Fluent vs Msty

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

Msty

• Individuals who want local and hosted models in one desktop app
• Privacy-sensitive work where data should stay on the device
• Buyers who prefer a one-time lifetime license to a subscription

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.

Msty

• Msty's terms limit the Free tier to personal, non-commercial use; work that earns revenue requires an Aurum or Enterprise license.
• The browser version, Msty Studio Web, needs an Aurum license, and several Free-plan features, including Knowledge Stacks and MCP tools, are marked Limited.
• Data does not sync between devices, an Aurum license covers 2 desktop devices, and Enterprise & Teams plans start at 5 user seats.
• Msty states that formal SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification are not yet complete.

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.

Msty

Local and online models in one hub

Runs local models through Ollama, llama.cpp and MLX and connects hosted providers, so both kinds sit in the same organized model list.

Split Chats

Runs models side by side on the same conversation so you can compare tone, depth and accuracy without losing context.

Agent Mode

Carries out multi-step, tool-aware tasks instead of single prompts. MCP tools are connected through the Toolbox, which is limited on the Free plan.

Knowledge Stacks

Grounds answers in your own documents and notes with organized, source-aware retrieval. The feature is marked Limited on the Free plan.

Personas and Crew Conversations

Personas are reusable assistants built in Persona Studio, and Crew Conversations put several of them in one thread to work on a task together.

Data kept on your device

Studio stores data locally and does not sync it between devices; Studio Web keeps its data in the browser's local storage. Msty says it sends no product telemetry.

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.

Msty

• Free$0

  Core Studio Desktop features for personal, non-commercial use: chat with local and online models, persona and crew conversations, Agent Mode and Knowledge Stacks.

• Aurum$149

  per user / year, billed yearly

  A commercial license for one user on up to 2 desktop devices. Adds Msty Studio Web, Azure and Bedrock providers, Studio Assistants, Shadow Personas, Turnstiles and Insights.

• Aurum Lifetime$349

  per user, one-time payment

  The Aurum feature set with lifetime access and updates, for one user on up to 2 desktop devices. Msty's terms say it is protected from later price increases.

• Enterprise & TeamsCustom

  Minimum of 5 user seats, with SSO, user and team management, role-based access control, an audit log and shared team resources.

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.

Msty

• Lifetime license

  Aurum Lifetime for a one-time payment

  Aurum Lifetime costs $349 per user once and includes lifetime updates and access, against $149 per user per year for the Aurum subscription.

• Other savings

  Enterprise bundle across Msty products

  Msty offers a single enterprise agreement that combines Studio, Go, Nexus and Stack, priced by seat count and deployment shape instead of as separate product plans.