Wisp
Wisp is an open-source, local-first desktop AI overlay for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Instead of bouncing you into a chat app, you select text (or any context), hit a global hotkey, pick an action, and Wisp streams the answer into a compact bubble next to your cursor — without leaving what you were doing. It captures rich context: selected text, clipboard, the focused app, open documents, browser content, recent files, and optional screenshots. Voice in and out is supported via local faster-whisper STT and on-device TTS (Kokoro, GPT-SoVITS), or cloud voices. You bring your own model provider — Groq, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, and more — and model cost can be zero using free API sources. A bundled MCP bridge turns any MCP server into a tool the model can call, while a Wisp Context Server exposes your live desktop (selected text, clipboard, active window, browser page, screen snip) to Claude Desktop or Cursor. Everything stays on your machine; keys go to your OS keychain, not plaintext.
✅ Pros / Advantages
- • Overlay-first, never breaks your flow
- • Rich context: text, app, docs, browser, screen
- • Bring-your-own provider, cost can be zero
- • Local-first with OS keychain secrets
- • MCP bridge + desktop context server
❌ Cons / Limitations
- • Linux Wayland support still in progress
- • macOS tested only briefly by author
- • Many features opt-in (voice, docs, vision)
- • Free API sources rate-limit and change
- • No cloud sync across machines
💰 Pricing Plans
Free (Open Source, MIT)
Pricing details are gathered from public sources and are subject to change. Please visit the official website for real-time rates.
Last updated: July 2026 · 9bests editorial review
✅ Who should use Wisp
- • Overlay-first, never breaks your flow
- • Rich context: text, app, docs, browser, screen
- • Bring-your-own provider, cost can be zero
- • Local-first with OS keychain secrets
- • MCP bridge + desktop context server
⚠️ Who should look elsewhere
- • Linux Wayland support still in progress
- • macOS tested only briefly by author
- • Many features opt-in (voice, docs, vision)
- • Free API sources rate-limit and change
- • No cloud sync across machines
🎯 Common use cases
Brainstorming and drafting messages
Answering complex questions with citations
Coding help and debugging
⚖️ Wisp vs ChatGPT
| Wisp | ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.8/5 |
| Pricing | Free (Open Source, MIT) | Free / Plus $20/mo |
| Key strength | Overlay-first, never breaks your flow | Largest ecosystem |
See the full head-to-head in our Wisp vs ChatGPT comparison.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Is Wisp free?
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Wisp offers a free tier (Free (Open Source, MIT)). Paid plans unlock higher limits and advanced features.
What is Wisp best for?
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Wisp is best for Overlay-first, never breaks your flow and Rich context: text, app, docs, browser, screen. Wisp is an open-source, local-first desktop AI overlay for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Instead of bouncing you into a chat app, you select text (or any context), hit a global hotkey, pick an action, and Wisp streams the answer into a compact bubble next to your cursor — without leaving what you were doing. It captures rich context: selected text, clipboard, the focused app, open documents, browser content, recent files, and optional screenshots. Voice in and out is supported via local faster-whisper STT and on-device TTS (Kokoro, GPT-SoVITS), or cloud voices. You bring your own model provider — Groq, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, and more — and model cost can be zero using free API sources. A bundled MCP bridge turns any MCP server into a tool the model can call, while a Wisp Context Server exposes your live desktop (selected text, clipboard, active window, browser page, screen snip) to Claude Desktop or Cursor. Everything stays on your machine; keys go to your OS keychain, not plaintext.
How does Wisp compare to ChatGPT?
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Wisp (4.1/5) and ChatGPT (4.8/5) serve overlapping needs. Wisp stands out for Overlay-first, never breaks your flow, while ChatGPT is stronger at Largest ecosystem. Choose based on your priority.
🔄 Top Alternatives to Wisp
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