# Bob

A Mac translation and OCR tool that works in any app with a hotkey.

HTML: https://softbests.com/software/bob
Markdown: https://softbests.com/software/bob.md
Website: https://bobtranslate.com

- Category: [Productivity](https://softbests.com/category/productivity)
- Pricing: Freemium
- Platforms: macOS

## Best for

Chinese-speaking Mac users who translate selected text, screenshots, and typed input many times a day.

## Why it deserves attention

Bob has been developed since 2019 and covers three everyday flows: translate selected text, translate a screenshot through OCR, and translate typed input, all from global hotkeys without switching apps. It connects to more than 30 services including Volcano, Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu, Youdao, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, DeepL, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints, can query several at once, and ships a concise English-Chinese dictionary. OCR supports offline recognition, continuous capture, Finder image selection, QR codes, and smart paragraph splitting, and a plugin system adds new services and workflows. The base app is free on the Mac App Store, with Pro unlocked through in-app purchase. The trade-off is that Pro features and some services need payment or your own API keys, and the app is macOS-only.

## Can replace

- Google Translate

## Related and alternatives

- [Shottr](https://softbests.com/software/shottr)
- [Raycast](https://softbests.com/software/raycast)