Summon is a RewriteBar alternative for Mac when you want the rewrite to stay in a panel you can answer, using a key you already have. RewriteBar grabs the selection, sends it off, and pastes the result back.
What is RewriteBar?
RewriteBar is a menu-bar writing tool. It reads the selected text through the clipboard, sends it to a model, and pastes the replacement. As of October 27, 2026, rewritebar.com lists a free license (one device, 35,000 one-time credits, bring your own key), a $29 one-time license (one device, the same credit grant, unlimited app updates, local models), and a $59 license (three devices, a monthly credit allowance, and one year of RewriteBar Gateway).
The default path sends the selection to RewriteBar’s server, which forwards it to a model. The site says that text is not stored. Third-party providers, including OpenAI and Ollama, are called directly from the Mac. Local models are part of the paid licenses.
Why look for a RewriteBar alternative?
- The default route is their server. Direct calls are available, but they are the option you turn on. If you wanted the provider call to be the only path, that is a setting, not the start.
- Credits sit next to the license. The $29 plan includes a one-time credit pool. The $59 plan includes monthly credits and Gateway. Bring-your-own-key is there too, so you can end up managing both.
- Paste-back is the whole interaction. There is no thread. A second try is another action, not a follow-up on the draft you just got.
Summon as a RewriteBar alternative
Select text, press ⌘K, and pick a command. The result stays in a panel until you insert it. Follow-ups stay in that panel. Presets and your own prompts are both there, and the command library has ready-made ones.
Keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and xAI live in the macOS Keychain. Summon’s servers are not in the model request, and Summon does not keep the prompt or the result. Analytics are optional and never include the text. Details are in the privacy policy. Summon has no credit pool and no local model. If you want Ollama, RewriteBar is the one that offers it.
RewriteBar vs. Summon
| RewriteBar | Summon | |
|---|---|---|
| How you use it | Clipboard capture, model call, paste back | Select text, press ⌘K, follow up, insert the result |
| Models | Own credits or Gateway, plus BYOK and Ollama on paid plans | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and xAI, with your own key |
| Default privacy path | Site says the default call goes through RewriteBar’s server and is not stored | The call goes from your Mac to the provider. Summon does not store it |
| Offline | Local models on the paid licenses | No |
| Platform | Menu-bar Mac app, about 20–25 MB on their site | Apple silicon, macOS 15 or later |
| Price | Free tier, $29 once for one device, $59 for three devices, checked October 27, 2026 | Weekly $1.99, yearly $29.99, or lifetime $79.99. 72-hour trial on weekly and yearly |
RewriteBar wins if you want a free start, local models, or Gateway so you never create an API account. Summon wins if every command should go straight to a provider you chose, and if you want to edit the draft before it lands.
Is RewriteBar a subscription?
The $29 and $59 licenses are described as one-time, with unlimited app updates. Gateway on the $59 plan is listed as one year. A separate cloud add-on exists. Summon’s plans are weekly, yearly, or a $79.99 lifetime license that includes every future update. Provider tokens are always separate.
Which one should you use?
Choose RewriteBar if the paste-back loop and the included credits match how you write.
Choose Summon if the result should wait for a follow-up. A similar in-place tool is covered in the WunderType alternative, and the rest of the field is in the best AI writing apps for Mac.
Facts were checked against rewritebar.com on October 27, 2026.