Answer in 2 sentences
Most PromptDC users should install both the desktop app and the Chrome extension because one account covers both and each is convenient in different places. Choose the desktop app first if you use native apps, the terminal, Safari, Edge, Firefox, Arc, or Brave, and add the Chrome extension for the smoothest in-place rewriting inside Chrome.
What is the clear recommendation?
Install both unless you work only in Chrome or cannot grant desktop permissions. The extension is direct inside Chrome fields, while the desktop app covers the rest of your computer. One account covers both surfaces.
If you can install only one, choose the desktop app. It reaches native applications, every major browser through selected text, and the terminal. The Chrome extension has a narrower boundary by design: it handles Chrome pages and does not reach native apps.
Begin at the download page, install the desktop app, then add the extension for Chrome-heavy work.
What does the desktop app do?
The desktop app rewrites selected text on macOS 12.0 or later and Windows 10 or 11. It works in apps like Slack, Mail, Notion, and Word, plus any other app where you can select text. It also works in every browser because it captures the selection through the clipboard.
Native apps and browsers
Native apps are the decisive advantage. You can select a message, document paragraph, or prompt, press a profile shortcut, review the rewrite, and choose whether to replace the original selection. The tool does not send a message or press Enter for you.
The desktop app overview explains the cross-app workflow in more detail. The related guide to a desktop AI writing assistant for Mac and Windows shows how selection-based rewriting fits everyday applications.
Terminal access
The desktop app is also the only general writing surface that reaches the terminal. You can select a prompt typed at a CLI, enhance it, review it in an editable popover, then choose Replace. Replace does not press Enter, so you retain control over submission.
This terminal behavior is outside the Chrome extension's scope. It matters if your work moves between ordinary writing and a CLI.
What does the Chrome extension do?
The Chrome extension rewrites selected text on websites opened in Google Chrome. It uses the same account and profiles as the desktop app, but its interaction is tailored to web fields.
Editable fields
In an editable field, the extension rewrites the selected text in place. This is convenient for webmail, support dashboards, social publishing tools, and browser-based documents because the result appears where you were already typing. You still review and send it yourself.
Read-only selections
For a read-only selection, the extension copies the rewritten result to the clipboard. It cannot replace text that the page does not expose as editable. You decide where to paste the result and whether to use it.
The Chrome extension feature page covers this browser-specific workflow. The extension does not work in Safari, Edge, Firefox, Arc, or Brave, even when a browser is based on Chromium. Use the desktop app for those browsers.
Which browsers require the desktop app?
Safari, Edge, Firefox, Arc, and Brave users need the desktop app because there is no PromptDC extension for those browsers. The desktop app can still rewrite selected text inside them through the same system-level selection workflow used for native applications.
Chrome users have a real choice. If all of your writing happens in Chrome and you prefer not to grant macOS Accessibility permission, the extension can be sufficient. If you also write in Mail, Slack, Notion desktop, Word, a terminal, or another native app, install the desktop app too.
The browser list is not a set of separate integrations. The desktop app works because text is selectable.
What is the permission trade-off?
The desktop app needs macOS Accessibility permission, while the Chrome extension does not. That permission lets the desktop app work with selected text across application boundaries. Windows installation does not use the macOS permission system.
Desktop permission
On a Mac, grant Accessibility access only after confirming you installed the intended application. The permissions documentation explains why access is required and how to configure it. If your employer manages device permissions, follow its approval process.
Chrome permission choice
The Chrome extension avoids macOS Accessibility permission because it operates inside Chrome. That smaller scope can be preferable on a restricted Mac, but it also explains why the extension cannot rewrite text in native apps or other browsers.
Pick the extension when Chrome-only access is enough. Pick the desktop app when cross-app access is worth the system permission.
Are IDE extensions part of the same choice?
IDE extensions are a third, separate surface, not a substitute for either general writing option. They rewrite the prompt you type in the editor's AI chat panel. They never touch your code or edit the file open in the editor.
That narrow job is useful when you want a clearer coding prompt without sending your draft through a browser or selecting it with the desktop app. The IDE extension page lists supported editors and describes the prompt-focused behavior.
Use the IDE extension for prompts in an editor's AI chat panel, the Chrome extension for Chrome fields, and the desktop app for native apps, other browsers, and terminals. One account covers all three, so installing an IDE extension does not force a separate subscription or profile library.
How should different users choose?
Your first installation should follow where you select text, but most users end up with both surfaces.
You work mainly in Chrome
Install the Chrome extension first for in-place rewriting. Add the desktop app if even a small part of your day moves into native email, documents, chat, or a terminal. If you never leave Chrome and want no macOS Accessibility permission, extension-only use is reasonable.
You use Safari, Edge, Firefox, Arc, or Brave
Install the desktop app. There is no extension for those browsers. The desktop workflow also covers native applications, so it gives you one consistent shortcut outside the browser.
You write in native apps
Install the desktop app. The article on rewriting text in Slack, Mail, and Notion shows the select, shortcut, review loop for everyday non-developer writing. Add Chrome for direct replacement in web fields.
You write prompts in an editor
Install the relevant IDE extension as a third surface. It improves the text in the editor's AI chat panel and leaves code untouched. Keep the desktop or Chrome surface for writing elsewhere.
Does one account cover every surface?
Yes. One account covers the desktop app, Chrome extension, and IDE extensions. Your plan determines usage limits and profile access rather than requiring a separate purchase for each surface.
The pricing page lists the current plans. Pro is $9 per month with 200 enhancements per month, Enterprise is $15 per month with unlimited enhancements, and Developer lifetime is $69 one time with your own supported API key. There is no free enhancing tier, although downloading is free.
Shared access makes “install both” the honest recommendation for most people. You can use the Chrome extension where it is most convenient, then rely on the desktop app whenever the browser boundary becomes a problem. For recurring choices, the guide to custom Actions and per-app profiles explains how profiles follow different contexts.
Bottom line
Install both the desktop app and Chrome extension if your device policy allows it. The extension is the smoothest option for editable Chrome fields, while the desktop app is the broader option for native apps, other browsers, and terminals. Choose the desktop app if you can install only one, and add an IDE extension separately when you want to rewrite prompts in an editor's AI chat panel. One account covers every surface.
FAQ
Should I install the desktop app or Chrome extension first?
Install the desktop app first if you use anything beyond Chrome. Install the Chrome extension first only when your work stays in Chrome or macOS Accessibility permission is unavailable. For most people, the final setup should include both.
Does the Chrome extension work in Edge or Brave?
No. There is no extension for Edge, Brave, Safari, Firefox, or Arc. Use the desktop app to rewrite selected text in those browsers.
Why does the desktop app need Accessibility permission on Mac?
It needs macOS Accessibility permission to work with selected text across applications. The Chrome extension operates inside Chrome and does not require that permission.
What happens when I rewrite read-only text in Chrome?
The extension copies the rewritten result to the clipboard. When the selection is inside an editable field, it can rewrite that field in place.
Can the desktop app rewrite text in a terminal?
Yes. It can enhance a selected CLI prompt and opens an editable review popover before replacement. Replace never presses Enter, so nothing is submitted automatically.
Do the IDE extensions edit my code?
No. They rewrite the prompt in the editor's AI chat panel and never touch the code or open file. Treat them as a separate prompt-writing surface.
