Select the confusing part. Press one key.
Option+E turns jargon, legalese, an error message or a dense paragraph into a plain sentence — then a chat if you want to dig in.
Looking something up means losing your place, and search results are three ads and a listicle away from the answer.
aiCat explains the exact thing you highlighted, in your own language, in context — and the chat that opens already knows what you selected.
Explain in three seconds
- SelectHighlight the text wherever it already is.
- Press Option+EAlt+E on Windows and Linux.
- ApplyThe result appears over your selection. One click puts it back.
What makes aiCat's explain different
One plain sentence first
Then at most five bullets. Never a wall of text.
Jargon defined inline
Terms are listed with short definitions you can scan.
In your language
The explanation comes in your native language even when the text is not.
Follow-up is one keystroke
The chat opens with your selection attached.
People use it for
- Stack traces and compiler errors
- Contracts and terms of service
- Academic papers
- Financial and medical documents
Try it on the text in front of you
Free to start, 10 aiCatCoins included, no card. Mac, Windows and Linux.
The default hotkeys (all editable)
| Keys | What happens |
|---|---|
| Option / Alt | aiCat guesses: rewrite if you are writing, translate if you are reading something foreign, proof-check otherwise |
| Option + R | Refine / rewrite |
| Option + T | Translate |
| Option + P | Proof check |
| Option + D | Detect AI |
| Option + E | Explain |
| Option + C | Start a chat with the selection attached |
| Option + S | Chat with web search |
| Option + L | Read aloud — or record you, if nothing is selected |
| Option + W | Dictate: speak, and the text appears at your cursor |
| Option + I / V | Generate an image / a video |
| Option + H | History of everything you selected and what came back |
Why it is cheap
aiCat picks the cheapest model that is good enough for the task in front of it, instead of sending a comma fix to a frontier reasoning model. That single decision is why a month of aiCat costs $6 rather than $20.
You are billed in aiCatCoins: $1 buys 100 coins, one coin is roughly 10 000 tokens of an average text model — about one ordinary request. Coins never expire, so a quiet month costs you nothing.
aiCat pricing at a glance
| Plan | Price | aiCatCoins / month | Max selection | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10 | 500 chars | All text tasks + free voice-to-text |
| Premium | $6/mo (was $10) | 3 000 | 5 000 chars | Voice, image, video, premium models |
| Team + Offline | $18/member | 12 000 | 50 000 chars | Local models, no-internet mode, team sync |
| Enterprise | $90/member | 150 000 | Unlimited | SSO, audit, best coin rate |
Frequently asked
Can I explain text in any app?
Yes — aiCat reads the selection at the OS level, so it works in native apps, browsers, IDEs, terminals and PDF readers.
Is explain free?
The Free plan includes every text task with 10 aiCatCoins per month. Voice, image and video generation start at Premium, $6/month.
Which AI model does it use?
By default the cheapest model that is good enough — currently Gemini Flash Lite, falling back to Gonka. You can pick Gemini Pro, Claude, GPT or a local model instead, per task.
What is aiCat?
aiCat is a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux. You select text anywhere on your computer, press one hotkey, and an AI does what you need with it — rewrite, translate, proof-check, detect AI, explain, read aloud, dictate, or start a chat.
How much does aiCat cost?
Free to start, with 10 aiCatCoins a month and every text task included. Premium is $6 a month (40% off the $10 list price) and adds voice, image and video generation, 5000-character selections and 3000 coins a month. Team + Offline is $18 per member and adds local models that work without internet.
Which operating systems does aiCat support?
macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows 10/11, and Linux as AppImage, .deb or .rpm.