HunchKey
vs Cotypist
Cotypist and HunchKey both finish your sentences in any app. The difference is when and how: Cotypist suggests continuously as you type, on your Mac, with no cloud. HunchKey waits until you ask, then reads the situation, your screen, what you just did and the web if needed, and offers up to three options, on Windows and Mac.
The short answer
Choose HunchKey if
- You use Windows, or both Windows and a Mac.
- You’d rather ask for help than have text appear while you think.
- You want a few options to choose from, not just one.
- You want suggestions that know what’s on your screen, what you just did, and today’s facts.
- You don’t want to download and run a language model on your computer.
Choose Cotypist if
- You want every suggestion made on your own Mac, with no cloud and no account.
- You like suggestions appearing continuously as you type.
- You need it to work offline.
Side by side
Cotypist details from its website, checked 6 October 2026
| Feature | HunchKey | Cotypist |
|---|---|---|
| Works on | A HunchKey differenceWindows, and macOS 12 or later | Apple Silicon Macs, macOS 14 or later. Windows and Linux are a waitlist. |
| When suggestions appear | When you ask: press Ctrl + Shift + H (you can change it). Nothing pops up while you type. | Automatically, inline at your cursor as you type. |
| Choices | A HunchKey differenceUp to three options in the island. Press 1, 2 or 3 to pick one, or the shortcut again for another. | An inline suggestion at your cursor. |
| Accepting | Tab types the whole suggestion; 1–3 picks an option; Esc lets it go. | Tab takes the next word or the whole line. |
| Reads your screen | Optional. Your current screen and windows you just viewed, kept in memory for 15 seconds, never on disk. | Screen-aware suggestions on the Plus and Pro plans. |
| Knows what you just did | Optional. The apps you just switched between, the file you just picked and text you just copied, in memory for 5 minutes. | Clipboard awareness on the Plus and Pro plans. |
| Current facts from the web | A HunchKey differenceYes. When a sentence needs current facts (today’s news, a price), HunchKey searches the web with a short query, never your text. | Not mentioned on cotypist.app. |
| Learns your style | A tone, writing samples and instructions for each kind of writing (personal, work, email, everything else), and you choose which apps and sites use each. | Learns from your voice. Custom writing instructions on Plus; per-app instructions on Pro. |
| Your names and terms | Yes. Names and terms are spelled your way, and HunchKey fixes them when the AI gets one wrong. | Picks up your vocabulary and names as you write. |
| Insights | A HunchKey differenceWords written for you, time saved, your streak and where you write, on every computer you use. | Not mentioned on cotypist.app. |
| Where the AI runs | In the cloud. Text is sent only when you press the shortcut; the text around your cursor and your screen are never saved. | On your Mac. Private and on-device. |
| Offline | No. Suggestions need an internet connection. | Yes, it runs locally. |
| Account | Yes. It keeps your dictionary, style and Insights the same on every computer. | No account required. |
| Setup | A normal app install. No language model to download, so it runs on any recent computer. | Choose and download a local model during setup. |
| Price | Early edition: no charge today. | Free: 100 completed words a day. Plus $6/month, Pro $9/month (billed annually). 30-day Pro trial. |
Where HunchKey is different
It knows more of the situation.
Cotypist’s screen and clipboard awareness come with its paid plans. HunchKey reads the text around your cursor and, if you turn them on, your screen, the apps and files you just used and what you copied, and it searches the web when a sentence needs today’s facts. All of it is included.
It doesn’t interrupt.
Suggestions that appear every time you pause can pull you out of a thought, and you end up reading text you never asked for. HunchKey stays quiet until you press the shortcut, so it only speaks when you want help, with up to three ways to finish.
It sounds like you, everywhere.
Set a tone and paste a few things you’ve written for work, email and personal messages, choose which apps and sites use each, and keep your names spelled right.
Questions
Is HunchKey a Cotypist alternative for Windows?
Yes. HunchKey works on Windows and macOS. Cotypist is for Apple Silicon Macs today.
Why does HunchKey use the cloud when Cotypist runs on-device?
Because it lets HunchKey look at your screen, follow what you were just doing and search the web for current facts, on any recent computer, without a model filling your memory. Text is sent only when you press the shortcut, and the text around your cursor and your screen are never saved.
Will HunchKey interrupt me while I type?
No. Nothing appears until you press the shortcut. If you want suggestions all the time, Cotypist is built for that.
Try HunchKey in the apps you already use.
Windows and macOS. One shortcut to ask, Tab to keep it.
Details about Cotypist come from cotypist.app and Cotypist pricing, checked on 6 October 2026, and may have changed since. Cotypist is a trademark of its owner; HunchKey isn’t affiliated with it. Spotted something out of date? Write to support@hunchkey.com and we’ll fix it.