Best free dictation apps for Mac

Pros

• No word cap, trial clock or account on the Local Models plan.
• Per Spokenly, local-only mode blocks every network request, so dictation with on-device models stays on the Mac.
• Over 100 languages, with quality varying by model and language, per Spokenly.
• Runs on macOS 13.3 or later, and on Windows, Linux and iOS.

Cons

• Hosted AI text cleanup, managed cloud models and sync need Pro, shown as $8.33 a month billed $99.99 a year.
• AI Instructions can send the transcript to AI services even when transcription ran locally.
• Some local models need Apple silicon; local Whisper runs on Intel but is heavy on the CPU.
• We found no custom dictionary or snippets on the pages we read.

Pros

• A choice of several speech models, including Whisper and Apple's own speech engine, with stated language coverage per model.
• Per-app prompt sets, Write Mode and Command Mode go beyond plain dictation.
• An optional on-device Fluid-1 model strips filler words, fixes casing and adapts tone to the active app.
• Installable through a Homebrew cask.

Cons

• Needs macOS 15.0 or later.
• Apple silicon is recommended; Intel Macs work through Whisper models.
• The optional Fluid Intelligence runtime is private, not open source, and the vendor says its free status may change.
• Anonymous usage analytics are on by default, with an opt-out. Voice, audio and transcribed text are stated as not collected.

Pros

• No word cap on the Free plan's local dictation.
• Custom vocabulary and text replacements are included free.
• Works offline with local voice models.
• If you upgrade later, Pro is $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once.

Cons

• Per its docs, cloud models, AI modes, file transcription and system audio recording need Pro.
• Free allows two modes, and neither can use AI processing, though its homepage Free card lists more.
• Needs macOS 14 or later, and local models run well mainly on Apple silicon.

Pros

• Transcription is local by default, and the homepage lists offline use.
• Supports 100 languages, per its homepage.
• Runs on Intel Macs too, though Apple silicon gets GPU acceleration.

Cons

• Free dictation is plain Whisper output. Spelling and grammar cleanup needs Pro plus your own AI key or a local model.
• Dictation is secondary to file and meeting transcription in this app.
• System-wide dictation exists only in the direct-download version, not the Mac App Store build.
• Its Gumroad page lists macOS 14.0 and higher.

Pros

• Starts from a shortcut or the Microphone key, with no install step.
• No dictation length timeout: it stops after 30 seconds without speech.
• Adds commas, periods and question marks automatically in supported languages, and spoken commands cover other punctuation, new lines and emoji.
• Offers on-device processing for a published list of languages.

Cons

• We found no custom dictionary or snippets on the Apple pages we read.
• When Dictation does not run on the device, audio is sent to and processed on Apple servers.
• Auto-punctuation covers fewer languages than Dictation itself: 33 of 63 language and region entries on the macOS 27 page, as we counted them.
• Apple states that Dictation is not available in all languages or regions.

Pros

• One account across Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, which Dictate cannot match.
• Per-app tone, snippets and a Command Mode for editing text by voice.
• Notetaker records meetings without a bot on Mac or Windows, with limits on the free plan.
• Supports 100+ languages.

Cons

• Transcription always runs in the cloud. With no connection, the desktop app saves your audio for retry instead of transcribing.
• The same 2,000-word weekly desktop cap as Dictate, and 1,000 words on mobile.
• Data sharing for training is a user setting: if allowed, audio, transcripts and edits may train Wispr models. The default is not stated on the page we read.
• Free Notetaker has a weekly meeting limit that the pricing page does not specify.