ShroomPen vs Wandpen
Both are Chrome writing assistants that work in the text box you are typing in. The main difference is how you pay for the AI.
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The short answer
Pick Wandpen if you want AI writing help without setting up any provider: its free plan runs Gemini Nano on your device, and its $10 a month Pro plan gives you cloud models without API keys. Pick ShroomPen if you already have (or are happy to create) an API key or run a local model: ShroomPen's own-key mode costs nothing, while Wandpen charges $19 once for BYOK. ShroomPen also reads more kinds of context, such as other tabs, PDFs and Google Docs.
Wandpen details below were checked on wandpen.com and its Chrome Web Store listing on 26 September 2026.
Side by side
| ShroomPen | Wandpen | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. No paid plan. | Free plan; Pro $10/month ($8.30/month billed yearly); BYOK $19 one time (listed as limited time, normally $49) |
| Works with no API key at all | Only with a local model server (Ollama, LM Studio) | Yes: Gemini Nano on device (Chrome 138+), plus 100 GPT-5 nano generations a month |
| Own API keys | OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, any OpenAI-compatible server | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, OpenRouter, Straico, OpenAI-compatible providers (BYOK license) |
| Local models | Ollama, LM Studio or any OpenAI-compatible server on localhost | Gemini Nano built into Chrome |
| OpenRouter sign-in | One-click sign-in, or paste a key | Listed as a BYOK provider |
| Context it can use | The field, the page, selected text, other open tabs, PDFs open in a tab, Google Docs, saved Workspace notes | The field and the current page ("Page Chat") |
| Voice input | No | Yes, on-device transcription |
| Saved prompts | Workspaces with standing instructions, tone and notes | Custom prompts organised in folders |
| Account | No ShroomPen account | No signup for local features; sign-in for Pro and BYOK |
| Shortcut | Ctrl+Q (changeable), right-click menu, or the helper next to a text field | Alt+W (Option+W on Mac) |
Where Wandpen is the better choice
- No setup. Wandpen works the moment you install it. Gemini Nano runs on your device, so there is no key to create and nothing to pay. ShroomPen asks you to connect a provider first.
- You don't want to manage keys or usage. Wandpen Pro is a flat $10 a month with cloud models included. ShroomPen has no subscription, so you deal with your provider's billing yourself.
- Voice. Wandpen can turn speech into text. ShroomPen has no voice input.
- A prompt library. Wandpen lets you save and organise your own prompts in folders.
Where ShroomPen is the better choice
- Own key, no license fee. If you already pay OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or OpenRouter, ShroomPen uses that key for free. See what a reply actually costs with your own key.
- Local models you run yourself. Point ShroomPen at Ollama, LM Studio or another OpenAI-compatible server on your computer and the text never leaves it. Wandpen's local option is Gemini Nano; its BYOK list also names OpenAI-compatible providers, but we did not test whether it can reach a server on localhost.
- More context. ShroomPen can use other tabs you pick, a PDF open in another tab, a Google Doc, or notes you saved to a Workspace. That helps when a reply depends on a document that is not on the current page. See using a PDF as context.
- No account with the extension maker. ShroomPen has no ShroomPen account, backend or extension analytics. Your key is stored in the extension's local storage and requests go straight from your browser to the provider you chose.
Data handling
Wandpen says Gemini Nano "runs completely on your device" and that with cloud models on the Pro plan "your text is sent to the AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) according to their privacy policies". Its privacy policy (last updated 2 February 2025) covers sign-in with an email address or social profile, lists OpenAI as an LLM provider, and says browsing data is tracked "for statistical purposes". We found no statement on where BYOK keys are stored or whether BYOK requests pass through Wandpen's servers.
ShroomPen sends your prompt and the context you switched on directly from the extension to the provider you configured. Nothing goes through a ShroomPen server, because there isn't one. Before first use it shows a data disclosure and reads nothing until you agree. It skips password, payment and one-time-code fields. The full detail is in the privacy policy.
Trying ShroomPen
Install ShroomPen on the Chrome Web Store, press Ctrl+Q on any page, and follow the setup wizard. OpenRouter is the quickest start: one sign-in, and a free model router is preselected. The provider setup guide covers the other options.
Related pages
Questions
Is ShroomPen a free Wandpen alternative?
For the bring-your-own-key use case, yes. Wandpen sells its BYOK license for $19 one time (listed as a limited-time price, normally $49). ShroomPen is free and has no paid plan. In both cases you pay your AI provider for what you use.
Can I use Wandpen without any API key?
Yes. Wandpen's free plan includes unlimited writing with Gemini Nano, which runs on your device in Chrome 138 or later, plus 100 GPT-5 nano generations a month. ShroomPen has no hosted or built-in model, so it needs a provider account or a local model server.
Does ShroomPen work with Ollama or LM Studio?
Yes. Choose Local server in ShroomPen's provider settings and enter the server address, for example http://localhost:11434/v1 for Ollama. No key is needed and the text stays on your computer. Ollama also needs OLLAMA_ORIGINS set to allow the extension, or it answers with a 403 error.
Which one is open source?
ShroomPen is closed source. Wandpen does not say it is open source, and we found no public source code for it.