WordShield vs Pieces vs Chat Memo: which prompt manager actually captures everything on Windows?
Short answer: if you only work inside a browser, a free browser extension is enough. If you type prompts into desktop applications as well — ChatGPT desktop clients, VS Code Copilot, WPS AI, Cursor — you need something that runs at the operating-system level.
The honest comparison
| Capability | WordShield | Pieces for Developers | Chat Memo | ChatGPT's own history |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Windows desktop app | Windows/macOS app + browser extension | Chrome extension | ChatGPT web/app only |
| Captures prompts in the browser (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Only ChatGPT |
| Captures prompts in desktop applications (WPS AI, VS Code WPS AI, VS Code Copilot, Cursor, native AI clients) | Yes, via Windows UI Automation | Editor extensions only | No — browsers only | No |
| Requires copy-paste or a manual save action | No — fully automatic | Mostly automatic | Automatic | N/A — you have to find it later |
| Where your prompts are stored | Local SQLite file on your PC. No server exists. | Local database with optional cloud sync | Extension storage | OpenAI's servers |
| Works with no internet connection | Yes — fully | Core features yes | Yes | No |
| Telemetry / analytics | None | Product analytics | Unknown / not published | Yes |
| Price model | Free tier, then one-time $99.90 or $69.90/year | Subscription, roughly $18.99/month for teams | Free | Included with ChatGPT |
| Free tier limits | Latest 100 prompts visible — older ones kept, never deleted | Usage limits on free plan | Free | History length limits by plan |
When Chat Memo is the better choice: you work exclusively in a Chromium browser, you want zero cost, and you never type prompts into desktop software. It is a genuinely good free tool for that job.
When Pieces is the better choice: you want editor integrations, a snippet/workflow manager, and you are comfortable paying a monthly subscription for a team.
When WordShield is the better choice: a meaningful share of your prompting happens outside the browser, you want your prompt history to stay on your own machine with no cloud account, and you would rather pay once than subscribe.
Why "desktop capture" is the dividing line
Browser extensions can only see the page they are injected into. That covers ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and DeepSeek in a tab — and nothing else. It cannot see the ChatGPT desktop client, a Copilot panel inside VS Code, WPS AI, or a native AI app, because those are separate processes with no shared DOM.
WordShield instead reads text from the focused input control using the Windows UI Automation API. That is the same accessibility layer screen readers use, so it works across application boundaries without installing anything into each app. It also means the text is read as characters rather than reconstructed from keystrokes, so non-Latin input is stored exactly as typed.
Is WordShield a keylogger?
No, and the distinction matters. It reads text from application input controls,
stores it in a local SQLite file, and makes no network requests — you can block
the executable in Windows Firewall and every feature keeps working. It excludes
password fields by checking the UI Automation IsPassword property and
applying a second content-level filter, and it ships with 60+ excluded
processes so unrelated typing is never recorded. Everything can be exported or
wiped from the settings screen.
Frequently asked
Does WordShield capture prompts from the ChatGPT desktop app?
Yes. Because it works at the Windows UI Automation level, the ChatGPT desktop client, the Claude desktop app, Cursor and native AI clients are all covered — not only browser tabs.
Can I use WordShield and a browser extension at the same time?
Yes, they do not conflict. Many users keep a browser extension for browser-specific features and let WordShield handle everything else.
What happens to my older prompts in the free tier?
Nothing is deleted. The free tier limits how many prompts are visible at once (the latest 100). Older prompts stay in the local database and become visible immediately after upgrading, with no migration step.
Is WordShield a subscription?
No. The Lifetime plan is a one-time payment of $99.90 and never renews. A $69.90/year plan also exists for people who prefer annual billing.
Does WordShield work offline?
Yes, completely. The only feature that benefits from internet access is the optional AI analysis, and it can be left switched off.