Getting Started
Installation
Distill is available in two variants: as a direct DMG download from the store and as a Mac App Store version. With the DMG, drag Distill to your Applications folder after opening; the App Store version handles that for you. On first launch the onboarding assistant opens in either case.
System requirements: macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later, Apple Silicon or Intel.
App Store vs. DMG Edition
Both variants share the same feature core. Due to Apple guidelines, payment, AI provider selection, and helper features differ:
| Feature | App Store | DMG |
|---|---|---|
| AI providers | Distill Cloud only | Distill Cloud + Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Ollama |
| Payment | Apple In-App Purchase | Stripe (web browser) |
| Promo codes | — | redeemable via code entry |
| REST API | opt-in (Settings → API) | enabled by default |
| Auto-update | via the App Store | built-in (“Check for Updates…”) |
| Sandbox | fully sandboxed | — |
AI credit pricing is identical in both variants.
Onboarding
The onboarding assistant walks you through the setup:
- Choose an AI provider — Distill Cloud (default, 100 credits free) or Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Ollama
- Distill Cloud and Ollama require no API key. Optional: enter your own key for Claude/OpenAI/Gemini to save Distill credits
- Done — you can start renaming files immediately
You can skip onboarding and configure the provider later under Settings → AI.
Your First Rename
- Drag one or more files into the drop zone
- Distill analyzes the files and shows suggestions in the diff preview
- Review the suggestions — names can be edited before renaming
- Click Rename to apply the changes
Folders are processed recursively. Previously renamed files are skipped automatically.