voice → text, invisibly
System-wide voice-to-text for macOS. Hold a hotkey anywhere — in any app, any text field, any terminal — speak, and your words appear at the cursor. Free local transcription or bring your own API keys. No subscription. No account. Open source.
Three steps. No configuration required if you use Apple Speech.
Press Cmd+Shift+Space anywhere on macOS
Talk naturally. The menu bar shows you're recording.
Text appears at your cursor, instantly pasted into whatever app you're using.
Built for people who want voice input without the friction.
System-wide — dictate into any app, text field, terminal, or editor. Not locked to a single application.
Apple Speech is built into macOS. Zero setup, zero cost, no API key. Start transcribing in 30 seconds.
No telemetry, no data collection. Local providers keep everything on-device. Cloud keys encrypted at rest.
Transcribe in one language, paste in another. Local or cloud translation with Apple, Ollama, Gemini, OpenAI, or Anthropic.
Bring your own API keys. Typical cloud cost: $0.001 per dictation. Or use local providers for free, forever.
MIT licensed. Read every line, modify anything, contribute back. No black boxes.
Choose the provider that fits your needs. Mix and switch anytime.
| Provider | Type | Setup | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Speech | Local | None — built into macOS | Free |
| Whisper Local | Local | pip install extra | Free |
| Parakeet | Local | pip install extra (Apple Silicon) | Free |
| Google Gemini | Cloud | API key (free tier) | ~$0.001/min |
| OpenAI Whisper | Cloud | API key | ~$0.003–0.006/min |
| OpenAI Realtime | Cloud | Same OpenAI key | Realtime pricing |
Typical usage (30s of speech): $0.001–$0.003 with cloud. Local is completely free.
| WhisperHUD | macOS Dictation | Superwhisper | Whisper.cpp CLI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| System-wide paste | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Bring your own key | Yes | N/A | No (subscription) | N/A |
| Local + cloud | Both | Local only | Both | Local only |
| Translation | 50+ languages | No | No | No |
| Streaming preview | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cost | Free / BYOK | Free | $8–16/mo | Free |
| Open source | MIT | No | No | Yes |