Easydict: A macOS Dictionary and Translator That Puts 20+ Services Behind One Shortcut

What Easydict Actually Solves

Easydict targets a specific annoyance: looking up a word or translating a sentence on macOS often means switching to a browser, opening a translation site, and pasting text. This app removes that friction by putting translation and dictionary lookup behind global shortcuts and mouse selection. The README lists three core input methods: input translate (default Option+A), mouse select translate (hover over a query icon), and shortcut select translate (default Option+D). It also adds OCR screenshot translation (default Option+S) and a silent screenshot mode that copies OCR results directly to the clipboard (default Option+Shift+S). The intended user is someone who works in a text-heavy environment, such as a writer, researcher, or developer, and wants to translate or define words without breaking focus. The app is macOS-only and requires macOS 13.0 or later for the latest version, which already narrows its audience.

How It Works: Multiple Services, One Query

The core mechanism is that Easydict sends your input to multiple translation services simultaneously and displays the results side by side. The README lists over 20 supported services, including Apple Dictionary, Apple Translate, OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek, Ollama, Groq, Zhipu AI, GitHub Models, DeepL, Google, Youdao, Tencent, Bing, Baidu, Niutrans, Caiyun, Alibaba, Volcano, and Doubao. This means you can see, for example, a DeepL translation next to an OpenAI translation for the same text. The app also performs automatic language recognition on the input, so you do not need to specify source and target languages manually. For dictionary lookups, it can query the macOS system dictionary, which is a tight integration with the OS. The screenshot OCR feature uses the system's capture tools, then runs OCR and passes the recognized text through the same translation pipeline. The architecture is not described in the README, but the service list implies a pluggable service layer where each provider is a separate adapter. That design is what allows the app to add new services over time, as seen in the release history: 2.20.0 added MDict, 2.21.0 added Codex CLI, and 2.22.0 fixed DeepL web translation by migrating to the oneshot endpoint.

Installation and First Run

The recommended installation path is Homebrew: run `brew install --cask easydict`. That installs the latest release as a macOS app. Manual installation is also possible by downloading the latest release from the GitHub releases page. The README notes that the latest version requires macOS 13.0 or later; for older systems, you must use version 2.7.2. After launching, the app lives in the menu bar or as a floating window, and you trigger it with the default shortcuts. There is no configuration file to edit; settings are managed through the app's UI. The README does not document a command-line interface or a configuration file format, so all setup, such as adding API keys for OpenAI or Gemini, happens in the app's preferences. That is fine for most users, but it means you cannot script the setup.

The AI Service Angle and Its Trade-offs

Easydict's inclusion of AI services like OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek, Ollama, Groq, and Zhipu AI is a notable differentiator. Most dictionary apps only offer traditional translation engines. With Easydict, you can get a translation from a local Ollama model, which is attractive for privacy-conscious users. However, the README does not specify how API keys are stored or whether they are kept in the macOS Keychain. That is a gap in the documentation. Also, AI services often have rate limits and costs, and the app does not appear to have built-in usage tracking, so you could incur unexpected charges if you leave a service enabled. The release notes for 2.22.0 show a fix for DeepL's web translation endpoint, which suggests that web-based services can break when providers change their APIs. That is an inherent risk with a multi-service aggregator: you depend on each provider's stability.

Where Easydict Falls Short

The most obvious limitation is platform: it is macOS-only, so Windows or Linux users are out. The macOS 13.0 requirement for the latest version is also a hurdle for users on older hardware. The README is honest about maintainer availability: the maintainer is busy and only triages issues on weekends, and some messages may be missed. That means bug fixes and feature requests can be slow. Another limitation is the lack of a built-in history or favorites feature, at least not mentioned in the README. If you need to revisit past translations, you would have to rely on your own notes. The app also depends on network services for most translations; only Apple Dictionary and local Ollama models work offline. So it is not a fully offline tool. Finally, the GPL-3.0 license means any derivative work must also be GPL-3.0, which could be a concern if you plan to embed its code in a proprietary project.

Alternatives and How They Differ

The README itself acknowledges inspiration from two projects: saladict and Bob. Bob is a macOS translation app that offers similar features, including OCR and multi-service support. The key difference is that Bob is not open source, while Easydict is GPL-3.0 and openly developed. saladict is a browser extension, not a standalone macOS app, so it works inside Chrome or Firefox but cannot translate selected text in native macOS apps. Another alternative is the built-in macOS translation feature, which is free and offline for some languages, but it does not support 20+ services or OCR. If you need a translator that works across operating systems, a web-based tool like Google Translate or DeepL's web interface is more portable, but it lacks the deep macOS integration and keyboard shortcuts. For users who want a single app that queries multiple services at once, Easydict is unique in the open-source space.

Maintenance and Upgrade Cost

The project is actively maintained, with a release as recent as August 2026 (2.22.0) and a dev branch for ongoing work. The release notes show a pattern of adding new services and fixing endpoint issues, so you can expect regular updates. However, that also means you need to upgrade periodically to keep services working, as seen with the DeepL fix. The upgrade process is straightforward with Homebrew: `brew upgrade --cask easydict`. The documentation includes a developer build guide, so building from source is possible, but that requires Xcode and Swift knowledge. The license is GPL-3.0, which is a strong copyleft license, so if you modify and distribute the app, you must share your changes under the same license. This is not a legal advice, but it is a factor to consider for corporate adoption.

Editorial conclusion

Easydict is for macOS users who want a fast, keyboard-driven dictionary and translator that can query multiple services at once, especially those who already use Apple Dictionary and want to add AI services like OpenAI or Ollama. It is not for users on macOS 12 or older (2.7.2 is the last compatible release) or for those who need a translator with a polished GUI for managing many API keys, since the app's settings are minimal and the maintainer's response time is slow. Before adopting, verify that your preferred services (especially DeepL and Bing) still work with the latest release, and check the release notes for any endpoint changes. Also confirm that the GPL-3.0 license fits your use case if you plan to modify the code.

Official sources

1. Official README
2. Project repository
3. Release notes