Alter vs Fluent

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

Fluent

• Mac users who want AI help inside the app they are already in
• People who prefer a one-time license and their own API keys
• Rewriting, replying and summarizing with repeatable actions

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.

Fluent

• It is Mac only and requires macOS 14.2 or later; local MLX models need a Mac with Apple silicon.
• The license does not include model usage: you supply API keys, an existing AI subscription or local models.
• Licenses are per Mac: Basic covers one, Standard covers two, and Team pricing starts at three.
• The app checks its license online from time to time, so it needs a connection at least once a week.

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.

Fluent

Smart Panel in any app

A shortcut opens a panel over the current app with the selected text, clipboard, browser tab or window attached. Results can be inserted back, keeping the original formatting.

Actions for repeated tasks

38 ready-made actions cover jobs such as rewriting, replying and summarizing. Actions can be customized with shortcuts and prompt variables, given their own model, and scheduled.

Your choice of model

Connects by API key to providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral and OpenRouter, signs in with an existing ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI or GitHub Copilot plan, or runs local MLX models.

Chat window and Council

A separate chat window holds longer conversations and history. Council sends one question to several models, has them review each other's answers anonymously, and a chairman model writes the result.

On-device voice dictation

Press the dictation shortcut in any text field and the words appear as you speak, cleaned up by a local model that runs on the Mac.

Integrations and Memory

Built-in integrations, among them Finder, Calendar and Reminders, plus a directory of external MCP servers let a model act on the Mac. Memory about you and your files is kept on the Mac.

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.

Fluent

• Basic$49

  one-time, 1 Mac, lifetime upgrades

  Every feature on one Mac, including dictation, MCP integrations, Memory, Council and local models, with support by Discord, email and forum.

• Standard$69

  one-time, 2 Macs, lifetime upgrades

  The same features on two Macs. Shown as 30% less than $98, the price of two Basic licenses.

• Team$29

  per license, one-time, starting at 3 Macs

  The same features for three or more Macs, shown as a 40% saving per license.

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.

Fluent

• Lifetime license

  One-time license with lifetime upgrades

  Every Fluent license is bought once and includes lifetime upgrades, with no subscription: Basic is $49 for one Mac. A 14-day money-back guarantee applies.

• Education

  Additional 30% off for education

  Educational institutions, teachers and students can get an additional 30% discount by contacting Epic Bits by email.

• Other savings

  Lower per-Mac price for two or more Macs

  Standard covers two Macs for $69, shown as 30% less than two Basic licenses, and Team licenses are $29 each from three Macs, shown as a 40% saving.