Prompt Enhancer: a focused Apple Writing Tools alternative for AI prompts

If you are looking for an Apple Writing Tools alternative that structures your AI prompts rather than polishing prose, this page gives you an honest comparison. The two tools solve different problems — and understanding which is which saves time.

Apple Writing Tools rewrites what you wrote. Prompt Enhancer structures what you are about to ask an AI.

Those are different problems. Read on to see where each tool fits — and why you might want both.

What Apple Writing Tools actually does

Apple Writing Tools (macOS Sequoia 15.1+, Apple Intelligence required) is a system-level rewriting assistant. Select text, right-click, choose Rewrite / Proofread / Summarize — and Apple’s on-device model polishes your prose.

It is free, private, fast, and deeply integrated into the OS. For everyday writing tasks — fixing a cover letter, tightening a Slack message, summarising a document — it is genuinely good.

At WWDC 2026 Apple is expected to ship a grammar checker and “Write With Siri” expansions. The toolset keeps getting wider.

What Apple Writing Tools does not do

Writing Tools is a prose editor. It does not know about prompt engineering, and it does not produce structured inputs for AI models.

When you paste “rewrite this” output into Claude or ChatGPT, the model still receives an unstructured blob of text. You get a generic answer, not a focused one.

Prompt Enhancer does one specific thing differently: it transforms your draft into an Anthropic-XML-structured prompt with explicit <role>, <context>, <task>, and <output_format> blocks — the structure Anthropic’s own documentation recommends for precise Claude outputs. That structure is invisible to Apple Writing Tools; it is not what Writing Tools was designed for.

Where Apple Writing Tools has gaps today

As of macOS Sequoia 15.1, Writing Tools does not activate in all third-party apps. Electron-based apps (VS Code, Slack desktop, Notion desktop, Discord) had no Writing Tools support until Electron v36 added partial context-menu integration in May 2025 — and even then, activation depends on how each app implements text areas. Chrome-rendered apps vary further.

Prompt Enhancer uses a global hotkey (⌃⌥⌘P) that works through macOS Accessibility APIs. It triggers from any text field in any app — Claude.ai in Safari, ChatGPT in Chrome, VS Code, Cursor, Notion, Figma, Linear, Mail, Telegram — without requiring the app to opt in to anything.

How they can coexist

A realistic workflow for a developer:

  1. Draft a rough task description in whatever app you are in.
  2. Hit ⌃⌥⌘P — Prompt Enhancer rewrites it in-place into a structured Claude prompt in ~4 seconds.
  3. Submit to Claude. Get a focused, detailed answer.
  4. Optionally use Apple Writing Tools on Claude’s output to polish tone before pasting it into a doc or email.

Each tool does its own job. Neither replaces the other.

Pricing context

Apple Writing Tools: free, requires Apple Intelligence (macOS Sequoia 15.1, supported hardware, U.S. English device language set).

Prompt Enhancer: $29 one-time (lifetime). Start with 3 free enhancements (no signup), then a 7-day free trial. With Pro you can use BYOK — your own Anthropic key, stored in macOS Keychain, direct to api.anthropic.com, no server in between.

See pricing and download →

Bottom line

If you want cleaner prose, Apple Writing Tools is already on your Mac and costs nothing.

If you want structured, high-signal prompts that get better answers out of Claude — Writing Tools will not help with that. Prompt Enhancer will.

How they compare: Prompt Enhancer as an Apple Writing Tools alternative

FeaturePrompt EnhancerAlternative
Primary jobStructures drafts into Anthropic-XML prompts for AI modelsRewrites and polishes existing prose
Output format / / / <output_format> XML blocksImproved natural-language prose (same structure)
Works in Electron apps (VS Code, Slack, Notion desktop)Yes — global hotkey via Accessibility APIs, any text fieldPartial — requires Electron v36+; app must implement context-menu support
Works in Chrome / browser appsYes — any focused text field in any browserVaries by app; not guaranteed in all Chrome-rendered UIs
Requires Apple IntelligenceNo — works on any macOS with Accessibility permissionsYes — macOS Sequoia 15.1+, supported hardware, U.S. English locale
Price$29 one-time; Pro BYOK optionFree (bundled with Apple Intelligence)
Privacy modelBYOK: API call goes directly to api.anthropic.com, no proxy, no logs; Pro: managed keyOn-device processing (Apple Intelligence on-device model)
Prompt engineering knowledgeApplies Anthropic official XML prompt standardNone — generic rewrite, not prompt-aware
App signed / notarizedYes — fully notarized and stapled, opens normally on double-clickSystem-native, fully trusted
PlatformsmacOS (arm64) + Windows (.msi); Linux Q3 2026 waitlistmacOS Sequoia 15.1+ and iOS/iPadOS 18.1+ only

Honest caveats

Frequently asked questions

Is Prompt Enhancer a good Apple Writing Tools alternative? +
It depends on what you need. Apple Writing Tools rewrites prose; Prompt Enhancer structures your drafts into Anthropic-XML prompts for better Claude outputs. They solve different problems — Prompt Enhancer is the better choice if your goal is getting sharper answers from AI, not cleaner prose.
Is there a cheaper or more focused Apple Writing Tools alternative? +
Prompt Enhancer costs $29 one-time — no subscription. Start with 3 free enhancements (no signup), then a 7-day free trial; BYOK (your own Anthropic key) is a Pro feature. If prose editing is all you need, Apple Writing Tools is free with supported Apple hardware. If you need structured AI prompts, Prompt Enhancer is the focused alternative.

Try Prompt Enhancer

3 free enhancements, no signup — then a 7-day free trial. macOS & Windows · $29 lifetime.

Get the app →