How to translate selected text without leaving the app
A short, practical walkthrough — no account needed to try it.
Step by step
- Set your native languageaiCat asks once, on first launch, and defaults to your system language.
- Add the languages you also useThese become the quick options in the translation selector.
- Select foreign textAnywhere — a message, a PDF, a code comment.
- Press Option+TYou get the translation plus up to ten keywords with transcriptions.
- Switch target language inlineThe selector in the result window changes the target without re-selecting the text.
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 this is faster than the alternative
The usual route is: copy, switch app, paste, prompt, wait, copy, switch back, paste. Eight actions and a broken train of thought.
Selecting and pressing one key is two actions, and you never leave what you were doing. Over a working day that difference compounds into real time.
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
Does it handle Japanese, Arabic and Hebrew?
Yes, including right-to-left rendering, and including text that mixes scripts.
What if the text is already in my language?
Then the plain hotkey proof-checks it instead of translating — aiCat picks based on what you are doing.
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.