BoltAI
Bootstrapped native Mac AI client from a solo indie maker
Overview
BoltAI is a native Mac app for chatting with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, local Ollama or LM Studio models and coding CLIs such as Claude Code, via a system-wide hotkey and in-place text actions. Built by solo developer Daniel Nguyen since 2023 and sold as a one-time licence from $79; the iOS app is in beta.
Pricing
Pricing shown for reference only. These figures reflect RECATOOLS research as of 1 Oct 2026 and may be out of date or incomplete. This is not financial or purchasing advice — always confirm the current price on the provider’s official website before making any decision.
- 512MB cloud storage
- 1 year of updates
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 2 desktop devices + 1 mobile
- 1GB cloud storage
- 1 year of updates
- 3 desktop devices + 2 mobile
- 5GB cloud storage
- 1 year of updates
- 10GB shared storage
- Mobile app (beta)
- Priority support
Use cases
What you can produce with BoltAI
- System-wide hotkey chat overlay on macOS
- AI Workflow: one-click actions and in-place text transforms in any app
- Supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini and local Ollama/LM Studio models
- Runs Codex CLI, Claude Code, Gemini CLI and GitHub Copilot in one chat, with MCP tools
- iOS/iPadOS companion app (beta) with cloud sync
- Team licence with shared seats and storage
BoltAI is a one-person shop's answer to wanting an AI model everywhere on a Mac: a global hotkey drops a chat window over whatever app you're in, AI Workflow actions rewrite selected text in place, and version 2 adds MCP tools and lets you run Claude Code, Codex CLI or Gemini CLI from the same chat. It runs on your own API keys or local models through Ollama and LM Studio. Setapp users rate it highly — 95% from 466 ratings on the original listing and 96% on the new BoltAI 2 listing — and the old complaint about Setapp lagging behind is fixed. Licences are one-time, from $79 for Essential to $199 for the new Pro+, with a year of updates; skip the renewal and the app keeps working, but sync and the mobile beta pause. A good fit for Mac power users already holding API keys; Windows users will have to wait.
What we found
BoltAI is a native Mac app for chatting with many AI models without leaving the app you are in: a global hotkey opens a chat window over Xcode, Mail or Notes, and AI Workflow actions transform selected text in place. It works with your own keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and other providers, local models through Ollama and LM Studio — 300-plus models in all, by the developer's count — and since version 2 it can also drive Codex CLI, Claude Code, Gemini CLI and GitHub Copilot from one chat, with MCP tools included. It needs macOS 13 or later; Windows is listed as coming soon, and the iPhone and iPad app is still in beta.
It remains a one-person, bootstrapped product. Daniel Nguyen started it in 2023 and says it has shipped more than 160 updates without venture money; a Starter Story profile in November 2024 put it past 7,000 customers. Releases are frequent — version 2.16 shipped on 21 September 2026.
Reviews mostly come from Setapp. The original BoltAI listing holds 95% positive from 466 ratings, and one reviewer there called it the most performant and elegant way to use several models on a Mac. The common complaint that Setapp users were stuck on version 1 is resolved: BoltAI 2 arrived on Setapp in April 2026 and has its own listing at 96% from 46 ratings. Older reviews also mention crashes and files attached to Projects being ignored; those date from version 1 builds, and we found no comparable reports for version 2.
Pricing is one-time and each licence includes a year of updates, with a 30-day money-back guarantee: Essential $79 for one device, Pro $99 for two desktops and one phone, and a new Pro+ at $199 for three desktops and two phones with 5 GB of sync storage. Team licences cost $99 a seat, also one-time, for at least five seats. If you don't renew, the app keeps working, but updates stop and cloud sync and the mobile app pause. Renewals are 40% off for individuals, and a free trial lets you test it first.
Compiled by RECATOOLS from public sources: vendor documentation and pricing, code repositories and published reporting.
Frequently asked questions
About this listing
This entry was compiled from publicly available data including BoltAI's official website, press releases, documentation, and reputable third-party publications. RECATOOLS is not affiliated with BoltAI unless explicitly stated.
Third-party AI tools update their pricing, features, availability, and policies frequently. Information here may be outdated by the time you read this — we make reasonable efforts to keep listings current, but cannot guarantee absolute accuracy.
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