Pepys Dictate and FluidVoice
A FluidVoice alternative, and when you don't need one
FluidVoice is free and open source, which is hard to beat. Pepys Dictate costs $9.99 once, and the reasons to pay are specific.
Is Pepys Dictate a good FluidVoice alternative?
Choose FluidVoice if your Mac runs macOS 15 or later and you want free, open-source dictation; for many people that is the right answer. Choose Pepys Dictate if you need macOS 13 support, or want a formatting model tuned for dictation in a one-time $9.99 licence.
FluidVoice is free and open source under GPLv3, with no paid tier. It uses on-device speech models by default, and audio or text leave your Mac only if you opt into a cloud AI provider for enhancement. It needs macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later, and most of its models need Apple silicon.
Pepys Dictate is a Mac app that is not open source and costs $9.99 once after a free plan. It runs on Apple silicon with macOS 13 or later, and recognition and formatting both run on the Mac. Free is the right answer for many people. Our reasons to pay are narrow, and we list them below.
Pepys Dictate and FluidVoice, side by side
FluidVoice facts come from its own pages, read on October 5, 2026. Where something is not publicly stated, the cell is a dash.
| Feature | Pepys Dictate | FluidVoice |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan: 2,000 words a week. Pro: $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable, unlimited words, up to 3 Macs. | Free and open source (GPLv3), with no paid tiers. GitHub Sponsors donations are available. The private Fluid Intelligence layer is free to use for now. |
| Source code | Not open source. | Core app is open source under GPLv3. The optional Fluid Intelligence runtime is kept private. |
| Where speech recognition runs | On the Mac. No cloud transcription, and by default audio and text are not uploaded, unless you turn on the optional AI-provider setting. | On-device speech models by default. Audio and text leave the Mac only if you opt into a cloud AI provider. |
| Works offline | Yes. It goes online only to download its models once, activate a licence key and check for updates. | Yes for dictation with downloaded local speech models. Optional cloud AI enhancement needs a connection. |
| Platforms | Mac only. | macOS today. Per its README, iOS and Windows are on the way with a waitlist; the repo description mentions a Windows pre-build. |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 13 or later. | macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later. |
| Apple silicon | Required. | Recommended, and needed for most models. Its README lists Intel support via Whisper models from v1.5.1, though its requirements line also says Apple silicon for all models. |
| Languages | 25 (English and 24 other European languages). Smart formatting in English, German, French and Spanish. | Depends on the model it runs: coverage ranges from English only to up to 99 languages with Whisper. Some models are English only. |
| Text cleanup | Spoken corrections, lists, numbers and filler removal, done by our own small formatting model on the Mac. | Optional on-device Fluid-1 model strips filler, fixes casing, formats structure and adapts tone to the active app. OpenAI, Groq or custom providers are alternatives. |
| Customization | Personal dictionary (10 words free, unlimited on Pro), per-app styles, polished mode and tones, searchable history. | Per-app prompt sets, a Custom Dictionary with Spoken Formatting, Write Mode for rewriting text, and Command Mode for controlling the Mac by voice. |
| Usage analytics | An opt-in, content-free usage event (event name, app version, macOS version), off until you turn it on. | Anonymous usage analytics are on by default and can be disabled in Settings. Voice, audio and transcribed text are stated as not collected. |
Where Pepys Dictate is different
Support for older macOS releases
FluidVoice lists the Sequoia release as its minimum. Dictate runs on macOS 13 (Ventura) or later. If your Mac tops out at Ventura or Sonoma, FluidVoice is not an option.
Formatting trained for dictation
FluidVoice gives you choices: several speech models, prompt sets per app, optional AI providers. Dictate's own formatting model runs on the Mac. “Friday, no wait, Monday” becomes “Monday”, “delete that” removes the last thing, and lists and numbers format as you speak.
Usage events off until you opt in
Dictate sends no usage event unless you turn it on, and then only an event name, app version and macOS version. FluidVoice's anonymous analytics are on by default, with an opt-out in Settings.
A paid licence
Dictate is not open source, and it comes with a 7-day trial and a $9.99 one-time licence key for up to 3 Macs. If a free app already works for you, that is a fair reason not to pay.
Where FluidVoice is the better choice
It costs nothing
The whole core app is free, with no tiers, and no usage limits are stated. After 2,000 free words a week, Dictate allows one free dictation a day until Monday, and Pro is $9.99.
Open source
You can read, build and modify FluidVoice under GPLv3. Dictate is not open source. Note that FluidVoice's optional Fluid Intelligence runtime is the exception: it is private.
More models and modes
FluidVoice lets you choose between several speech models, with stated language coverage for each, plus Write Mode and Command Mode. Its Whisper models reach up to 99 languages. Dictate covers 25.
Intel Macs
FluidVoice's README lists Intel support through its Whisper models from v1.5.1, though its requirements line also says Apple silicon for all models. Dictate requires Apple silicon.
Choose Pepys Dictate if
- Your Mac runs Ventura or Sonoma and can't update to Sequoia, FluidVoice's stated minimum.
- Spoken corrections like “Friday, no wait, Monday” are built into the app from the first dictation.
- You want usage events off until you opt in, and you're fine paying $9.99 once for software that is not open source.
- You'd like to test per-app styles and polished mode free for 7 days before deciding.
Choose FluidVoice if
- Free with no word cap is what you want, and your Mac runs macOS 15 or later.
- Reading, building or modifying the source code under GPLv3 matters to you.
- Choosing between speech models, or reaching languages beyond Dictate's 25, is a requirement.
- You have an Intel Mac, and FluidVoice's README lists Whisper-model support for it.
Common questions about FluidVoice and Pepys Dictate
Is Pepys Dictate a good FluidVoice alternative?
Choose FluidVoice if your Mac runs macOS 15 or later and you want free, open-source dictation; for many people that is the right answer. Choose Pepys Dictate if you need macOS 13 support, or want a formatting model tuned for dictation in a one-time $9.99 licence.
Is FluidVoice really free?
Per its GitHub page, the project is free and open source under GPLv3, and its website says free forever with no tiers. The private Fluid Intelligence layer is also free to use for now, and the vendor says this may change. GitHub Sponsors donations are available.
Is FluidVoice open source?
The core app is, under GPLv3 from 2026-02-23, with earlier releases under Apache 2.0. Fluid Intelligence, the optional local AI enhancement runtime, is separate and privately maintained, so it is not open source. Pepys Dictate is not open source.
Does FluidVoice send my audio anywhere, and does it work offline?
Dictation uses local speech models, so it works offline once they are downloaded. Audio and text leave your Mac only if you opt into a cloud AI provider for enhancement, such as OpenAI or Groq. Pepys Dictate also transcribes on the Mac and by default uploads no audio, unless you turn on its optional AI-provider setting.
Which Macs does FluidVoice run on?
It needs macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later, plus microphone and accessibility permissions. Apple silicon is needed for most models. Its README lists Intel support via Whisper models from v1.5.1, though its requirements line also says Apple silicon for all models. iOS and Windows are not released: the README mentions a waitlist, and the repo description mentions a Windows pre-build. Pepys Dictate runs on macOS 13 or later, on Apple silicon only.
Is fluidvoice.org the official FluidVoice site?
No. The FluidVoice README names altic.dev/fluid as its website and says fluidvoice.org is not affiliated with FluidVoice or Altic. The facts on this page come only from altic.dev and the project's GitHub repository.
Why pay for Pepys Dictate when FluidVoice is free?
For many people you shouldn't. Pay if you need macOS 13 or 14 support, want formatting tuned for dictation that works out of the box, or prefer usage events that stay off until you opt in. Try the free plan or the 7-day trial first.
Where these facts came from
- FluidVoice website (altic.dev) (read October 5, 2026)
- FluidVoice on GitHub (read October 5, 2026)
- FluidVoice latest release notes (read October 5, 2026)
Products change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
Compare more dictation apps
Try Pepys Dictate on your Mac
Free for 2,000 words a week, or $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable, for unlimited use on up to 3 Macs. Speech recognition and formatting run on your Mac.
Apple silicon, macOS 13 or later. More about Pepys Dictate