Pepys Dictate and Voicy
A Voicy alternative that recognises speech on your Mac
Voicy works across Mac, Windows, Linux and Chrome by transcribing in the cloud. Pepys Dictate is Mac only, and recognition happens on the machine.
Is Pepys Dictate a good Voicy alternative?
Choose Voicy if you dictate on Windows, Linux or in Chrome, or want its Lifetime licence. Choose Pepys Dictate if you use an Apple silicon Mac and want speech recognition and formatting to run on it, with a free plan of 2,000 words a week and a $9.99 one-time Pro.
This page covers the Voicy dictation app at usevoicy.com. You use a shortcut, talk, and text lands in the app you are using. Voicy ships for macOS, Windows, Linux and as a Chrome extension, with a 30-minute trial, Custom Modes and a Lifetime licence.
Pepys Dictate does the same core job on one platform. It is a Mac app where recognition and formatting both run locally, so by default audio is not sent to an API. It handles spoken corrections, formats lists and numbers, removes filler words, and keeps a personal dictionary. Per-app styles come with the trial and Pro.
Pepys Dictate and Voicy, side by side
Voicy 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 | Voicy |
|---|---|---|
| Price and plans | Free plan, then Pro at $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable. No subscription. | Pro from $8.49 a month per its pricing page; Lifetime $260 one-time; Team $6.79 per user a month, minimum 3 users |
| Free tier | 2,000 words a week, resetting every Monday, plus a 7-day trial of everything. Smart formatting and all 25 languages included. | A 30-minute free trial with full features and no card; Voicy says it cannot offer a permanent free tier |
| Devices | 1 Mac on the free plan, up to 3 Macs on Pro | Pricing page lists unlimited personal devices on Pro and Lifetime; its privacy policy mentions termination for use on more than 2 devices per account |
| Where speech recognition runs | On your Mac. By default audio and text are not uploaded; an optional AI-provider setting is off until you turn it on. | Cloud. Audio is sent to the Groq API; its privacy policy says zero data retention is enabled |
| Works offline | Recognition runs on the Mac. By default it goes online only to download models, activate a licence and check for updates. | No, per Voicy's own comparison table |
| Platforms | Mac only: Apple silicon, macOS 13 or later. No Windows, iPhone, iPad or Android. | macOS 13 or higher, Windows 10 and 11, Linux and a Chrome extension; its site also mentions iOS and Android |
| Languages | 25 languages (English and 24 other European languages) | Over 50 languages with automatic detection, per its download page |
| Text cleanup | Spoken corrections, list and number formatting, filler and stutter removal. Smart formatting in English, German, French and Spanish. | Automatic punctuation and formatting, grammar fixes and AI rewriting by voice, per Voicy. Spoken corrections and filler removal are not covered on the pages we read |
| Customization | Personal dictionary (10 words free, unlimited on Pro). Per-app styles, polished mode and tones come with the 7-day trial and Pro. | Custom Modes with a default mode, a text replacement mode and a shortcut chosen at setup |
| File transcription | Not offered. Dictate types what you say, live. | Yes, file upload transcription alongside live dictation |
| Team features | None: no team, admin or SSO features | Team plan with priority support, minimum 3 users |
Where Pepys Dictate is different
Recognition on the Mac, not through an API
Voicy's privacy policy says audio goes to the Groq API, with zero data retention enabled. Dictate keeps recognition and formatting on your Mac, so by default no audio is uploaded in the first place.
Pay once, from a free plan
Dictate starts free at 2,000 words a week and Pro is a single $9.99 payment for up to 3 Macs. There is no subscription to manage. Voicy's free option is a 30-minute trial.
Spoken corrections and filler removal
Say "Friday, no wait, Monday" and Dictate writes Monday. It also removes ums and stutters and formats lists and spoken numbers. The Voicy pages we read list automatic punctuation, grammar fixes and AI rewriting, and do not state how it handles self-corrections or fillers.
Personal dictionary and per-app styles
Dictate keeps a personal dictionary, and applies a different style per app in the trial and Pro. Voicy has Custom Modes, including a text replacement mode.
Where Voicy is the better choice
Windows, Linux and the browser
Voicy has downloads for Windows 10 and 11 and Linux, plus a Chrome extension. Dictate is Mac only, on Apple silicon with macOS 13 or later.
A Lifetime licence, listed with unlimited devices
Voicy sells a Lifetime licence at $260 one-time, listed with unlimited recording and unlimited personal devices. Its privacy policy says accounts used on more than 2 devices may be terminated, and it states a fair-use limit above 40 hours of transcription a month.
File transcription, a Team plan and Custom Modes
Voicy transcribes uploaded files as well as live speech, sells a Team plan with priority support, and offers Custom Modes with a default mode and a text replacement mode. Dictate has neither file transcription nor team features.
More languages and a stated zero-retention provider
Voicy says it works in over 50 languages with automatic detection. Its privacy policy says Groq zero data retention is enabled, and Voicy says it does not train AI models on recordings. Those are Voicy's statements. Dictate covers 25 languages.
Choose Pepys Dictate if
- You want speech recognition and formatting to run on your Mac, with nothing uploaded by default.
- You prefer one $9.99 payment over a subscription, and want a free plan to start.
- You want spoken corrections, filler removal and formatted lists and numbers.
- You work on an Apple silicon Mac and do not need other platforms.
Choose Voicy if
- You dictate on Windows, Linux or in Chrome, not only on a Mac.
- You want a Lifetime licence and unlimited personal devices, per Voicy's pricing page.
- You need file upload transcription or a Team plan alongside live dictation.
- Your language is outside Dictate's 25 but inside Voicy's 50-plus.
Common questions about Voicy and Pepys Dictate
Is Pepys Dictate a good Voicy alternative?
Choose Voicy if you dictate on Windows, Linux or in Chrome, or want its Lifetime licence. Choose Pepys Dictate if you use an Apple silicon Mac and want speech recognition and formatting to run on it, with a free plan of 2,000 words a week and a $9.99 one-time Pro.
How much does Voicy cost?
Voicy's pricing page lists Pro from $8.49 a month, with an annual 20% off badge. It does not say whether that figure is billed monthly or annually. Lifetime is $260 one-time, and Team is $6.79 per user a month with a minimum of 3 users. Pepys Dictate Pro is $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable.
Does Voicy have a free plan?
No permanent one. Voicy offers 30 minutes of free recording time with full features and no credit card, and says it cannot offer a completely free tier. Pepys Dictate's free plan gives 2,000 words a week, resetting every Monday.
Does Voicy work offline?
No. Voicy's own comparison table marks offline mode as not available, and its privacy policy says audio is sent to the Groq API for transcription. Dictate runs recognition on your Mac and by default goes online only to download models, activate a licence and check for updates.
Where does Voicy send my audio?
To the Groq API, according to Voicy's privacy policy, with servers hosted in the EU and US. The policy says Groq zero data retention is enabled, and Voicy says it does not use recordings to train AI models. By default Dictate does not upload audio, unless you turn on its optional AI-provider setting.
Does Voicy work on Windows and Linux?
Yes. Voicy's download page lists Mac, Windows 10 and 11 and Linux, and it also offers a Chrome extension. Pepys Dictate is Mac only and needs an Apple silicon Mac running macOS 13 or later.
Where these facts came from
- Voicy pricing (read October 5, 2026)
- Voicy download page (read October 5, 2026)
- Voicy privacy policy (read October 5, 2026)
- Voicy dictation for Mac (read October 5, 2026)
- Voicy changelog (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