Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Alter.
Want the closest match?
ClicoMost similar to Alter in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Clico in a new tab)Need a free plan?
VoilaHas a free plan, rated 4.0 out of 5.
Visit (opens Voila in a new tab)Want to pay less than Alter?
MerlinFrom $15/mo, against from $20/mo for Alter.
Visit (opens Merlin in a new tab)Want the best rated?
AtuaRated 4.1 out of 5 in our review, against 4.0 for Alter.
Visit (opens Atua in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Alter, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 AlterBaseline | 4.0 | $20/mo | Yes | Mac assistant that executes actions across native apps instead of answering in a chat window | |
| Clico | 3.7−0.3 | $19.9/mo$0.1 less | Yes | Asks what's on your screen instead of asking you to copy-paste it in. | vs Alter |
 Caret | 3.5−0.5 | Free | Yes | A macOS background app that reads on-screen context and finishes sentences in any application when a user presses Tab. | vs Alter |
 PaletteBrain | 3.4−0.6 | $29/mo$9 more | No | Select text in any Mac app, hit Space, run a custom AI command, paste the result back - no window switching, bring your own OpenAI key, pay once for lifetime access. | vs Alter |
| Voila | 4.0Same | Free | Yes | One assistant across five browsers, both mobile platforms and both desktops. | vs Alter |
| Merlin | 4.0Same | $15/mo$5 less | Yes | Browser AI assistant that brings ChatGPT, Claude, and other models to any website with one shortcut. | vs Alter |
 Flakes | 3.8−0.2 | Free | Yes | Keyboard-first browser for macOS with AI that reads the tabs you already have open. | vs Alter |
| Atua | 4.1+0.1 | $29/mo$9 more | No | Mac app that puts AI commands behind a hotkey in any app: select text, capture a screenshot or speak, then run a custom command on the model of your choice using your own API key, with MCP server support and system tools. | vs Alter |
 Auri | 3.5−0.5 | Free | Yes | AI keyboard and system-wide dictation for Apple devices - improve text in any app, on iPhone, iPad, Watch and Mac. | vs Alter |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Alter.
Clico
3.7$19.9/mo
vs Alter$0.1 less−0.3
Asks what's on your screen instead of asking you to copy-paste it in.
- Reads on-screen content directly, no copy-paste required
- Works across Mac apps, Chrome and the web
- Voice activation for natural-language queries
Removes the copy-paste round trip most people skip a chat window over
Screen-reading access across open apps is a meaningful permission grant
Caret
3.5Free
vs Alter−0.5
A macOS background app that reads on-screen context and finishes sentences in any application when a user presses Tab.
- System-wide Tab-to-complete across 70+ macOS applications
- On-screen context reading to match a user's in-progress writing
- Local, on-device memory rather than cloud-stored history
Works across the whole OS instead of being locked to one app's built-in AI
Requires macOS 26+, cutting out users on older systems and all non-Mac platforms
PaletteBrain
3.4$29/mo
vs Alter$9 more−0.6
Select text in any Mac app, hit Space, run a custom AI command, paste the result back - no window switching, bring your own OpenAI key, pay once for lifetime access.
- Works with any macOS app or website via keyboard shortcut
- Custom AI commands - grammar, translation, summarization, code refactoring
- Bring-your-own OpenAI/Azure API key, pay-as-you-go
Genuine lifetime pricing instead of an ongoing subscription
Mac-only - no Windows or Linux version
Voila
4.0Free
vs AlterSame
One assistant across five browsers, both mobile platforms and both desktops.
- Extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave and Safari
- Apps for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows
- Reads webpages, documents and images
Present on every browser and device, so the habit actually forms
No pricing tiers shown
Merlin
4.0$15/mo
vs Alter$5 lessSame
Browser AI assistant that brings ChatGPT, Claude, and other models to any website with one shortcut.
- Ctrl/Cmd+M shortcut for AI access on any website
- Access to GPT-4, Claude 3 Opus, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Mistral Large from one interface
- Dedicated summarization for YouTube videos, PDFs, and articles
Free tier's 102 daily queries is generous enough for real evaluation before paying
'Unlimited fair access' marketing overstates a Pro plan that's actually credit-capped
Flakes
3.8Free
vs Alter−0.2
Keyboard-first browser for macOS with AI that reads the tabs you already have open.
- Keyboard-first navigation
- AI aware of open tabs
- Built natively for macOS
Genuinely keyboard-driven rather than keyboard-friendly
macOS only, with no Windows or Linux version
Atua
4.1$29/mo
vs Alter$9 more+0.1
Mac app that puts AI commands behind a hotkey in any app: select text, capture a screenshot or speak, then run a custom command on the model of your choice using your own API key, with MCP server support and system tools.
- Hotkey commands from any Mac app
- Context from selected text, screenshots, clipboard, voice and screen OCR
- Custom commands with their own hotkey, model and output mode
One-time $29 license with no subscription
Mac only
Auri
3.5Free
vs Alter−0.5
AI keyboard and system-wide dictation for Apple devices - improve text in any app, on iPhone, iPad, Watch and Mac.
- AI keyboard working inside any app
- System-wide voice dictation on iOS and Mac
- Text improvement in place
Works where you already type rather than in a separate app
Apple only - nothing for Android, Windows or the web
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Alter free?
Alter has a free plan, and paid plans start from $20/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Alter?
Voila is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.0 out of 5). Other free options: Merlin, Flakes, Clico.
What is the cheapest alternative to Alter?
Among paid plans, Merlin has the lowest starting price (from $15/mo). If you need it free, start with Voila.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.