For medical professionals
Medical dictation software for Mac that runs offline
Free with modern local models and BYOK to OpenAI or Deepgram. Dictate patient notes, charts, and reports by voice on your Mac. Runs fully offline so PHI stays on-device, supporting privacy-conscious clinical workflows. Add your own word replacements for medical terms.
Updated
Why Spokenly fits medical professionals
PHI stays on-device in Local Only Mode
With Local Only Mode enabled, audio and transcripts stay on your Mac. No third-party cloud is involved. Confirm with your compliance officer for any specific PHI policy requirements.
Word replacements for your terms
Add drug names, procedures, ICD codes, and specialty terms to Spokenly's word replacements list yourself. Once added, Spokenly applies them automatically.
Works in your EHR
Epic, Cerner, athenahealth, Practice Fusion, DrChrono. Spokenly works in any text field in any Mac app.
Free vs Dragon Medical One's $99/mo
State-of-the-art accuracy on medical terminology at zero cost. Strong alternative for clinicians on Mac who previously used Dragon via Parallels or Citrix, or are evaluating Dragon Medical One.
iOS app for chart updates
Update notes from your iPhone with the Spokenly custom keyboard. Same Whisper accuracy on mobile.
Local searchable history for your records
Spokenly keeps a local searchable history of dictations with timestamps. Export to text or CSV for your own record-keeping if your policy requires it.
Workflows
- 1
Patient notes between visits
Push-to-talk dictation in your EHR's note field. Spokenly transcribes a 5-minute chart note in real time.
- 2
After-hours documentation
Catch up on charts at home with Spokenly running locally. No internet required, no cloud round-trip when using local models.
- 3
Specialty terminology
Cardiology, oncology, dermatology, psychiatry. Whisper handles modern medical terms well, custom replacements catch the edge cases.
- 4
Prescription and referral letters
Dictate referral letters in Word or your EHR's letter generator. Spokenly works in both.
- 5
Quick mobile updates
Update a chart from your phone between appointments. The Spokenly iOS keyboard works in any iOS app.
Spokenly vs typical medical professionals solutions
| Feature | Spokenly | Dragon Medical & other clinical tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Dragon Medical One ~$99/mo per user |
| Offline mode | Yes, full offline | Often cloud-required |
| Native Apple Silicon | Yes | Often legacy |
| Custom medical terms | User-added word replacements | Yes (advanced in Dragon) |
| Works in your EHR | System-wide on Mac | EHR-specific integrations |
| iOS for mobile updates | Included | Often separate plan |
| Audit trail | Local history with export | Cloud-stored |
| PHI handling | Stays on device in Local Only Mode | Cloud transcription |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Spokenly HIPAA-compliant?
HIPAA compliance is determined by how a tool is used, not by software certification alone. Spokenly's Local Only Mode keeps audio and transcripts on your Mac with no cloud transmission, which is the strongest privacy posture for PHI handling. Confirm with your compliance officer before adopting any tool.
Can Spokenly handle medical terminology?
Yes. Spokenly's transcription handles modern medical terms, drug names, anatomy, and specialty vocabulary well. For terms that consistently mishear, word replacements fix them automatically going forward.
Does Spokenly work with Epic, Cerner, or athenahealth?
Spokenly works system-wide in any Mac app's text fields. Whether your EHR is web-based or native, Spokenly's dictation works in it the same as keyboard input.
Can it replace Dragon Medical?
For some physicians on Mac, yes, especially for straightforward dictation into EHR text fields. Specialty vocabulary, compliance requirements, and command-heavy workflows need evaluation. Dragon has more mature voice command macros if your workflow depends on those.
Will Spokenly slow down my older Mac?
On Apple Silicon, Whisper Large V3 Turbo runs on the Neural Engine and Parakeet is even faster. Neither will slow you down. Local Parakeet requires Apple Silicon, so on older Intel Macs the recommended path is cloud transcription (BYOK or Pro). Local Whisper still runs on Intel but is heavier on CPU.
What happens if my Mac loses internet?
Nothing. Local Parakeet and Whisper models run entirely offline. Dictation works exactly the same with or without an internet connection.
Does Spokenly sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA)?
No. Spokenly is a software tool, not a covered service. Local Only Mode means no PHI is transmitted to us, so no BAA is required for that mode. If you need cloud transcription with PHI, confirm with your compliance officer which providers (OpenAI, Deepgram, etc.) offer BAAs and use Spokenly's BYOK to those signed accounts.
Ready to try Spokenly?
Free to use with local models. No account required.
Download for macOS