5 best Listenorb alternatives in 2026

Q: Is there a Listenorb alternative that does not use the OpenAI API?

Yes, several. Typilot, Dictato, Sotto, Hearsy, and Spokenly all process speech on-device with no API key required at all. Typilot uses local Whisper and adds 27 keyboard AI commands and meeting transcription. Dictato, Sotto, and Hearsy are Mac-only one-time purchases. Spokenly is free with unlimited dictation on Mac, Windows, and iPhone.

Q: What is the best free Listenorb alternative?

Spokenly offers unlimited free local dictation on Mac, Windows, and iPhone with no account and no transcription cap. Hearsy has a permanent free tier of 3 dictations per day with no credit card. Typilot has a 3-day full-feature trial. All three process audio on-device with no per-use cost.

Q: Which Listenorb alternative works on Windows or Linux?

Typilot runs natively on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Spokenly runs on macOS, Windows, and iPhone. Listenorb, Dictato, Sotto, and Hearsy are all macOS-only. For local on-device dictation on Windows specifically, Typilot, Murmur, HyperVoice, and Superwhisper all offer native Windows apps.

Q: Why would I switch from Listenorb?

The main reasons are privacy (audio goes to OpenAI on every transcription), ongoing API costs on top of the $99 licence, and platform lock-in (Apple Silicon Mac only). If you want local processing with no cloud round-trip, no API fees, and cross-platform support, Typilot or Spokenly are the closest replacements. For a simpler local-only Mac app, Hearsy ($29 one-time) or Dictato (€19.99 one-time) are the lowest-cost options.

Why people search for Listenorb alternatives.

Audio is sent to OpenAI on every dictation - no local or offline mode exists at any tier

Per-transcription API costs add up on top of the $99 licence fee

Apple Silicon Mac only - no Windows, no Linux, no Intel Mac

No keyboard AI command layer for triggering rewrites or summaries without speaking

No meeting transcription or speaker diarization

No ghost-text autocomplete - no inline AI suggestions in text fields

Best to worst, with honest tradeoffs.

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.

Download free Typilot vs Listenorb head-to-head →

Typilot

Fully local Whisper dictation plus 27 AI keyboard commands, meeting transcription, and autocomplete - macOS, Windows, Linux.

Pros

Audio stays on-device - local Whisper, no OpenAI API key required, works fully offline
27 keyboard-triggered AI commands work in any app without voice input or API cost
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
No per-transcription cost - all inference is local
3-day full-feature trial with no transcription cap

Cons

Requires Ollama installed for AI commands, polish, and autocomplete features
$7.99/mo or $199 lifetime - higher headline price than Listenorb for dictation alone
More initial setup - Ollama model selection is an extra configuration step

$7.99/mo or $199 lifetime · 3-day trialVisit site ↗

Dictato

€19.99 one-time Mac dictation with four on-device ASR engines and no API key needed.

Pros

Fully offline - 4 local ASR engines: NVIDIA Parakeet (~80ms, 25 langs), OpenAI Whisper (99 langs), Apple SpeechAnalyzer (20 langs), Qwen3-ASR (30 langs)
€19.99 one-time lifetime - lowest upfront cost among Mac dictation apps with no recurring charges
7-day free trial, no credit card required
Cursor-following insertion into any Mac app with no API key or cloud call

Cons

Mac-only (Apple Silicon, macOS 14+) - no Windows, no Linux, no Intel Mac
No voice-edit commands comparable to Listenorb's Orb rewrite layer
No meeting transcription, no autocomplete, no keyboard AI command layer

€19.99 one-time · 7-day trialVisit site ↗

Sotto

$49 one-time Mac dictation with built-in local speech translation, WhisperKit + Parakeet, and 3-Mac licensing.

Pros

Fully local - WhisperKit (Tiny to Distil Large V3) and Parakeet v2/v3 run on-device via Core ML with no API key
Speech-to-speech translation in 10 language pairs, all locally processed
$49 one-time covers up to 3 Macs with lifetime updates and no subscription
90+ languages with per-language hotkeys, custom vocabulary, and audio file import

Cons

macOS 13+ only - no Windows or Linux
AI cleanup (email drafting, code prompts) requires your own OpenAI or Groq API key and internet
No keyboard AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no autocomplete, no free tier

$49 one-time · up to 3 MacsVisit site ↗

Hearsy

$29 one-time Mac dictation with Parakeet under 50ms and a bundled on-device Qwen 2.5 cleanup model.

Pros

Fully local - Parakeet TDT (English, <50ms on Apple Silicon) or Whisper Large V3 (99 langs), all on-device
Bundled Qwen 2.5 AI cleanup runs on-device with no API key or Ollama installation required
$29 one-time with a permanent free tier (3 dictations/day, no credit card, no expiry)
No per-transcription cost, works fully offline

Cons

macOS-only - no Windows or Linux
No voice-edit commands for rewriting selected text by speaking
No meeting transcription, no keyboard AI command layer, no autocomplete
AI cleanup applies only to fresh dictations, not to existing text selections

$29 one-time · 3 dictations/day free tierVisit site ↗

Spokenly

Free unlimited local dictation on Mac, Windows, and iPhone with Whisper and Parakeet, no API key needed.

Pros

Free tier is unlimited with no word or transcription cap and no account required
Available on macOS, Windows, and iPhone - broadest platform reach in this list
Fully local on-device Whisper + Parakeet - audio never uploaded, no per-use cost
100+ languages with auto-punctuation and custom vocabulary at no charge

Cons

No voice-edit commands like Listenorb's Orb rewrite/shorten/format/translate
No meeting transcription, no keyboard AI command layer, no autocomplete
AI cleanup requires BYOK or a paid Pro plan

Free (local) · Pro plan availableVisit site ↗

Quick answers.

Is there a Listenorb alternative that does not use the OpenAI API?

Yes, several. Typilot, Dictato, Sotto, Hearsy, and Spokenly all process speech on-device with no API key required at all. Typilot uses local Whisper and adds 27 keyboard AI commands and meeting transcription. Dictato, Sotto, and Hearsy are Mac-only one-time purchases. Spokenly is free with unlimited dictation on Mac, Windows, and iPhone.

What is the best free Listenorb alternative?

Spokenly offers unlimited free local dictation on Mac, Windows, and iPhone with no account and no transcription cap. Hearsy has a permanent free tier of 3 dictations per day with no credit card. Typilot has a 3-day full-feature trial. All three process audio on-device with no per-use cost.

Which Listenorb alternative works on Windows or Linux?

Typilot runs natively on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Spokenly runs on macOS, Windows, and iPhone. Listenorb, Dictato, Sotto, and Hearsy are all macOS-only. For local on-device dictation on Windows specifically, Typilot, Murmur, HyperVoice, and Superwhisper all offer native Windows apps.

Why would I switch from Listenorb?

The main reasons are privacy (audio goes to OpenAI on every transcription), ongoing API costs on top of the $99 licence, and platform lock-in (Apple Silicon Mac only). If you want local processing with no cloud round-trip, no API fees, and cross-platform support, Typilot or Spokenly are the closest replacements. For a simpler local-only Mac app, Hearsy ($29 one-time) or Dictato (€19.99 one-time) are the lowest-cost options.

Why people search for Listenorb alternatives.

Audio is sent to OpenAI on every dictation - no local or offline mode exists at any tier

Per-transcription API costs add up on top of the $99 licence fee

Apple Silicon Mac only - no Windows, no Linux, no Intel Mac

No keyboard AI command layer for triggering rewrites or summaries without speaking

No meeting transcription or speaker diarization

No ghost-text autocomplete - no inline AI suggestions in text fields

Best to worst, with honest tradeoffs.

1Our pick · The all-in-one local AI assistant

Typilot.

Download free Typilot vs Listenorb head-to-head →

Typilot

Fully local Whisper dictation plus 27 AI keyboard commands, meeting transcription, and autocomplete - macOS, Windows, Linux.

Pros

Audio stays on-device - local Whisper, no OpenAI API key required, works fully offline
27 keyboard-triggered AI commands work in any app without voice input or API cost
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
No per-transcription cost - all inference is local
3-day full-feature trial with no transcription cap

Cons

Requires Ollama installed for AI commands, polish, and autocomplete features
$7.99/mo or $199 lifetime - higher headline price than Listenorb for dictation alone
More initial setup - Ollama model selection is an extra configuration step

$7.99/mo or $199 lifetime · 3-day trialVisit site ↗

Dictato

€19.99 one-time Mac dictation with four on-device ASR engines and no API key needed.

Pros

Fully offline - 4 local ASR engines: NVIDIA Parakeet (~80ms, 25 langs), OpenAI Whisper (99 langs), Apple SpeechAnalyzer (20 langs), Qwen3-ASR (30 langs)
€19.99 one-time lifetime - lowest upfront cost among Mac dictation apps with no recurring charges
7-day free trial, no credit card required
Cursor-following insertion into any Mac app with no API key or cloud call

Cons

Mac-only (Apple Silicon, macOS 14+) - no Windows, no Linux, no Intel Mac
No voice-edit commands comparable to Listenorb's Orb rewrite layer
No meeting transcription, no autocomplete, no keyboard AI command layer

€19.99 one-time · 7-day trialVisit site ↗

Sotto

$49 one-time Mac dictation with built-in local speech translation, WhisperKit + Parakeet, and 3-Mac licensing.

Pros

Fully local - WhisperKit (Tiny to Distil Large V3) and Parakeet v2/v3 run on-device via Core ML with no API key
Speech-to-speech translation in 10 language pairs, all locally processed
$49 one-time covers up to 3 Macs with lifetime updates and no subscription
90+ languages with per-language hotkeys, custom vocabulary, and audio file import

Cons

macOS 13+ only - no Windows or Linux
AI cleanup (email drafting, code prompts) requires your own OpenAI or Groq API key and internet
No keyboard AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no autocomplete, no free tier

$49 one-time · up to 3 MacsVisit site ↗

Hearsy

$29 one-time Mac dictation with Parakeet under 50ms and a bundled on-device Qwen 2.5 cleanup model.

Pros

Fully local - Parakeet TDT (English, <50ms on Apple Silicon) or Whisper Large V3 (99 langs), all on-device
Bundled Qwen 2.5 AI cleanup runs on-device with no API key or Ollama installation required
$29 one-time with a permanent free tier (3 dictations/day, no credit card, no expiry)
No per-transcription cost, works fully offline

Cons

macOS-only - no Windows or Linux
No voice-edit commands for rewriting selected text by speaking
No meeting transcription, no keyboard AI command layer, no autocomplete
AI cleanup applies only to fresh dictations, not to existing text selections

$29 one-time · 3 dictations/day free tierVisit site ↗

Spokenly

Free unlimited local dictation on Mac, Windows, and iPhone with Whisper and Parakeet, no API key needed.

Pros

Free tier is unlimited with no word or transcription cap and no account required
Available on macOS, Windows, and iPhone - broadest platform reach in this list
Fully local on-device Whisper + Parakeet - audio never uploaded, no per-use cost
100+ languages with auto-punctuation and custom vocabulary at no charge

Cons

No voice-edit commands like Listenorb's Orb rewrite/shorten/format/translate
No meeting transcription, no keyboard AI command layer, no autocomplete
AI cleanup requires BYOK or a paid Pro plan

Free (local) · Pro plan availableVisit site ↗

Quick answers.

5 best Listenorbalternatives in 2026.

Why people search for Listenorb alternatives.

Best to worst, with honest tradeoffs.

Typilot.

Typilot

Dictato

Sotto

Hearsy

Spokenly

Quick answers.

Is there a Listenorb alternative that does not use the OpenAI API?

What is the best free Listenorb alternative?

Which Listenorb alternative works on Windows or Linux?

Why would I switch from Listenorb?

Done with Listenorb? Try the local one.

5 best Listenorbalternatives in 2026.

Why people search for Listenorb alternatives.

Best to worst, with honest tradeoffs.

Typilot.

Typilot

Dictato

Sotto

Hearsy

Spokenly

Quick answers.

Is there a Listenorb alternative that does not use the OpenAI API?

What is the best free Listenorb alternative?

Which Listenorb alternative works on Windows or Linux?

Why would I switch from Listenorb?

Done with Listenorb? Try the local one.