Pluely is an invisible desktop AI assistant that answers questions about your screen and follows live conversations.
Its always-on-top overlay runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with Ask mode for direct questions and visual context and Listen mode for live transcription and response suggestions.
Pluely v1 offers a $0 plan that works with your own AI provider keys or a local CLI, and no account is required to start. This generation is proprietary and closed source. The GPL-3.0 license applies to its earlier releases.
Compared with Cluely, Pluely adds Linux support, free screen-share stealth, and more control over providers.
How Pluely Works
Ask mode accepts text, push-to-talk input, full-screen or selected screenshots, and documents. The overlay streams the response over your active window. Local history stores chats, files, and prompts for later searches and exports.
Listen mode captures your microphone and system audio without adding a meeting bot. It builds a speaker-labeled transcript and drafts responses when it detects a question, after a pause, or on request. You control the trigger, response pace, active prompt, and attached knowledge files.
Is Pluely Free?
Free Plan
Pluely Free costs $0 and requires no account. You supply an API key for an AI or speech provider, configure a compatible custom endpoint, or connect a local CLI such as Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex, Qwen Code, or Ollama.
The plan contains the overlay, screen-share stealth, custom prompts and profiles, and provider configuration. Your provider bills any requests made under your credentials.
Paid Options
Limited Pro and Unlimited Pro bundle hosted AI models and live transcription without provider credentials.
Their monthly usage budgets differ. Dev Pro is a one-time license that unlocks Pro controls for your own providers and CLI connections.
A paid plan suits people who want managed models, higher bundled usage, extra device activations, or Pro controls without provider configuration.
Is Pluely Open Source?
Pluely v1 is proprietary, closed-source software distributed as signed binaries.
The GPL-3.0 license applies only to the earlier source release. It does not apply to v1 or later binaries.
You can inspect or fork the legacy code. It does not contain the v1 implementation.
Features
- Screen-aware Ask mode: Send text, voice, screenshots, selected regions, or documents and read the streamed answer over your active app.
- Live Listen mode: Capture microphone and system audio in one transcript, then request or automate contextual answer suggestions.
- Invisible desktop overlay: The resizable window stays above other apps and is excluded from screen shares, screenshots, and recordings.
- Provider choice: Connect your own AI and speech APIs, a custom cURL endpoint, or a compatible local CLI.
- Managed model catalog: Paid plans provide a searchable selection of hosted models and web-search options without API credentials of your own.
- Prompts and knowledge files: Create reusable prompts, attach reference documents, and apply the selected context to Ask or Listen responses.
- Local history and library: Search, reopen, export, or delete saved conversations, meetings, transcripts, and processed files on your device.
- Cross-platform desktop builds: Install the native application on macOS, Windows, or Linux and use the same core modes on each platform.
- Configurable controls: Change global shortcuts, overlay size, transparency, response length, language, capture behavior, and audio devices.
How to Use Pluely
1. Download the installer for macOS, Windows, or Linux from the official Pluely download page.
2. Install Pluely and grant the microphone and screen permissions needed for audio capture, screenshots, and screen-aware assistance.
3. For the Free plan, add provider credentials or connect a local CLI. Activate a paid license if you want bundled models and transcription.
4. Select a prompt or create one for your task. Add a résumé, product sheet, document, or other knowledge file when the answer needs private reference material.
5. Place the overlay beside your target application and set its size, transparency, shortcuts, and Ask or Listen behavior.
6. Use Ask for direct screen and document questions. Start Listen for a live transcript, meeting notes, or response suggestions during a conversation.
Pluely vs Cluely
Pluely and Cluely both deliver live AI assistance through desktop applications. Pluely combines screen questions, live transcription, local history, and provider choice across three operating systems. Cluely packages AI responses and meeting notes into a managed service for macOS and Windows.
Linux support, free screen-share stealth, or provider choice make Pluely the stronger fit for a configurable desktop setup. Cluely removes provider setup and bundles its own AI access; screen-share undetectability belongs to its Pro + Undetectability plan.
| Pluely | Cluely | |
|---|---|---|
| Core purpose | Screen-aware questions and live assistance | Real-time answers and meeting notes |
| Desktop overlay | Ask and Listen overlay | Desktop assistant with meeting interface |
| Meeting interaction | Captures mic and system audio without a bot | Desktop app provides answers and notes |
| Free access | Free with your own providers | Free Starter plan with limited usage |
| Platform support | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS and Windows |
| Open-source status | v1 closed source; legacy GPL code available | Commercial closed-source product |
| Provider access | Your keys, local CLI, or managed models | Included AI responses based on plan |
| Screen-share stealth | Contained in the free overlay | Listed under Pro + Undetectability |
Use Cases
- Meeting assistance: Transcribe microphone and system audio, identify discussion points, and draft follow-up answers without adding a meeting bot.
- Interview preparation and permitted coaching: Load a résumé or role description, practice responses, and use the overlay where the interview rules allow AI assistance.
- Screen review: Select an error, chart, contract, email, design, or code fragment and ask a focused question about the visible content.
- Sales and support calls: Attach product or pricing documents to a custom prompt and retrieve grounded details during a conversation.
- Lectures and learning: Build a transcript from computer audio, request explanations, and save notes or summaries for later study.
- Local or self-managed AI: Route questions through your own API account, custom endpoint, or supported local CLI.
Pros
- Free plan works with your providers.
- Native builds span three desktop platforms.
- Ask and Listen share one overlay.
- Core operation needs no meeting bot.
- History and credentials stay on-device.
Cons
- Free setup needs API keys or CLI access.
- Managed models and transcription require payment.
- Screen and microphone permissions are required.
Privacy and Usage Considerations
Pluely stores conversation history, meetings, transcripts, notes, prompts, attached files, extracted document text, and settings on your device. API keys for your own providers are encrypted locally. A request sends the selected text, transcript context, screenshot, or document excerpt to the model or provider you chose. Managed live-transcription audio is processed outside the device to produce the transcript.
Pluely uses PostHog for product-event analytics. Those events exclude conversation, transcript, and document content. Review the rules for interviews, examinations, workplace calls, and confidential meetings before enabling low-visibility assistance. AI output can contain errors. Verify consequential answers against the original material.
Related ScriptByAI Resources
- AI meeting assistant tools: Browse tools for meeting notes, transcription, summaries, and live support.
- AI interview tools: Find tools for interview preparation, live support, and practice.
- Meetily: Compare Pluely with a local-first meeting transcription and summary application.
- cue: Compare another private on-screen assistant for macOS.
FAQs
Q: Can Pluely work offline?
A: A local CLI or local model such as Ollama can process AI requests without Pluely’s managed models. Managed AI and live transcription require an internet connection. Offline capability depends on the provider or CLI you connect.
Q: How do paid Pluely licenses activate?
A: A paid license key arrives by email. Paste it into the License Key field in the Pluely dashboard to unlock the purchased plan on that device. You do not need to create an account.
Q: Where should I download Pluely v1?
A: Use the official Pluely downloads page for the macOS, Windows, or Linux installer. Its platform buttons lead to signed binary assets on GitHub Releases. The legacy source code is not the v1 application.
Changelog:
08/08/2026
- Pluely v1 launched as a proprietary desktop application with Ask and Listen modes, a free bring-your-own-provider plan, and installers for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
