1Our pick · The all-in-one local AI assistant
Typilot.
The only entry on this list that does voice plus typing, polish, meetings, notes, and 27 inline AI commands - all locally, on macOS, Windows, and Linux. No cloud round-trip. Lifetime license option. Disclosure: we built it - that is why it is at the top.
2
Typilot
Local Whisper dictation plus 27 AI keyboard commands, meeting transcription, and autocomplete - macOS, Windows, Linux.
Pros
- +Selectable Whisper models (tiny to large) - trade speed vs. accuracy vs. RAM on your hardware
- +27 keyboard-triggered AI commands work in any app without voice input
- +On-device meeting transcription with speaker diarization ships today
- +Runs natively on macOS, Windows, and Linux
- +Ghost-text autocomplete via local Ollama in any text field
- +3-day full-feature trial with no transcription cap
- +AI polish works on any text selection - not just fresh dictations
Cons
- −Requires Ollama installed for AI commands, polish, and autocomplete features
- −More initial setup than Hearsy - Ollama model management is an extra step
- −No Parakeet TDT engine for sub-50ms English latency
- −$7.99/mo or $199 lifetime - more expensive than Hearsy's $29 one-time
3
Superwhisper
Mac, Windows, and iOS local Whisper dictation with selectable model sizes and a companion iOS app.
Pros
- +Available on macOS, Windows, and iOS - broader platform reach than Hearsy
- +Selectable Whisper models from tiny to large for speed vs. accuracy trade-offs
- +iOS companion app with on-device Whisper for mobile dictation
- +Per-app mode profiles for context-aware transcription
Cons
- −No Linux support
- −$249 lifetime is substantially more expensive than Hearsy
- −No bundled local LLM cleanup - AI cleanup is a separate cloud option
- −No keyboard AI command layer or meeting transcription with diarization
4
Spokenly
Free unlimited local dictation on Mac, Windows, and iPhone with no account required.
Pros
- +Free tier is unlimited with no word or transcription cap - no 3-per-day limit
- +Available on macOS, Windows, and iPhone
- +Fully local on-device Whisper + Parakeet - audio never uploaded
- +Auto-punctuation and custom vocabulary included at no cost
- +No account required on the free tier
Cons
- −No keyboard AI command layer - pure dictation only
- −No meeting transcription or speaker diarization
- −No bundled local LLM cleanup - AI cleanup requires BYOK or a paid plan
- −No ghost-text autocomplete
5
Sotto
$49 one-time Mac dictation with built-in speech translation, WhisperKit + Parakeet, and 3-Mac licensing.
Pros
- +$49 one-time covers up to 3 Macs with lifetime updates - good value for multi-Mac households
- +WhisperKit Tiny to Distil Large V3 plus Parakeet v2/v3 on Core ML and Apple Neural Engine
- +Built-in speech-to-speech translation in 10 language pairs, fully local
- +Audio file import with batch re-transcription and per-language hotkeys
- +Custom vocabulary dictionary at the ASR layer
Cons
- −macOS-only (macOS 13+) - no Windows or Linux
- −AI cleanup requires your own OpenAI or Groq API key and an internet connection
- −No keyboard AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no autocomplete
- −No free tier - $49 purchase required upfront
6
Handy
Free MIT open-source dictation running Whisper and Parakeet on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Pros
- +Completely free - MIT open-source with no paid tier or word cap
- +Runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux
- +Supports both Whisper and Parakeet ASR engines
- +No account or network connection required - fully local
- +Auditable source code
Cons
- −No bundled local LLM cleanup - no AI post-processing layer
- −Minimal UI - fewer convenience features than Hearsy
- −No meeting transcription, no autocomplete
- −Community support only
7
Resonant
Mac-only local dictation with 10 selectable ASR models, a free base tier, and MCP server integration.
Pros
- +Free base tier for unlimited dictation with no credit card - no per-day cap
- +10 selectable local models: Parakeet TDT v3, Whisper Large V3 Turbo, omniASR (1,600+ languages)
- +NVIDIA Sortformer on-device speaker diarization
- +MCP server with 11 tools for AI coding agent integration
- +Per-app writing styles
Cons
- −macOS-only (Apple Silicon, macOS 14+) - no Windows, no Linux, no Intel Mac
- −AI cleanup, rewrites, and summaries are cloud-only behind Pro ($96/yr)
- −No keyboard AI command layer or ghost-text autocomplete
- −No built-in translation or audio file import