Writing Tools
Writing Tools is an open-source writing assistant under GPL-3.0 for Windows, Linux and macOS, inspired by Apple Intelligence. Select text in any application, press a hotkey, and it proofreads, rewrites or changes the tone in place, or summarises a page, document or video transcript into a window you can chat with. It uses a local model through Ollama or llama.cpp, or a cloud model with your own key.
What does Writing Tools do?
Writing Tools is "an Apple Intelligence-inspired application for Windows, Linux, and macOS that supercharges your writing with an AI LLM (cloud-based or local)." Select text anywhere and press a hotkey, and it applies Proofread, Rewrite, Friendly, Professional, Concise or your own instruction, replacing the text in place so undo restores it. With nothing selected, the hotkey opens a chat whose history is deleted when the window closes.
Summary, key points and table actions work on web pages, documents and video transcripts, opening a window you can ask follow-up questions in. On Windows and Linux it uses the free Gemini API, local models through Ollama, llama.cpp, KoboldCPP, TabbyAPI or vLLM, or any OpenAI-compatible service. On macOS it adds OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral and OpenRouter, with Ollama and Apple's MLX for local models. It works with any language, and the README says your API key and settings stay on your device with no logging or tracking.
Key facts
- Licence: GPL-3.0, with no added conditions.
- System-wide: select text in any application and press a hotkey, which can be changed.
- Actions: Proofread, Rewrite, Friendly, Professional, Concise, custom instructions, and Summary, Key Points and Table for pages, documents and video transcripts.
- Local models on Windows and Linux through Ollama, llama.cpp, KoboldCPP, TabbyAPI or vLLM; on macOS through Ollama and Apple's MLX.
- Cloud models: the free Gemini API and any OpenAI-compatible service on Windows and Linux; OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Mistral and OpenRouter on macOS.
- Works with any language; the macOS interface is in English, German, French and Spanish.
- Install: a portable download for Windows, a .dmg for macOS 14 or later needing accessibility and screen recording permissions, and running from source on Linux.
- Latest tagged release when read: a combined Windows v9 and macOS v6.1 release on 2026-05-09; 2,452 stars on 2026-09-17.
What does it replace, and where does it fall short?
Writing Tools replaces Grammarly's rewriting and tone features rather than its error checking: the same select-text-and-improve gesture, in any application, with a model you choose and, if you want, one that runs on your own machine. It is the pick for AI rewriting anywhere on your screen on the open-source alternatives to Grammarly page.
Where it falls short: results depend entirely on the model you point it at, since there are no fixed grammar rules behind it. Linux support is a work in progress and has issues under Wayland. Rich-text formatting is lost in Word. Its README makes several claims about rival products, which this page does not repeat. For rule-based checking, LanguageTool or Harper.
How does Writing Tools run?
On Windows, download the zip from the releases page and run the portable executable, with no installer. On macOS, install the .dmg; it needs macOS 14 or later and the accessibility and screen recording permissions. On Linux, run from source, which the README marks as a work in progress, best on X11. Bring your own API key, or run a local model. The README says it will always remain completely free and open source.
Who is Writing Tools for?
Someone who wants Apple Intelligence-style rewriting on Windows or Linux, or on an Intel Mac, with a local model for privacy. Someone who wants consistent, explainable corrections should use LanguageTool or Harper.
What limits does the README state?
From the README: hotkey conflicts were reported on the latest Windows build; on some devices the default hotkey does not work; the first launch can take unusually long; Word's rich-text formatting is lost when using it; Linux is a work in progress with Wayland caveats.
Questions people ask
Is Writing Tools open source?
Yes. It is distributed under GPL-3.0 with no added conditions, and the README says it will always remain completely free and open source. There is no paid tier; the project takes donations.
Does Writing Tools work offline?
Yes, with a local model. On Windows and Linux it supports Ollama, llama.cpp, KoboldCPP, TabbyAPI and vLLM; on macOS, Ollama and Apple's MLX. The README says local models keep your data on your device and work without the internet, and recommends an 8B model with about 8 GB of memory.
Which applications does Writing Tools work in?
Any of them. You select text in whatever app you are using, press the hotkey, and the improved text replaces your selection, with undo available. That is the difference from an editor plugin such as Harper or a LibreOffice extension.
How does Writing Tools compare with Grammarly?
It covers the rewriting and tone side with a model you choose, including local ones, and works in any application through a hotkey. Grammarly combines checking and rewriting in a hosted service. The open-source alternatives to Grammarly page compares it with LanguageTool, Harper, Vale and LTeX+.
Does Writing Tools run on Linux?
Partly. The README marks Linux as a work in progress, run from source, working well on X11 with caveats under Wayland. Windows has a portable build and macOS 14 or later has a native app written in Swift.
Sources
- Writing Tools README and GPL-3.0 LICENSE: github.com/theJayTea/WritingTools, read 2026-09-17.
Compared with the others
On the open-source alternatives to Grammarly page, Writing Tools is the pick for ai rewriting anywhere on screen. GPL-3.0 system-wide assistant that proofreads, rewrites or changes tone in any app with one hotkey, using a local model through Ollama or a cloud one.
Also on that page: LanguageTool for grammar in more than 25 languages, Harper for fast english checking in your editor, Vale for a team's own style guide, enforced.
More writing and grammar
An Apache-2.0 English grammar checker from Automattic that lints a document in milliseconds, uses a fraction of LanguageTool's memory by its own measure, runs privately in your editor or in the browser through WebAssembly.
An LGPL-2.1 proofreading engine for English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch and more than 20 other languages, which you can run as your own HTTP server with an API, or inside LibreOffice.
An MIT command-line prose linter that turns a team's writing guidelines into checks that run in an editor, in CI and beside code, offline, understanding Markdown, AsciiDoc and code comments rather than plain text.
Added September 17, 2026. Every claim above comes from the project's README, LICENSE or model card, read on September 17, 2026, or from the GitHub API on the date shown in the panel. Found an error? Write to reveneau@licheo.com and it is fixed in the next weekly pass. Repository: github.com/theJayTea/WritingTools.
Running one of these inside your own environment, with your own data and your own security rules, is the kind of work Reveneau does. Read how a forward deployed engagement works.