Pepys Dictate and Spokenly
A Spokenly alternative for Mac: pay $9.99 once
Spokenly is free with local models and runs on four platforms. Pepys Dictate is a Mac-only app with formatting tuned for dictation and one price, paid once.
Is Pepys Dictate a good Spokenly alternative?
Choose Spokenly if you want free local models with no word cap, bring-your-own API keys, or apps for Windows, Linux and iPhone. Choose Pepys Dictate if you only use a Mac and want formatting tuned for dictation, with a one-time $9.99 Pro instead of a subscription.
Spokenly's free Local Models plan runs Whisper and other speech models on your device, with no word cap, no trial clock and no account. Its local-only mode blocks network requests. Pro is $8.33 a month, billed $99.99 per year, and adds managed cloud models, sync, hosted AI text cleanup and priority support. The app also runs on Windows, Linux and iOS.
Pepys Dictate is narrower on purpose. It is a Mac app for Apple silicon on macOS 13 or later, where speech recognition and formatting both run on the Mac. Pro is $9.99 once, for up to 3 Macs. If you want no word cap at all, Spokenly's free tier may be all you need.
Pepys Dictate and Spokenly, side by side
Spokenly 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 | Spokenly |
|---|---|---|
| Price to start | Free plan: 2,000 words a week, then one free dictation a day until Monday. Every install starts with a 7-day trial of everything. | Local Models plan is $0 with no word cap or trial clock. The Your API Keys plan is also $0, and you pay the provider directly. |
| Paid plan | Pro: $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable, unlimited words, up to 3 Macs. | Pro: $8.33/month, billed $99.99 per year. Team: $6.99 per seat/month or $69.99 per seat/year, 2-seat minimum. |
| Subscription or one-time | One-time. Not a subscription. | Pro is a subscription. No one-time option is listed on its pricing page. |
| 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 with the local models. Optional cloud models run through your own keys, or through Spokenly's backend with Pro. Local-only mode blocks network requests. |
| Works offline | Yes. It goes online only to download its models once, activate a licence key and check for updates. | Yes, with the free local Whisper and other local models. Cloud models and cloud AI cleanup need a connection. |
| Platforms | Mac only. No Windows, iPhone, iPad or Android. | macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS. |
| System requirements | Apple silicon Mac, macOS 13 or later. | macOS 13.3 or later (universal build), iOS 17+, Windows 10/11. Runs on Intel Macs too: local Whisper works there but is CPU-heavy, and its other local models need Apple silicon. |
| Languages | 25 (English and 24 other European languages). Smart formatting in English, German, French and Spanish. | Over 100, with quality varying by model and language. |
| Text cleanup | Spoken corrections, lists, numbers and filler removal, done by our own small formatting model on the Mac. | AI Instructions fix grammar, strip filler words and format text per app. Pro includes hosted AI cleanup. |
| Customization | Personal dictionary (10 words free, unlimited on Pro), per-app styles, polished mode and tones, searchable history. | Modes with plain-English AI Instructions and a remappable hotkey (Right Command by default). Dictionary: not covered on the pages we read. |
| Meetings and files | None. No meeting recording and no file transcription. | Records microphone and system audio on Mac without a meeting bot, and batch-transcribes audio and video files with subtitle export. |
Where Pepys Dictate is different
One price, paid once
Dictate has a single paid tier: $9.99 once, for up to 3 Macs. Spokenly's free plans cover a lot. Its Pro tier is a subscription, shown billed yearly, that adds managed cloud models, sync and hosted cleanup, while Dictate has no cloud transcription.
Formatting trained for dictation
Dictate runs its own small formatting model on the Mac, in about a tenth of a second on Apple silicon. “Friday, no wait, Monday” becomes “Monday”, and spoken numbers become digits. Spokenly's Modes take plain-English AI Instructions that a language model runs on your text.
Where your transcript goes
By default Dictate keeps both recognition and formatting on the Mac, with no account and no provider keys required. Spokenly's privacy policy says that when a Mode uses AI Instructions, your transcript and optional context may be sent to AI services, even if transcription ran locally. Its local-only mode blocks all network requests.
Where Spokenly is the better choice
Free local dictation with no cap
Spokenly's Local Models plan is free forever with Whisper and other local models, no word cap, no trial clock and no account. Its local-only mode blocks all network requests, so on-device dictation is verifiably network-free. After 2,000 free words a week, Dictate allows one free dictation a day until Monday.
Bring your own keys
On its Your API Keys plan Spokenly adds no charge. You pay providers such as OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq, ElevenLabs or Mistral directly, at their usage rates.
More platforms, Intel Macs and more languages
Spokenly runs on macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS, including Intel Macs through local Whisper (CPU-heavy), and lists over 100 languages. Dictate is Mac only, needs Apple silicon and covers 25.
Meetings, files and developer tools
Spokenly records meetings on a Mac without a bot, transcribes dropped audio and video files, and ships an MCP server for Claude Code, Codex and Cursor. Dictate has no meeting recording or file transcription.
Choose Pepys Dictate if
- You only use a Mac and would rather pay $9.99 once than carry a Pro subscription.
- Spoken corrections, lists and numbers matter to you, and you want a model trained for dictation to handle them.
- You want recognition and formatting kept on the Mac by default, with no account needed.
- Your dictation fits in 2,000 free words a week, and the 7-day trial lets you test Pro first.
Choose Spokenly if
- You want unlimited free dictation with local speech models and no word cap.
- Windows, Linux or iPhone is part of your setup, and you want one app across them.
- Paying OpenAI, Groq or another provider directly, with no markup, suits how you work.
- Bot-free meeting recording, file transcription or an MCP server for coding agents is on your list.
Common questions about Spokenly and Pepys Dictate
Is Pepys Dictate a good Spokenly alternative?
Choose Spokenly if you want free local models with no word cap, bring-your-own API keys, or apps for Windows, Linux and iPhone. Choose Pepys Dictate if you only use a Mac and want formatting tuned for dictation, with a one-time $9.99 Pro instead of a subscription.
Is Spokenly free?
Yes. Its Local Models plan is $0 with unlimited use of local speech models, offline, with no account. Its Your API Keys plan is also $0, and you pay the provider directly. Pro adds managed cloud models, sync, hosted AI text cleanup and priority support. Pepys Dictate's free plan is smaller: 2,000 words a week, then one free dictation a day until Monday.
How much does Spokenly Pro cost?
Per its pricing page, Pro is $8.33 a month, billed $99.99 per year. Verified students get 50% off. The Team plan is $6.99 per seat/month or $69.99 per seat/year, with a 2-seat minimum. Pro bought on spokenly.app has a 14-day money-back guarantee, and App Store purchases are refunded by Apple. Dictate Pro is $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable.
Does Spokenly work offline, and where does my audio go?
With the local models it works offline, and local-only mode blocks every network request. Cloud models go through your own keys or through Spokenly's backend with Pro. Its privacy policy says the backend does not store recordings, while third-party providers may keep data for their own purposes. Dictate transcribes on the Mac and by default uploads no audio, unless you turn on its optional AI-provider setting.
Does Spokenly work on Windows, iPhone or older Macs?
Spokenly runs on macOS 13.3 or later, Windows 10/11, Linux and iOS 17 or later. Intel Macs can run local Whisper, which is CPU-heavy, while its other local models need Apple silicon. Pepys Dictate is Mac only, needs Apple silicon and runs on macOS 13 or later.
Is Pepys Dictate's free plan as generous as Spokenly's?
No. Spokenly's local plan has no word cap and no trial clock. Dictate's free plan gives 2,000 words a week, plus 500 more if you share your stats card, and includes smart formatting and all 25 languages. Pro is a one-time $9.99 purchase for unlimited words.
Where these facts came from
- Spokenly pricing (read October 5, 2026)
- Spokenly team plan (read October 5, 2026)
- Spokenly download page (read October 5, 2026)
- Spokenly dictation for Mac (read October 5, 2026)
- Spokenly privacy policy (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