glowbug vs chatgptchecked 18 Oct 2026
| glowbug | chatgpt | |
|---|---|---|
| what it is | a cursor buddy for doing things on your computer | a general ai assistant for chat, writing, research, images and much more |
| sees your computer screen | yes: one screenshot each time you ask, in any app | mac app: reads text from supported apps (notes, code editors, terminals). windows app: attach a screenshot. web: only what you paste or upload |
| live video or screen share | no. it looks at one still screenshot per question | yes on iphone and android, in advanced voice: share your camera or your phone screen |
| points at things on your screen | yes: the cursor flies to the spot and draws circles, boxes, arrows and labels | no. answers come as text or voice in the chat |
| step by step | after you click, it looks again and points at the next step | you tell it where you are, or share a new screenshot |
| computers | windows 7+, macos 10.13+ and linux | windows 10+ and macos apps, plus the web |
| phones | phone version in the browser: take a photo or screenshot and ask | full iphone and android apps |
| does things for you | never clicks or types. say “agent” and it researches in the background | agent features can use a browser and do tasks for you |
| what's kept | no screenshots or voice; question and answer text for up to 10 minutes; never used for training | chats are saved until you delete them; advanced voice video clips are kept with the chat; content can help train models unless you turn that off |
| price | free: 30 answers a month. pro $19.99/mo, max $99/mo | free plan; plus $20/mo; cheaper and pricier plans too |
where chatgpt is better
- writing, long reasoning, research, files and images: chatgpt does far more than glowbug away from your screen.
- live video: on a phone, chatgpt keeps watching your camera or screen while you talk. glowbug works from one picture per question.
- on a mac it can read code in supported editors and propose edits as diffs you review.
- native phone apps, memory across chats and a huge ecosystem of features.
where glowbug is different
- it shows instead of tells: the answer is a point on your screen, not a paragraph to decode.
- it works with any app on windows, mac and linux, down to windows 7 and macos 10.13.
- it keeps nothing from your screen or mic and never trains ai on your data.
- it never clicks or types for you, so you learn the app and stay in control.
which should you use?
use chatgpt when you want to think, write or create. use glowbug when you're inside an app and need to know where to click next. plenty of people use both.
questions
can chatgpt see my screen on windows or mac?
partly. the mac app can read text from a list of supported apps, and you can attach a screenshot on windows. live screen sharing in voice is on the iphone and android apps. glowbug looks at your whole screen, in any app, each time you ask.
does glowbug use chatgpt?
no, it isn't the chatgpt app. glowbug's answers are written by anthropic's models; openai turns your voice into text and reads answers out loud. the trust page lists every provider.
which is cheaper?
glowbug pro is $19.99 a month and chatgpt plus is $20. glowbug's free plan has 30 answers a month. they do different jobs, so compare what you actually need.
sources, checked oct 2026
- openai help center: chatgpt voice (video and screen sharing, data retention)
- openai help center: work with apps on macos
- openai help center: chatgpt windows app (requirements, companion window)
- openai help center: windows app release notes (screenshots)
- cometapi: chatgpt pricing 2026 (plan prices)
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