Best speech to text apps for Mac

The best free speech to text app for Mac runs on your Mac and has no word limit. Voz is the one I'd pick, and Handy, OpenWhispr and Spokenly's local mode are free too. If you need Windows or a phone app, Wispr Flow and Superwhisper run on both, and both have paid plans.

I build Voz, so it's on this list and I'm not neutral. For the other apps, I used their pricing pages, docs, GitHub READMEs and help centers, and linked each claim. Prices are as of November 2026.

What the apps differ on

Most apps here work the same way: you press a key, talk, and text appears where your cursor is, in mail, chat, an editor or a terminal. The differences come down to three things. Several apps are free only up to a weekly word count. Some transcribe on your Mac, and others send audio to a server. Some run on Mac only, and others also run on Windows, Linux, iPhone or Android.

Quick comparison

App	Free plan	Paid	Where it transcribes	Open source	Platforms
Voz	Free, no word limit	None	On your Mac	Yes, MIT	Mac (Apple Silicon, macOS 26)
Wispr Flow	Limited words each week	$15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly	Cloud	No	Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
Superwhisper	Local Whisper models, up to 2 modes without AI	$8.49 a month, $84.99 a year, or $249.99 once	On your Mac or in the cloud	No	Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
MacWhisper	Free version, limits not stated	Pro, €64 once	On your Mac or in the cloud	No	Mac
VoiceInk	Free trial, length not stated	$25 to $49 once	On your Mac	Yes, GPL-3.0	Mac (Apple Silicon)
Spokenly	Local transcription, unlimited	Local+ $29 once, Pro $12 a month billed yearly	On your Mac or in the cloud	No	Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone
Typeless	Limited words each week	$12 a month billed yearly, or $30 a month	Not stated	No	Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Aqua Voice	1,000 words	$10 a month billed yearly, or $12 a month	Not stated	No	Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
Willow Voice	Lighter model, 20 Scribe uses a week	$12 a month billed yearly, or $15 a month	Not stated	No	Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
Handy	Free	Free	On your computer	Yes, MIT	Mac, Windows, Linux
OpenWhispr	On-device models free	Cloud pricing not stated	On your computer, or cloud with your own keys	Yes, MIT	Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS
Apple Dictation	Built in	None	On device or Apple's servers, per your settings	No	Mac, iPhone

How to choose

• Free, with no word limit: Voz, Handy, or Spokenly's local mode.
• Offline: Voz, VoiceInk, Handy, or OpenWhispr's local mode. Superwhisper and Spokenly also work offline with local models.
• Open source: Voz, Handy and OpenWhispr (MIT), or VoiceInk (GPL-3.0).
• Developers: Voz. Every action is a voz command, voz mcp connects it to AI apps, and extensions are TypeScript. Spokenly also lets Claude Code, Codex and Cursor request voice input.
• Windows too: Wispr Flow, Superwhisper, Typeless, Aqua Voice, Willow Voice, Handy, OpenWhispr or Spokenly.
• File transcription: MacWhisper. OpenWhispr also accepts audio file uploads.
• Nothing to install: Apple Dictation.

The apps

1. Voz

Voz is a free, MIT-licensed dictation app with no account and no word limit. Tap right Command, talk, and tap again. Voz transcribes on your Mac with NVIDIA's Parakeet models in 25 languages, and cleans the text with Apple's on-device model. It runs only on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 26, with no Windows or phone app. You can extend it with TypeScript extensions.

2. Wispr Flow

Wispr Flow is a dictation app that runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Its free plan has a weekly word limit, and Pro costs $15 a month or $12 a month billed yearly. Its data page says "Transcription always occurs on the cloud." Read the Wispr Flow review for the details.

3. Superwhisper

Superwhisper is a Mac app with local Whisper models, optional cloud models and modes that shape your text. It also runs on Windows, iPhone and Android. The free plan has local models, and the paid plans add cloud models, AI modes and file transcription. Read the Superwhisper review.

4. MacWhisper

MacWhisper is best known for transcribing audio and video files on your Mac, and it also has system-wide dictation. Its free version costs nothing, and Pro is a one-time €64 purchase. It's built around files first, so it fits best if your main job is turning recordings into text. Read the MacWhisper review.

5. VoiceInk

VoiceInk is an open source (GPL-3.0) Mac app for offline transcription on Apple Silicon. It has per-app presets and a personal dictionary. You can buy a license for $25 to $49 once, or build it from source for free. Read the VoiceInk review.

6. Spokenly

Spokenly transcribes locally for free with no account, and it runs on Mac, Windows, Linux and iPhone. Local+ costs $29 once. Pro, with managed cloud models, costs $12 a month billed yearly or $15 a month. Read the Spokenly review.

7. Typeless

Typeless is a dictation app with a small free plan. Its pricing page lists Pro at $12 a month billed yearly or $30 a month, and it runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. The page doesn't say where speech is processed. Read the Typeless review.

8. Aqua Voice

Aqua Voice is a dictation app with a free plan of 1,000 words. Pro costs $10 a month billed yearly or $12 a month. Its pricing page doesn't say whether transcription happens on your device. Read the Aqua Voice review.

9. Willow Voice

Willow Voice has a free plan with unlimited use of a lighter model and 20 Scribe uses a week. Pro costs $12 a month billed yearly or $15 a month. The pricing page doesn't say where transcription runs. Read the Willow Voice review.

10. Handy

Handy is a free, MIT-licensed speech to text app for Mac, Windows and Linux. Its GitHub README says it "works completely offline" and offers Whisper and Parakeet models. If you also need Windows or Linux, it's free there too. Read the Handy review.

11. OpenWhispr

OpenWhispr is an open source (MIT) dictation app for Mac, Windows, Linux and iOS. Its site says local dictation "runs offline," and it lets you bring your own cloud keys. The site says its on-device models and bring-your-own-key options are free, but it doesn't state a price for its own cloud service. Read the OpenWhispr review.

12. Apple Dictation

Every Mac has dictation built in. Turn it on in System Settings under Keyboard, then start it with the Microphone key, the shortcut, or Edit, then Start Dictation. It's free and handles punctuation by voice, but it does less cleanup than the apps above. See how to dictate on Mac.

More dictation guides

• Alternatives and pricing: Wispr Flow alternatives, Wispr Flow pricing, Wispr Flow vs Superwhisper, Voz vs Wispr Flow and Dragon for Mac alternatives.
• Privacy and models: Is Wispr Flow safe?, Parakeet vs Whisper, Whisper on Mac, OpenSuperWhisper review and Vibe review.
• Setup and fixes: dictation shortcut on Mac, Mac dictation not working, microphone for dictation, dictation in Gmail, voice typing in Google Docs on Mac and dictation for Claude Code.

Questions

What is the best free speech to text app for Mac?

Voz is free, has no word limit or account, and transcribes on your Mac. Handy is also free and open source. Spokenly's local mode is free with no word limit.

Is Apple Dictation good enough?

For short messages and notes, it works. It adds punctuation by voice and runs on your Mac in many languages. It does less cleanup than the dedicated apps.

Which dictation software is best for Mac?

It depends on your need. Voz suits free, private dictation with extensions. Superwhisper suits people who want modes and model choice. MacWhisper suits recordings and files.

Can I dictate on a Mac without internet?

Yes, with an app that transcribes on your Mac: Voz, VoiceInk, Handy, or OpenWhispr's local mode. Wispr Flow's data page says transcription always occurs on the cloud.