Tipword
DeepL is one of the best translators there is, and its Mac app is polished. People look for an alternative for a few reasons: the subscription, the free plan’s limits, sending text to a server, or the select-and-copy routine when they only wanted one word. Here are the options on a Mac, starting with when you should simply stay with DeepL.
When DeepL is still the better choice
- You translate whole emails, documents or web pages.
- You write in another language and want natural phrasing.
- You need DeepL’s glossary or document features at work.
If that’s you, keep DeepL. The alternatives below are for reading, where the job is understanding a word in front of you.
Why people look for an alternative
- Price. DeepL Pro is a subscription, from €7.49 a month billed yearly on DeepL’s own pricing page (checked 5 October 2026). The free plan is limited to 50,000 characters a month.
- Workflow. On a Mac you select text and press ⌘C twice. That’s quick for a paragraph, and slow when you need ten single words while reading.
- Privacy. DeepL translates on its servers. Some people prefer text that never leaves the Mac.
- Text you can’t select. Words in images, videos and scanned PDFs need a capture step first.
DeepL alternatives on Mac
| Tool | Price | Offline | How you use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Translate menu | Free, built in | Yes, macOS 15+ | Select, Control-click, Translate |
| Tipword | $12 once | 20 languages, macOS 15+ | Hold ⌥ and point at a word |
| Google Translate | Free website | No | Paste into the website |
| Mate Translate | $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year | Partly | Select text, shortcut |
| Easydict, Bob | Free, open source | With Apple’s engine | Select text, shortcut |
Mate’s prices are its App Store prices in the US, checked 5 October 2026. Easydict and Bob are open-source tools that connect to several translation services, DeepL included.
What each costs over time
| Tool | First year | Three years |
|---|---|---|
| DeepL Pro (from €7.49 a month, billed yearly) | €89.88 | €269.64 |
| Mate Translate (yearly plan) | $49.99 | $149.97 |
| Tipword | $12 | $12, or more only if you want updates after year one |
Tipword’s license includes a year of updates. It keeps working after that; you only pay again if you want newer versions.
Translating by pointing instead of copying
Tipword is the only one above that needs no selecting. Hold ⌥ Option, point at a word, and its meaning appears beside it, with the meaning of the sentence underneath. It works on text you can’t select too: images, videos, scanned PDFs. For 20 languages on macOS 15 or later it translates on your Mac, so it also works as an offline translator.
The trade-off: Tipword won’t translate a whole email for you. That’s DeepL’s job.
Using DeepL and Tipword together
Many people keep both. DeepL for writing and long passages, Tipword for reading. They don’t clash: DeepL uses a copy shortcut, Tipword a held key and the pointer.
Looking at Google’s engine instead? See Is there a Google Translate app for Mac? Or compare everything in Tipword vs macOS Translate.
Questions
Is there a free DeepL alternative for Mac?
Yes. The Translate menu built into macOS is free and works offline on macOS 15 or later. Easydict and Bob are free, open-source apps. Tipword is $12 once.
Is Tipword a subscription?
No. $12 once, with a year of updates. It keeps working after that.
Is Tipword as good as DeepL?
For whole passages, DeepL is better. For one word while you read, Tipword is faster because you don’t select or copy anything.
Do I have to select text?
No. Hold ⌥ and point. Nothing to select, copy or paste.