Is your writing better with shortcuts or rephrasing engines?
What is QuillBot?
QuillBot is an AI-powered writing tool best known for its paraphrasing engine. You paste in text, and it rewrites it with different tones or levels of formality. It also includes grammar checking, summarization, and a citation generator, making it popular with students and researchers.
What is Smart Keys?
Smart Keys is a Mac app that gives you keyboard shortcuts for AI actions like rewriting, summarizing, translating, and proofreading. Instead of using a separate website or interface, you can run your own prompts directly on selected text in any app, instantly.
Where They Overlap
- ✅ Rewriting and paraphrasing support
- ✅ Grammar and clarity tools
- ✅ AI-powered
- ✅ Useful for non-native English speakers and students
Where They’re Different
| Feature | Smart Keys | QuillBot |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Native Mac shortcut tool | Web and browser-based |
| Rewriting Engine | Customizable GPT prompts | Fixed paraphrasing modes |
| Speed | Instant, in-place | Copy-paste workflow |
| Translation | Built-in shortcut | Not core feature |
| Citation Tools | No | Yes (APA, MLA, etc.) |
| Customization | Full prompt control | Limited to presets |
Use Case Breakdown
- If you want to quickly rewrite text without copy-pasting into a browser → Smart Keys is faster.
- If you need help rephrasing content with multiple tone options in an academic setting → QuillBot shines.
- If you want to build your own AI-powered rewrite tools or translate on the fly → Smart Keys gives more control.
Final Thoughts
QuillBot is great if you’re focused on rewriting academic-style text or need citations. But Smart Keys wins on speed, flexibility, and fitting into your native Mac workflow. For power users who want to tweak prompts, translate, or work across apps, Smart Keys is more hands-on and less disruptive.