Pepys Dictate and VoiceInk
A VoiceInk alternative that is also local and one-time
Both apps recognize speech on your Mac by default and neither is a subscription. The price, the feature set and the licence are where they split.
Is Pepys Dictate a good VoiceInk alternative?
Choose Pepys Dictate if you want on-device dictation for $9.99 once across up to 3 Macs, a free plan of 2,000 words a week, and macOS 13 support. Choose VoiceInk if you want open-source code, AI enhancement and rewrite modes, or its iOS companion app.
VoiceInk and Pepys Dictate start from the same idea. VoiceInk dictates by voice, Pepys Dictate does too, and speech recognition runs on your Mac by default in both. Both sell a one-time licence instead of a subscription. If you are comparing them, you have already settled the usual local-versus-hosted question.
The differences are in the details. VoiceInk is a configurable toolkit: Modes, a choice of local models, optional AI enhancement and source code you can read. Pepys Dictate is narrower, with a lower licence price, a free plan of 2,000 words a week, and formatting that runs on the Mac with no AI provider, key or prompt needed by default. Below is where each fits, including where VoiceInk is the better pick.
Pepys Dictate and VoiceInk, side by side
VoiceInk 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 | VoiceInk |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable, up to 3 Macs. Not a subscription. | One-time lifetime licences in USD: $25 (1 Mac), $39 (up to 2 Macs), $49 (up to 3 Macs), all with lifetime updates. A student discount is available on request. |
| Free tier | Free plan: 2,000 words a week, smart formatting and all 25 languages, on 1 Mac. New installs also get a 7-day trial of everything. | No permanent free plan stated. The compiled app has a free 7-day trial, and you can build it yourself from the public source code. |
| Where speech recognition runs | On the Mac. No cloud transcription, and audio is not uploaded. Text is not uploaded unless you turn on the optional AI-provider setting. | On the Mac by default. Optional cloud transcription uses your own API key and sends audio to the provider you pick. |
| Text cleanup | Our own on-device formatting model: spoken corrections, lists, numbers and filler-word removal, with no AI provider, key or prompt needed by default. | Refine is a built-in local cleanup model with a fixed task (punctuation, spoken formatting, filler and repetition removal) and needs Apple silicon with 16 GB RAM or more. Optional Modes such as Email and Rewrite add prompts and run through Ollama or hosted providers on your own keys. A Dictation mode with no AI is also a starter option. |
| Works offline | Runs on the Mac. It goes online only to download models once, activate a licence key and check for updates. | Local models run offline after setup. Cloud transcription and cloud enhancement need a connection, and so does activating a purchased licence. |
| Platforms | Mac only: Apple silicon, no Windows, iPhone or iPad. | macOS on Apple silicon. A separate iOS and iPadOS app is in beta: free during beta, one-time purchase after. A Mac licence does not cover iPhones. |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 13 or later. | macOS 14.4 or later per its website. Its GitHub README says macOS 15.0 or later. The optional Apple Speech model needs macOS 26. |
| Languages | 25: English plus 24 other European languages. Smart formatting covers English, German, French and Spanish. | No total stated. It depends on the model you choose, and the list differs from model to model. |
| Customization | Personal dictionary (10 words free, unlimited in Pro), per-app styles, polished mode and tones, searchable history. | Modes switch model, language, AI prompt and output per app, website, spoken trigger or shortcut. Custom words, Smart Replace expansions and Custom Command output to shell scripts. |
| Open source | No. | Source is public on GitHub under GPL v3. The app sold on its website is under a separate commercial licence. |
| Files and meetings | No file transcription and no meeting recording. | Can queue audio and video files and transcribe them with a Mode. Meeting recording is not stated on the pages we read. |
Where Pepys Dictate is different
A lower licence price at every device count
Pepys Dictate is $9.99 once and covers up to 3 Macs. VoiceInk sells three licences by device count, and its one-time price steps up with each extra Mac. The table above shows the exact figures. VoiceInk can also be built free from its source code.
A free plan with a weekly word allowance
Dictate's free plan gives you 2,000 words a week with smart formatting and all 25 languages. VoiceInk offers a 7-day trial of the compiled app, or a build from source.
Cleanup with no provider or prompt needed
Dictate formats on the Mac with its own small model, so no AI provider, key or prompt is needed by default. VoiceInk's Refine model is fixed-task local cleanup. Prompts and providers apply only to its optional Modes.
An older macOS is fine
Dictate runs on macOS 13 or later on Apple silicon. VoiceInk's website names a higher minimum, and its GitHub README names higher still, so a Mac that cannot update past macOS 13 is a Dictate-only case.
Where VoiceInk is the better choice
Open source you can read and build
VoiceInk publishes its source under GPL v3 and tells you how to build it yourself. If you want to inspect the code or compile your own copy, note that Dictate is not open source.
AI enhancement and rewriting
VoiceInk Modes include Email, Rewrite and Assistant. Enhancement can use selected text, clipboard text and screen text read by local OCR as context. Dictate formats what you say.
An iOS app and more reach
VoiceInk has an iPhone and iPad companion app in beta, plus audio and video file transcription on the Mac. Dictate is Mac only and has no file transcription.
Per-app Modes, models, providers and hooks
Modes switch the model, prompt, language, context and output per app, website, spoken trigger or shortcut. You can also choose among local models, connect hosted providers with your own keys, run Ollama, and send final text to any shell command. That makes it easier to build a custom workflow than Dictate.
Choose Pepys Dictate if
- A lower one-time price matters, and one licence should cover up to 3 Macs.
- A free plan with a weekly word allowance suits you better than a 7-day trial.
- Formatting should work on the Mac with no AI provider, key or prompt needed by default.
- Your Mac is on macOS 13 and cannot update to the version VoiceInk needs.
Choose VoiceInk if
- Open-source code you can read, build yourself or install with Homebrew is a requirement.
- AI enhancement, rewrite or assistant modes with your own prompts and context appeal to you.
- A companion app on iPhone and iPad, currently in beta, is useful to you.
- You like choosing local models and providers, or piping text into your own scripts.
Common questions about VoiceInk and Pepys Dictate
Is Pepys Dictate a good VoiceInk alternative?
Choose Pepys Dictate if you want on-device dictation for $9.99 once across up to 3 Macs, a free plan of 2,000 words a week, and macOS 13 support. Choose VoiceInk if you want open-source code, AI enhancement and rewrite modes, or its iOS companion app.
How much does VoiceInk cost compared with Pepys Dictate?
VoiceInk sells one-time lifetime licences in USD: $25 for 1 Mac, $39 for up to 2 and $49 for up to 3, with lifetime updates, and a student discount is available on request. Pepys Dictate Pro is $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable, for up to 3 Macs. Neither is a subscription. VoiceInk's cloud providers bill you separately through your own API keys.
Is VoiceInk free?
Not as a permanent plan, going by its website. The compiled app has a free 7-day trial. Because the source code is public, you can also build it yourself for free. Pepys Dictate has a free plan of 2,000 words a week, plus a 7-day trial of everything on a new install.
Does VoiceInk work offline, and does my audio stay on my Mac?
By default, yes. VoiceInk transcribes locally, and local models run offline once downloaded. If you choose cloud transcription, audio goes to the provider you select. Cloud AI enhancement sends text. Pepys Dictate has no cloud transcription option, and speech recognition and formatting both run on the Mac. A transcript goes to a provider only if you turn on its optional AI-provider setting.
What macOS does VoiceInk need?
Its website says macOS 14.4 or later on Apple silicon. Its GitHub README says macOS 15.0 or later, so the two pages disagree. One optional model, Apple Speech, needs macOS 26. Pepys Dictate needs macOS 13 or later on Apple silicon.
Is VoiceInk open source?
Yes, with a split. The source is on GitHub under the GNU GPL v3, and you can build it yourself. The pre-compiled app sold on its website is under a separate commercial licence. Pepys Dictate is not open source.
Where these facts came from
- VoiceInk pricing (read October 5, 2026)
- VoiceInk download page (read October 5, 2026)
- VoiceInk FAQ (read October 5, 2026)
- VoiceInk privacy policy (read October 5, 2026)
- VoiceInk local models (read October 5, 2026)
- VoiceInk Modes (read October 5, 2026)
- VoiceInk Refine (read October 5, 2026)
- VoiceInk on GitHub (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