AI Buddy

AI Buddy

AI Buddy is a free, menu-bar macOS utility for quick screenshots and real-time speech-to-text dictation, letting users capture regions, windows, or full screen and paste images or transcribed text from the clipboard with a single keystroke.

AI Buddy is productivity software teams evaluate for productivity. Use this page to review pricing, integration signals, and the best alternatives before you commit.

Free
One of 113 tools in Productivity
Added 2 months ago
Data reviewed Jul 21, 2026

Profile facts come from the vendor source. AiMatch labels unknown pricing or API details instead of estimating them.

Review official source →

Quick Overview

Best for: Productivity

What it does

Productivity software for decision-makers comparing workflow fit and alternatives.

Best fit

Productivity

Pricing snapshot

Free from $0

Next step

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AI Buddy is a tiny, native macOS menu-bar app that provides quick screenshot capture and live dictation. With a single global hotkey you can capture any region, a window, or the full screen; every capture is copied straight to the clipboard for immediate pasting. It also supports speech-to-text dictation transcribed by the Gemini 3.5 Flash model, and is distributed as a free, universal build for Intel and Apple Silicon Macs with no sign-up required.

I created this tool because I honestly didn't want to pay a monthly subscription fee for other apps, and I also needed it to be a bit more reliable and wanted to be able to take screenshots in a particular way that's useful for working with Claude Code.

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Key Features

Menu-bar, one-keystroke access

Lives in the macOS menu bar and is triggered with a global hotkey so it doesn't steal focus from other apps.

Capture any area

Drag to select a region and capture exactly what you need (region, window, or full screen).

Straight to clipboard

Every capture lands on the clipboard instantly, ready to paste into any app.

Save or share

Save captures as PNGs or drag them directly into other applications.

Global hotkeys

Trigger captures from anywhere on your Mac with configurable shortcuts.

Dictate to text (AI)

Live speech-to-text transcription powered by the Gemini 3.5 Flash model.

Pricing

Free Tier Available

Free forever — no trial, no credit card, no catch.

Free

$0
  • Free forever
  • No sign-up, no trial, no credit card
  • Universal macOS build (Intel & Apple Silicon)

Use Cases

Quick screenshots for documentation

Capture regions, windows, or full screen and paste images directly into documents, messages, or bug reports.

Live dictation and note-taking

Speak any text and have it transcribed in real time for quick notes, messages, or content entry.

Fast sharing and drag-and-drop

Instant clipboard placement and drag-to-app enable rapid sharing of visual information across apps.

Integrations

Gemini 3.5 Flash model

Used for on-the-fly speech-to-text transcription for the dictation feature.

macOS clipboard & drag-and-drop

Works with the system clipboard and macOS drag-and-drop to paste or move captures into other apps.

Benefits

Free forever with no trial, no credit card, and no sign-up required.
Native macOS experience with a lightweight menu-bar footprint.
Instant clipboard placement speeds copy-paste workflows.
Universal build for both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
Local-first behavior promoted as 'Private — runs on your Mac'.

Limitations

macOS-only: available for macOS (Intel & Apple Silicon) — no Windows or Linux support mentioned.
Feature scope limited to capture, copy, dictation, save, and share workflows (no advanced image editing on the page).

Frequently Asked Questions

No verified FAQs are available.

Getting Started

  1. 1 Download and install the AI Buddy macOS app (universal build for Intel & Apple Silicon).
  2. 2 Invoke AI Buddy from the menu bar or press the configured global hotkey.
  3. 3 Choose to drag-select a region, pick a window, or start dictating speech.
  4. 4 Paste the captured image or transcribed text from your clipboard into any app.

Support

email

Contact via the listed email address: [email protected].

website

Privacy Policy and cookie controls are available on the product page (site footer).

API

Available: No

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