
- Add 1 Active Device to your license
- For Standard or Pro licenses
One-time payment
RewriteBar Cloud
Use RewriteBar Gateway as your AI provider without your own API key.
$40
USD
- Access 41 AI models
- 3 Million Credits (Monthly)
- Premium Models Included
Billed annually
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
See detailed comparison between Kerlig AI and RewriteBar
BoltAI
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Elephas
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TextWisely
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WriterBrew
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Alter
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FixKey AI
See detailed comparison between FixKey AI and RewriteBar
FridayGPT
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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
- 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!
