Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Shortkut.
Want the closest match?
ChaiBarMost similar to Shortkut in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens ChaiBar in a new tab)Need a free plan?
MerlinHas a free plan, rated 4.0 out of 5.
Visit (opens Merlin in a new tab)Want the lowest price?
AI Perfect AssistantFrom $9.99/mo, the lowest starting price here.
Visit (opens AI Perfect Assistant in a new tab)Want the best rated?
MaxAI.meRated 3.9 out of 5 in our review, against 3.4 for Shortkut.
Visit (opens MaxAI.me in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Shortkut, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ShortkutBaseline | 3.4 | Free | Yes | A Chrome extension that puts ChatGPT-powered shortcuts into any input box on the internet - build, save, and share AI snippets with your whole team. | |
| ChaiBar | 3.3−0.1 | Not listed | No | ChatGPT and DALL-E combined into one Mac menu-bar assistant - send emails, draft documents, schedule appointments, and generate images without switching apps. | vs Shortkut |
 Recap | 3.5+0.1 | Free | Yes | Open-source Chrome extension that summarises the part of a page you highlight. | vs Shortkut |
 UniJump | 3.4Same | Free | Yes | Cmd+J anywhere on the web to summarize the page, rewrite a sentence, or translate on the spot - free, open source, no signup, stores no personal data. | vs Shortkut |
| AI Perfect Assistant | 3.7+0.3 | $9.99/mo | Yes | ChatGPT-powered add-in that automates writing, slides, and formulas across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. | vs Shortkut |
| MaxAI.me | 3.9+0.5 | $30/mo | Yes | Browser extension that puts ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini one click away on any website. | vs Shortkut |
 PromptDrive.ai | 3.7+0.3 | Free | Yes | A shared workspace for organising and collaborating on prompts across ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. | vs Shortkut |
 PromptFolder | 3.6+0.2 | Free | Yes | Stores and organises prompts in folders, with a Chrome extension that reaches into ChatGPT. | vs Shortkut |
| Merlin | 4.0+0.6 | $15/mo | Yes | Browser AI assistant that brings ChatGPT, Claude, and other models to any website with one shortcut. | vs Shortkut |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Shortkut.
ChaiBar
3.3Not listed
vs Shortkut−0.1
ChatGPT and DALL-E combined into one Mac menu-bar assistant - send emails, draft documents, schedule appointments, and generate images without switching apps.
- ChatGPT and DALL-E combined in one Mac assistant
- Menu-bar accessible - no app switching required
- Task automation (emails, documents, scheduling)
Native Mac integration reduces friction versus switching to a browser tab
Mac-only - no Windows or Linux version
Recap
3.5Free
vs Shortkut+0.1
Open-source Chrome extension that summarises the part of a page you highlight.
- Summarises a highlighted selection, not the whole page
- ChatGPT integration in the browser
- No copying, pasting or tab switching
Selective summarising avoids condensing navigation and adverts
No company behind it and no support commitment
UniJump
3.4Free
vs ShortkutSame
Cmd+J anywhere on the web to summarize the page, rewrite a sentence, or translate on the spot - free, open source, no signup, stores no personal data.
- In-page AI chat access via keyboard shortcut or widget
- Text summarization and paraphrasing
- Sentence completion suggestions
Open-source code lets anyone verify its no-data-collection claim directly
Chrome-only currently, no support for other browsers
AI Perfect Assistant
3.7$9.99/mo
vs Shortkut+0.3
ChatGPT-powered add-in that automates writing, slides, and formulas across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Native add-ins for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Teams
- Slide Creator that builds decks from an outline
- Formula Checker for Excel spreadsheets
Works inside Office documents instead of a separate browser tab
Token limits on paid tiers cap heavy daily use
MaxAI.me
3.9$30/mo
vs Shortkut+0.5
Browser extension that puts ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini one click away on any website.
- One-click AI prompts embedded directly on websites like Gmail and LinkedIn
- Choice of underlying models including GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini
- Temperature Control for tuning output between factual and creative
Works inline across websites instead of requiring a separate chatbot tab
Free tier's 3 Pro chats a day pushes regular users toward the paid plan fast
PromptDrive.ai
3.7Free
vs Shortkut+0.3
A shared workspace for organising and collaborating on prompts across ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
- Central prompt library shared across the team
- Works with ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini rather than one provider
- Collaborative refinement so improvements are shared
Turns prompts into shared knowledge rather than personal history
Only valuable to teams genuinely using AI at volume
PromptFolder
3.6Free
vs Shortkut+0.2
Stores and organises prompts in folders, with a Chrome extension that reaches into ChatGPT.
- Prompt storage with folder organisation
- Chrome extension integrated into ChatGPT
- Trending prompt discovery
The extension puts prompts where the work happens
No paid tiers or figures published
Merlin
4.0$15/mo
vs Shortkut+0.6
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
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Shortkut free?
Shortkut has a free plan.
What is the best free alternative to Shortkut?
Merlin is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.0 out of 5). Other free options: MaxAI.me, AI Perfect Assistant, PromptDrive.ai.
What is the cheapest alternative to Shortkut?
Among paid plans, AI Perfect Assistant has the lowest starting price (from $9.99/mo). If you need it free, start with Merlin.
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.