You want more everyday Mac tools.
Keep app/file search, clipboard history, notes, calculations, interactive browsing and writing in one launcher. Dedicated local dictation includes hold-to-talk and transcript recovery.
PADHOW VS KERLIG
Writing plus a launcher.
Or AI that uses your tools.
Padhow combines selected-text writing with search, clipboard history and local speech typing. Kerlig goes further into agentic AI, MCP connections and provider integrations.
Documentation reviewed 18 September 2026 · Written by Padhow’s maker · No writing-quality benchmark claimed.
You want connected AI actions.
Kerlig documents Agentic Mode and MCP servers for tools such as GitHub, Notion and Slack. Padhow’s custom prompts do not provide an equivalent agent runtime.
The practical differences
| Task | Padhow | Kerlig |
|---|---|---|
| Rewrite and translate | Selected-text menu, custom prompts and preview-before-replace | Built-in/custom actions, presets, shortcuts and insertion into other apps |
| Local AI | Apple Intelligence and Ollama; compatible endpoints | Apple Foundation Models, Ollama and LM Studio |
| Cloud AI | Supported providers with your API key | Broader documented provider catalog, including Perplexity, Groq and Bedrock |
| Dictation | Own on-device speech-model workflow, voice clipboard and dictionary | Guide uses native macOS Dictation to enter prompts; not a claim that Kerlig cannot accept speech |
| AI tool use | Custom text actions; no MCP client or multi-step tool execution | Agentic Mode, built-in tools, MCP connections and approval controls |
| Launcher utilities | App/file search, clipboard history, calculator, notes and browser pane | Writing/chat focus; those launcher tools are not listed as core features in the reviewed overview |
| Mac support | Current download: Apple Silicon; dictation macOS 14+, optional Apple AI macOS 26+ | App download lists Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 12+; model requirements can be higher |
| Licensing | €12 once, one person’s Macs; cloud fees separate | One-time licenses with seat/update terms; cloud tokens separate |
What Padhow adds beyond a writing assistant
Find and reuse content
Search installed apps and scoped folders, preview local files and recover copied text, images and files. These are launcher features, distinct from attaching documents to an AI chat.
Local speech and browser workflows
Dictate into supported text fields with a saved voice transcript, or browse interactive websites inside the launcher. Kerlig documents macOS dictation and webpage context; those are not the same built-in workflows.
Where Kerlig is ahead
MCP connections, multi-step agent tools, broader provider coverage, documented Intel support and CLI team deployment are gaps. Both products already offer custom actions, local models and one-time licenses; Padhow should not claim those as unique advantages.
Tool execution with approval controls, provider coverage, platform validation and managed deployment are backlog items. A prompt asking for research is not equivalent to a verified browsing agent.
Sources and scope
- Kerlig features, models, Agentic Mode, platforms and license terms
- Kerlig’s native macOS Dictation guide
- Padhow’s writing and model options · Padhow dictation
Kerlig promotions and update entitlements can change. Consult its checkout rather than assuming that every license has identical lifetime terms.