Alter vs ChatGPT

Alter

• Mac users who want an assistant that sees the app they are working in
• People who prefer speaking requests and dictating text
• Recording meetings on the device without a bot in the call

ChatGPT

• General-purpose help with writing, questions and brainstorming
• People who want chat, voice, images and web search in one assistant
• Trying an AI assistant at no cost before paying

Alter

• It runs on macOS 14 or later only. iOS, Android and Windows are mentioned only as possible future platforms.
• The 2,000+ remote tools, model routers and managed access to cloud models are limited to Pro and Lifetime; the free plan needs your own API keys or local models.
• Unlimited use is subject to fair use: past a monthly budget, requests are routed to lower-cost models.
• All plans are single-user licenses with one device in active use at a time, and the terms grant the license for personal, non-commercial purposes.

ChatGPT

• Pro is sold at three price points, $100, $200 or $500 per month, well above the $20 Plus plan.
• Business requires at least 2 users. SCIM, EKM and role-based access control are reserved for Enterprise and Edu.
• OpenAI began testing ads in the free version for logged-in adult US users in January 2026, according to Wikipedia.
• OpenAI's pricing page says the Go plan may include ads.

Alter

Screen and app context

Alter reads what is on screen and in the active app, so a request can refer to the current window, file, email or web page, and the answer can be inserted straight into that app.

Voice commands and dictation

Speech-to-prompt and dictation work in more than 50 languages with automatic detection. Local+ and Pro use faster models that transcribe in real time.

Meeting recordings

Records online and in-person meetings without a bot joining the call, then produces summaries and reports you can chat with. Speaker identification needs Local+ or Pro.

Actions and automation

More than 80 built-in actions and your own custom ones run on the current context. Pro connects 2,000+ remote tools such as Gmail, Notion and Linear alongside Apple Calendar and Mail.

Your keys, local models or managed access

Use your own API keys, run models locally with Ollama or LM Studio, or let Pro route requests across 50+ cloud models, which are also exposed through an OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

Workspaces and files

Workspaces group and index files and folders for reference, and chats accept PDF, XLSX, DOCX and other files. YouTube transcripts are summarized without a browser extension.

ChatGPT

Conversational help

Answers questions, drafts and reworks text, explains topics and reads uploaded photos in a chat, with history synced across your devices.

Image generation

Creates original images from a description, or transforms existing images from a short instruction.

Advanced Voice Mode

Hold a real-time spoken conversation in the mobile app by tapping the soundwave icon.

Search and Deep Research

ChatGPT Search draws on the web for more up-to-date answers, and Deep Research generates a report from extensive web searches.

Codex

A coding agent that runs on the web, in a CLI, in an IDE extension and on iOS from the Plus plan, with integrations such as automatic code review and Slack.

GPTs and agents

GPTs customize ChatGPT's behavior for a specific use case, and ChatGPT agent carries out multi-step tasks.

Alter

• Free$0

  Every core feature with your own API keys or local models. Dictation and meeting recording run on the slower standard Whisper model.

• Local+$29

  per year, or $3.50 billed monthly

  Adds real-time local speech-to-text models (Whisper Pro and Parakeet V3) for dictation and meeting recordings, with speaker identification. Up to 3 devices.

• Pro$240

  per year, or $29 billed monthly

  Unlimited requests to 50+ cloud models under fair use, model routers, the API gateway, unlimited meeting recordings and 2,000+ remote tools.

• Lifetime$720

  one-time payment

  The same access as the subscription plan with no recurring billing, plus future platform upgrades. Single user, one device in use at a time.

ChatGPT

• Free$0

  Unlimited text chats, with limits on uploads, image creation, voice chats, deep research and memory.

• Go$8

  per month

  More messages with tools, more uploads, image creation and voice chats than Free, and longer memory. OpenAI notes this plan may include ads.

• Plus$20

  per month

  Advanced reasoning models, expanded deep research and memory, plus projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs.

• Business$20

  per user / month, billed annually

  For 2 or more users: a dedicated workspace with admin controls, SAML SSO and MFA. $25 per user / month when billed monthly.

• ProFrom $100

  per month

  A choice of three usage tiers at $100, $200 or $500 per month, with the highest limits, pro reasoning and an always-on agent.

• Enterprise & EduCustom

  Sold through sales, with priority request processing, SCIM, EKM, user analytics, domain verification and role-based access control.

Alter

• Annual discount

  Save 30% with yearly billing

  Alter's pricing page lists a 30% saving on yearly billing: Pro is $240 a year against $29 a month, and Local+ is $29 a year against $3.50 a month.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime license for $720

  A one-time payment gives permanent access at the same level as the subscription plan, including future platform upgrades, for a single user.

• Education

  Student and academic discount

  Students and academics can request special pricing by emailing Alter from a university address. The amount is not published.

• Nonprofit

  Non-profit discount on request

  Non-profit organizations can request special pricing by emailing Alter with documentation. The amount is not published.

ChatGPT

• Annual discount

  Business is cheaper when billed annually

  OpenAI's pricing page lists Business at $20 per user / month when billed annually, against $25 per user / month when billed monthly.