BetterSend vs Pot and Easydict
Pot and Easydict vs BetterSend on the desktop
Pot and Easydict are free, open-source desktop translators: select text, press a shortcut, and a window shows the translation from the services you set up, often with your own API keys. Pot runs on Windows, macOS and Linux but its repository was archived in 2026; Easydict is macOS only, still updated, and can also replace selected text with a translation or a polished version. BetterSend is built for chat: a button in the Slack, Teams, WhatsApp and Discord apps on Mac and Windows that rewrites your reply in one of 13 tones, with no keys to set up.
By Rubens Jr, Founder of BetterSend
Pot is a cross-platform translator and text recognizer built with Tauri. It translates selected text, the clipboard and screenshots through more than twenty services, many with your own key, and other apps can send it text through a local server. Its GitHub repository has about 19,300 stars and was archived in 2026; the last release, 3.0.7, came out in May 2025.
Easydict is a macOS dictionary and translator. It looks up words and translates selected text, screenshots and typed input through Apple's translation, DeepL, Google and AI models such as OpenAI and Gemini, with your own keys, and it can replace the selected text with a translation or a polished version. It has about 15,100 stars on GitHub, needs macOS 13 or later and had a release in October 2026.
BetterSend is for
People who write work messages in a second language in Slack, Teams, WhatsApp or Discord and want a finished reply in the right tone, with nothing to configure.
Pot and Easydict is for
People who translate all kinds of text on screen, like their own API keys, and want a free, open-source tool. Linux users: Pot.
| Feature | BetterSend | Pot and Easydict |
|---|---|---|
| Systems | A desktop app for macOS and Windows, plus a Chrome extension. | Pot: Windows, macOS and Linux. Easydict: macOS 13 or later. |
| How you start it | A button appears in the message box of the Slack, Teams, WhatsApp and Discord apps; double-click a received message to translate it. | Select text and press a shortcut, or capture part of the screen to recognize and translate text. Pot can also watch the clipboard. |
| Where the result goes | Back into the message box, replacing your draft after you read it. | Pot: a floating window you copy from. Easydict: a window, or straight into the app in place of the selected text with its replace actions. |
| Tone and rewriting | 13 tones, for example Friendly, Professional, Diplomatic and Concise. 3 free, 10 Pro. | Pot translates. Easydict also has an AI polishing action. |
| Translation services | Its own service, with nothing to configure. | Many services to choose from, including DeepL, Google, Bing and AI models through your own API keys. Easydict can also use Apple's built-in translation. |
| Free plan | Free plan: 50 actions per month and 3 tones (Professional, Friendly, Grammar fix). | Both are free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Paid services or AI keys you add are billed by their providers. |
| Price | Pro is US$ 4.99 per month or US$ 39.99 per year as of October 2026, with all 13 tones and unlimited actions. In Brazil, Pix: 6 months for the price of 4 (R$ 99.60). | Free, as of October 2026. |
| Maintenance | The desktop app and the extension were both updated in October 2026. | Pot's repository is archived and read-only, and its last release is from May 2025. Easydict had a release on October 19, 2026. |
| Privacy | Message text is never stored; only metadata such as the action type and token count. Nothing is sent on your behalf; you always choose what to send. | Text goes to the services you configure, under your own accounts and keys. |
Verdict
For translating any text on screen for free, Easydict on a Mac is excellent and Pot still runs, though it will not be updated. For writing replies at work, BetterSend sits in the chat apps themselves on Mac and Windows, rewrites in the tone you choose instead of translating word for word, and needs no keys.
Common questions
Is Pot still maintained?
No. Its GitHub repository was archived in 2026 and is read-only. The app still runs, but it gets no fixes or new versions.
Does BetterSend need an API key?
No. You sign in with your email and it works. The free plan has 50 actions a month; Pro is US$ 4.99 a month or US$ 39.99 a year, as of October 2026.
Can Easydict replace my text like BetterSend?
Yes, on macOS: its translate-and-replace and polish-and-replace actions put the result in place of the selected text in any app. BetterSend does that inside the chat apps on Mac and Windows, with 13 tones and a button in the message box.
Find the right tone in one click
Get the desktop app for macOS or Windows, or install the Chrome extension. Same account, the same 13 tones.
Sources
- BetterSend (checked 2026-10-06)
- Pot on GitHub (archived) (checked 2026-10-29)
- Pot release 3.0.7 (May 10, 2025) (checked 2026-10-29)
- Easydict on GitHub (checked 2026-10-29)
- Easydict user guide (checked 2026-10-29)