Revayo vs Apple Translate
An Apple Translate alternative
that covers 112 languages.
Apple's built-in Translate is free, private, and already installed. It also handles about 20 languages on a fixed engine you can't change. Revayo Translate is a native Mac app that covers 112 languages and runs on the AI model you choose.
The honest version
If you translate between English and one of Apple's supported languages and the quality is fine, the built-in app costs nothing; keep it. Revayo is worth it when you need a language Apple doesn't cover, a translation where tone matters, or the option to run a stronger model on the same sentence.
Side by side.
| Revayo Translate | Apple Translate | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 once + your own API usage | Free, built into macOS |
| Languages | 112 | ~20 |
| Translation engine | Your pick — OpenAI, Claude, OpenRouter, Ollama, any compatible endpoint | Apple's, fixed |
| Offline / on-device | Yes — via a local Ollama model | Yes — downloadable languages |
| Global hotkey | Yes — ⌥⌘T translates the clipboard from anywhere | No — right-click menu and Safari integration |
| Custom tone & instructions | Editable prompt — formal, casual, keep the slang | No |
| Translation history | Last 100, one click away | Recent items in the app |
| Cost visibility | Tokens and dollar cost logged per translation | Free — nothing to track |
| Setup | Paste an API key once (or point at Ollama) | None — it's already there |
Apple Translate details as of July 3, 2026, from apple.com documentation. Corrections welcome: [email protected].
The 20-language limit
Apple's list covers the common ones: Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Japanese and a handful more. It leaves out a lot. Greek, Czech, Swahili, Georgian and Serbian may or may not be there depending on the macOS release, and the list grows slowly, roughly once a year at WWDC. Revayo covers 112 languages because the LLMs already handle them, so there's no waiting for a language pack.
An engine you can change yourself
Apple's translation model improves when Apple updates it, on Apple's schedule. In Revayo the model is a text field. When a new model comes out, you type its name and use it the same day. For a sentence that needs extra care, switch from a small model to a top-tier one for that request, then switch back. The built-in app has no equivalent.
Same privacy, more control over it
Apple handles translation on-device, which keeps your text private. Revayo has no account, no analytics, and no servers of its own. Your text goes straight to the provider you chose, or stays on the Mac entirely with a local Ollama model. You choose per task: cloud for quality, local for privacy. The privacy policy is one page.
Where Apple Translate is genuinely better
- Zero setup, zero cost. No key, no config. It's already on every Mac.
- OS integration. Translating a whole page in Safari or a text selection anywhere is built in.
- Offline out of the box. Download a language pack and it works, with no Ollama to install and nothing to configure.
Which one is for you?
Pick Revayo if you…
- need languages beyond Apple's ~20
- want translations that carry tone, not just meaning
- want to choose the model and change it whenever you want
- translate all day and want it one hotkey away
Stay with Apple Translate if you…
- only translate between major languages Apple supports
- want offline translation with no installs
- prefer not to configure anything
Questions people actually ask.
Apple Translate is built in and free. Why install anything?
If your language pairs are on Apple's list and the quality is good enough, you don't need to. Revayo is for the other 90-plus languages, for the messages where a stronger model reads better, and for translating with a hotkey without leaving the app you're in.
Is Revayo as private as Apple's on-device translation?
With a local Ollama model, yes: nothing leaves the Mac, the same as Apple's downloaded languages. With a cloud provider, your text goes to that provider under your own key and their terms. Revayo itself sees nothing either way; no servers, no account, no analytics.
Does Revayo cost money to use?
$14.99 once, no subscription. Cloud translation costs whatever your provider charges; on cheap models that's a few thousand short translations per dollar, and Revayo shows the exact figure per request. A local model via Ollama costs nothing.
Try Revayo
next to Apple Translate.
Native macOS app, version 14 or later. $14.99 once. 112 languages and any model you bring.
Download for macOS