Free, not every month
Free and open source versus $72–108 every year, forever. Over three years that’s several hundred dollars of difference for the same on-device completion.
Comparison · Shadowtype vs Cotypist
Shadowtype vs Cotypist:
Shadowtype vs Cotypist:
free and open, or rented forever.
The short answer: Shadowtype and Cotypist are both on-device, offline, account-free ghost-text autocomplete apps for Apple Silicon Macs — they tie on the core capability. The deciding difference is the model: Shadowtype is free and open source, runs on all your Macs, and ships zero telemetry, while Cotypist is a recurring $6–9/month subscription ($72–108/year) with opt-out telemetry on 1–3 Macs.
Both are excellent: a local LLM predicts your next words as ghost text in any text field, and Tab accepts, completing in roughly 150 ms on an M2. They’re genuinely close on capability — the real fork is whether you want to buy the tool or keep renting it.
The honest comparison
How is Shadowtype different from Cotypist?
Where they tie, we say so. Both are private, local, and account-free — that’s the floor. Shadowtype wins on ownership, telemetry, and device count.
| Capability | Shadowtype | Cotypist |
|---|---|---|
| System-wide inline ghost-text completion | Yes | Yes |
| On-device LLM · offline · no account | Yes | Yes |
| Tab-to-accept word / whole line | Yes | Yes |
| Model choice (Gemma / Qwen GGUF) | Yes | Yes |
| Per-app instructions & personalization | Yes | Yes |
| Selection rewrite (⌥⌘K, on-device) | Yes | Completion only |
| Local API + MCP server (OpenAI-compatible) | Yes | No |
| Telemetry / analytics backend | None | On by default (opt-out) |
| Macs you can use | Unlimited | 1 → 3 |
| Free tier | 100 words/day | 100 words/day |
| Pricing model | Free & open source | $6–9 / month |
| Requirements | macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon | macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon |
Why people pick Shadowtype
Same local autocomplete. Better ownership.
Zero telemetry — not opt-out
Cotypist sends anonymous usage and crash data by default; you can turn it off. Shadowtype has no analytics backend to turn off in the first place. Nothing to trust, because nothing is sent.
All your Macs, free
Laptop, desktop, the work Mac — install it on every machine you own, at no charge. Cotypist caps you at one Mac (Plus) or three (Pro).
Local API + MCP for developers
An OpenAI-compatible HTTP endpoint runs on 127.0.0.1 so your scripts, editors, and agents can call the same on-device model — no key, no cloud. A built-in MCP bridge plugs into Claude Code and other MCP clients, and the BYOM picker loads any GGUF.
Questions
Shadowtype vs Cotypist FAQ
Is Cotypist on-device too?
Yes. Cotypist runs a local model and works offline with no account, just like Shadowtype. On the privacy-and-local axis they’re very similar — the difference is the subscription versus free and open source, plus telemetry and device count.
Will Shadowtype cost me more over time?
No — that’s the point. Shadowtype is free and open source with free updates. Cotypist’s $72–108/year keeps recurring for as long as you use it.
Is Shadowtype really free?
Yes. Shadowtype is free and open source — system-wide ghost text, Tab-to-accept, emoji, every model, and the local API, all included with no cap and no account. You can read the source on GitHub.
Do they support the same Macs?
Both require Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later. Intel Macs are not supported by either.
Can my own scripts, editors, and agents use the same local model?
Yes. Shadowtype exposes an OpenAI-compatible HTTP endpoint on
127.0.0.1 with no key required, so your terminal, editor plugins, and AI agents can call /v1/chat/completions against the same on-device model. A built-in MCP server plugs into Claude Code and other MCP clients, and the BYOM picker loads any GGUF you drop in. Everything is bound to localhost — nothing leaves your Mac. Cotypist doesn’t offer a local API or MCP server.Is Shadowtype cheaper than Cotypist over time?
Yes. Shadowtype is free and open source, while Cotypist is a $6–9/month subscription, or $72–108 per year. Over three years that is several hundred dollars saved for the same on-device autocomplete.
Ready when you are
The local autocomplete that’s free and open source.
Download Shadowtype free, accept your first word with Tab, and never pay a monthly bill.
- Free forever
- No subscription
- No account
- Zero telemetry
- Open source