Mac dictation
The best free dictation app for Mac in 2026
Free with modern local models and BYOK for cloud. Native to Apple Silicon and system-wide in every Mac app. No subscription, no internet required.
Updated
Why Spokenly fits dictation on mac
Native Apple Silicon performance
Built for M1, M2, M3, and M4 Macs. Whisper Large V3 Turbo runs on the Neural Engine with sub-second latency.
Works in every Mac app
Push-to-talk dictation in Mail, Slack, Notion, Safari, Terminal, Xcode, VS Code, Pages, Final Cut, ChatGPT, Cursor, and any text field.
Free local models
Parakeet and Whisper Large V3 Turbo run on your Mac. No subscription, no usage limits, no internet required.
BYOK cloud transcription
Bring your own OpenAI, Deepgram, or Groq keys for premium cloud accuracy at zero added cost.
Menu bar + global hotkey
Spokenly lives in the menu bar and listens for your dictation shortcut globally. Right Option is the default; remap to any key.
Custom prompts and AI rewriting
Use GPT-4 or Claude to clean up dictation in plain English. Your prompts, your control.
Workflows
- 1
MCP for AI coding agents
Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor can call Spokenly's voice tool through MCP for agent-initiated voice input. Unique to Spokenly. See setup at spokenly.app/blog/voice-dictation-for-developers.
- 2
Push-to-talk in any Mac app
Press Right Option (or your custom shortcut), speak, and text appears at the cursor. Works in Xcode, Pages, Final Cut, Safari, Slack, Mail, anywhere you can type.
- 3
AI text processing
Optional: route transcribed text through GPT-4 or Claude with your custom prompt for tone, formatting, or translation.
- 4
File transcription
Drop audio or video files into Spokenly for batch transcription with subtitle export. Local Whisper or cloud models.
- 5
Agent mode
Voice-control your Mac. Spokenly's agent mode triggers macOS automations from spoken commands.
Spokenly vs typical dictation on mac solutions
| Feature | Spokenly | Apple Dictation & other Mac apps |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free + BYOK | $8 to $25 per month |
| Native Apple Silicon | Yes | Often legacy or wrapped |
| Modern local models | Parakeet + Whisper Turbo | Some yes, some cloud-only |
| Works in every Mac app | Yes, system-wide | Browser-only or limited |
| iOS app included | Yes | Often separate plan |
| MCP for AI agents | Yes | No |
| Offline mode | Yes | Often cloud-only |
| BYOK | Yes | Rarely |
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best dictation app for Mac in 2026?
Spokenly is the most complete free dictation app for Mac in 2026. It runs modern local models natively on Apple Silicon, works in every Mac app, and includes BYOK cloud transcription and an iOS app at no extra cost. Full ranking of 10 apps at spokenly.app/blog/best-dictation-software-2026.
Does Spokenly work on Apple Silicon?
Yes. Spokenly is built natively for M1, M2, M3, and M4 Macs. Whisper Large V3 Turbo runs on the Neural Engine for the best accuracy and speed.
Is Spokenly better than Apple Dictation?
For technical and long-form workflows, often yes. Spokenly's transcription stack is built for technical terms, code, and non-English languages, and it also adds history, custom prompts, AI rewriting, and developer integrations.
Will Spokenly slow down my Mac?
No. Whisper Large V3 Turbo runs on the Apple Neural Engine using about 1 to 2GB of RAM during transcription. On Apple Silicon Macs, you won't notice it. Parakeet is even faster.
Does Spokenly work offline on Mac?
Yes. With local Parakeet or Whisper models, all transcription happens on your Mac. No internet required, no audio leaves your device.
Can I use Spokenly for free forever?
Yes. Local Parakeet and Whisper models are completely free with no time, word, or session limits. Pro is optional for premium cloud transcription, and BYOK is also free.
How is Spokenly different from MacWhisper?
MacWhisper is excellent for batch file transcription. Spokenly is dictation-first, better for live system-wide dictation, plus an iOS app and MCP integration MacWhisper doesn't have. Many users run both. Full breakdown at spokenly.app/macwhisper-alternative.
What macOS version do I need?
Spokenly runs on macOS 12 (Monterey) and later. Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4) get the best performance because Whisper runs on the Neural Engine.
Does it work on Intel Macs?
Partially. Local Parakeet requires Apple Silicon and isn't available on Intel Macs. Local Whisper still runs on Intel but is heavy on CPU. For Intel users, cloud transcription (BYOK or Pro) is the recommended path.
Does my dictation data leave my Mac?
Not in Local Only Mode. Parakeet and Whisper run on your Mac with no network calls. With cloud models, audio reaches the chosen provider: directly with your BYOK keys, or proxied through Spokenly's backend with Pro. In either case, no audio or transcripts are stored on our servers.
Ready to try Spokenly?
Free to use with local models. No account required.
Download for macOS