The best AI writing apps for Mac are not one list with a winner. They split by the job: a command on text you selected, an in-place rewrite, a writing account, a document assistant, or a full workspace. This page is that split, checked against each product’s own site on October 27, 2026.
Summon is in the list because it does one of those jobs. It is a menu-bar command: select text, press ⌘K, follow up in a panel, insert the result. It is not the right app when you need offline models, a document index, or a launcher.
The shortlist
| App | Best at | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Summon | A command on selected text, with a follow-up before you insert it | $1.99 a week, $29.99 a year, or $79.99 lifetime |
| WunderType | An in-place rewrite, including on-device models | $8.99 once |
| RewriteBar | A clipboard rewrite, with credits or your own key | $29 once, or $59 for three devices |
| Grammarly | Grammar, tone, and rewrites across browsers and apps | Pro listed at $12, as a subscription |
| Apple Writing Tools | Improve and summarize, built into macOS | Included with macOS |
| Elephas | Private answers from documents on your Mac | Team from $24 per person per month, billed yearly |
| Kerlig | A large model workbench, including local models | Basic $49 once |
| BoltAI | A workspace for chat, inline edit, and agents | Essential $79, with one year of updates |
| Raycast AI | AI commands inside a launcher | Pro at $96 a year for an individual |
| MacGPT | ChatGPT in the menu bar | No current price on the public site |
TextWisely is not in the table. Its site did not load on October 27, 2026, so there is no checked price or feature set to publish.
What is the best AI writing app for a command?
Summon, if the command should be yours and the draft should wait for a follow-up. You bring a key for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, or xAI. Presets live in the command library. Weekly and yearly plans include a 72-hour trial. The lifetime license includes every future update.
WunderType is the better command if the text should change in place and you want an on-device model. See the WunderType alternative. RewriteBar is the better command if you want a free start or included credits. See the RewriteBar alternative.
Which apps are more than a writing command?
Grammarly is a writing account. It is the right pick for ongoing grammar and tone, not for one shortcut. Details are in the Grammarly alternative. Apple Writing Tools are the system version of a short action list, covered as an Apple Writing Tools alternative.
Elephas is a private document assistant, not an inline rewriter, as sold on the site checked for this page. See the Elephas alternative. Kerlig and BoltAI are workbenches: many models, local models, and a chat you return to. See the Kerlig alternative and the BoltAI alternative.
Raycast AI is worth it when you already live in Raycast and you want AI in that subscription. The launcher itself is free. See the Raycast AI alternative. MacGPT is a ChatGPT window in the menu bar, and its public FAQ still describes older macOS versions. See the MacGPT alternative.
Which AI writing apps for Mac work offline?
WunderType, with on-device models on Apple silicon. RewriteBar, Kerlig, BoltAI, and Elephas each offer a local model as an option. Apple Writing Tools run as part of Apple Intelligence, with some features using servers. Summon does not work offline. Every command calls the provider you connected.
Which ones can you pay for once?
WunderType, RewriteBar, Kerlig, and BoltAI sell one-time licenses, with different rules about how long updates last. Summon’s lifetime license is the pay-once option, and Summon also sells weekly and yearly plans. The terms are compared in AI writing apps you pay for once.
Prices move. The figures above are the ones on each vendor’s site on October 27, 2026, and the per-app pages link to those sites.