Macgpt

MacGPT is a free Mac app that puts ChatGPT within reach wherever you are on your computer. Instead of switching to a browser tab, you can call up ChatGPT from a floating text field, from the menu bar or directly inside the text box you are typing in. It supports both the regular ChatGPT website and a native mode that uses the OpenAI API. There is also a companion iPhone app called GeePeeTee.

Ways to use it

The Global feature opens a text field in the middle of the screen from anywhere on the Mac, so you can ask a question and get an answer without leaving your current app. MacGPT Inline brings ChatGPT into ordinary text fields: you type a trigger phrase followed by a prompt, and the reply is written in place. The menu bar app offers quick access, either to the ChatGPT website or to the native API mode. Conversation mode lets you talk to ChatGPT out loud and hold a spoken back-and-forth.

Account options

You can sign in with your ChatGPT account, including a ChatGPT Plus account to get its features. Alternatively, you can use the native mode with your own OpenAI API key, which the developer describes as a nicer and faster experience. Using the API means you need an OpenAI account with billing set up, and you pay OpenAI for usage. Conversations can be copied as a clean, readable transcript.

GeePeeTee for iPhone

GeePeeTee is free and lets you talk to ChatGPT by voice, run several conversations with different reusable prompts and use your own API key. At the time of writing it only works with your own key; the developer says subscriptions are coming.

Pricing

MacGPT is a free download. Costs depend on your ChatGPT plan or OpenAI API usage.

Things to consider

The FAQ notes that Inline does not work in some apps, such as Sublime Text, Notion and WhatsApp. Because MacGPT needs access to your text input to work inline, review its permissions and keep sensitive information out of prompts as you would with any AI tool.

It suits people who use ChatGPT many times a day and want it available without switching apps.