Tipword
Your Mac has translation built in: select some text, Control-click and choose Translate. It’s free and private, and for a lot of people it’s enough. Tipword is for when you translate words all day, and for text you can’t select.
At a glance
| Feature | Tipword | macOS Translate |
|---|---|---|
| How you use it | Hold ⌥ and point at a word | Select text, Control-click, choose Translate |
| Text you can’t select | Yes: videos, images, scanned PDFs | Photos and Preview with Live Text |
| After translating | Let go of ⌥ and it’s gone | Close the translation window |
| Price | $12 once | Free, built in |
| Where text goes | Apple languages stay on your Mac | On your Mac once the languages are downloaded |
When macOS Translate is the better choice
- You translate a sentence now and then.
- The text is easy to select.
- You don’t want to install anything.
When Tipword is the better choice
- You look up words many times a day.
- The word is in a video, a slide or a screenshot.
- You want the meaning without clicking through a menu.
Questions
Does Tipword use Apple’s translation?
Yes. On macOS 15 or later, 20 languages translate on your Mac with Apple, the same engine as the built-in feature.
Can I try Tipword?
Download it free. To start translating, add a license. If it’s not for you within 14 days, you get a full refund.
Try itTipword is $12 once, with no subscription. Download it, add a license, and if it’s not for you within 14 days you get a full refund. Download for Mac