Summon is a BoltAI alternative for Mac when you want a command on selected text and you do not want a second workspace. BoltAI is the workspace: chat, inline edit, agents, documents, and a long provider list. Summon is the shortcut back into the app you were already using.
What is BoltAI?
BoltAI is a native Mac app for chatting with models you connect yourself. As of October 27, 2026, boltai.com lists OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, Azure, Amazon Bedrock, Perplexity, xAI, Ollama, and LM Studio, among others. There is no bundled credit pool. You pay the provider.
The license is perpetual and includes one year of updates. After that year the version you have keeps working. Cloud sync and the mobile app pause until you renew. Essential is $79 for one device, Pro is $99, and Pro+ is $199. The pricing page also offers a 14-day trial and a 30-day refund. macOS 13 or later, on Intel or Apple silicon. Chats are stored locally. Keys can be encrypted with a passphrase. Requests go to the provider.
Why look for a BoltAI alternative?
- The app is a destination. Chat history, document Q&A, agents, and MCP are the point. If you wanted the reply inserted into Mail, you now have a workspace to maintain.
- Updates are a year, then a choice. The app you bought keeps running. New versions after the year are a renewal. That is fine if you read it before you pay, and annoying if you assumed “lifetime” meant every future release.
- Local models are part of the pitch. Ollama and LM Studio are first-class. If you will never run one, you are paying for a catalog you will not open.
Summon as a BoltAI alternative
Select text, press ⌘K, run a command, follow up in the panel, and insert the result. Presets and your own prompts live in the command library. There is no chat archive, no agent, and no document index.
Keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and xAI stay in the macOS Keychain. Summon does not store the prompt or the result. Optional analytics exclude the text. The privacy policy covers the rest. There is no Ollama, LM Studio, or OpenRouter. If local models or MCP are why you were looking at BoltAI, stay with BoltAI.
BoltAI vs. Summon
| BoltAI | Summon | |
|---|---|---|
| How you use it | A workspace: chat, inline edit, agents, documents | Select text, press ⌘K, follow up, insert the result |
| Models | Your keys, including local Ollama and LM Studio | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and xAI |
| Offline | Yes, with a local model | No |
| Updates | One year included. The version you have keeps working after that | The $79.99 lifetime license includes every future update |
| Platform | macOS 13 or later, Intel and Apple silicon | Apple silicon, macOS 15 or later |
| Price | Essential $79, Pro $99, Pro+ $199, checked October 27, 2026. 14-day trial, 30-day refund | Weekly $1.99, yearly $29.99, or lifetime $79.99. 72-hour trial on weekly and yearly. 14-day refund |
The sticker prices are close. The products are not. BoltAI is the broader app and the wider model list. Summon is the command, and the lifetime plan does not stop including updates after a year.
Is BoltAI a subscription?
The desktop license is a one-time purchase with one year of updates, not a monthly fee. Team seats are also sold as perpetual licenses, with an optional yearly renewal. Summon sells both subscriptions and a lifetime license. Provider tokens are separate on both apps.
Which one should you use?
Choose BoltAI if you want the workspace, local models, or agents.
Choose Summon if the text is already selected and a command is the whole job. The other large workbench is the Kerlig alternative. The shortlist is the best AI writing apps for Mac.
Facts were checked against boltai.com on October 27, 2026.