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
Handy
Best free option: MIT open-source local dictation for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Pros
- +Completely free with no cap - MIT open source, Whisper + NVIDIA Parakeet TDT v3 + Moonshine, no account
- +Runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux - the only major free option with Linux support
- +99+ Whisper languages; community-maintained with 23k+ GitHub stars and a Raycast extension
- +Push-to-talk or hold-to-dictate modes; no subscription or word limit ever
Cons
- −No AI instruction mode, no keyboard AI commands, no meeting transcription, no autocomplete
- −No mobile app; minimal GUI compared to PandaScribe
3
Superwhisper
Polished local Whisper dictation for Mac, Windows, and iOS with all model sizes and 99+ languages.
Pros
- +Fully local Whisper transcription (tiny through large) - audio never leaves the device; runs on macOS, Windows, and iOS
- +Strong UX polish built over many releases; free tier available before committing
- +$8.49/mo subscription or $249 lifetime for full access; 99+ Whisper languages
- +Custom vocabulary and AI-assisted cleanup options; large-v3 support for highest accuracy
Cons
- −No Linux support; no keyboard AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no ghost-text autocomplete
- −$249 lifetime is more expensive than PandaScribe's $39; no Intel Mac mentions in recent docs
4
Spokenly
Free unlimited local dictation for Mac, Windows, and iPhone with Whisper + Parakeet and 100+ languages.
Pros
- +Free tier: local Whisper Large-v3 + NVIDIA Parakeet, no word cap, no account required
- +Runs on macOS, Windows, and iOS; 100+ Whisper languages with no restriction
- +BYOK cloud at zero markup (OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq, Anthropic, Google) for those who want optional cloud speed
- +MCP server for AI coding agents; Agent mode for voice-to-macOS automation
Cons
- −No Linux build; no Android app; no keyboard AI commands, no meeting transcription, no ghost-text autocomplete
- −No AI instruction mode similar to PandaScribe's "Panda, [task]" voice generation
5
HyperVoice
Local Whisper dictation for Windows, macOS, and Linux with a free tier and GPU acceleration.
Pros
- +Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux - one of the few options matching Linux coverage
- +Free 500 words/day tier with no credit card; $49.99 lifetime for unlimited use
- +GPU acceleration via Vulkan (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) - 3-5x faster than CPU inference
- +Selectable Whisper model sizes (Tiny 75 MB to Large-v3 3.1 GB); BYOK AI cleanup option
Cons
- −Free tier capped at 500 words/day; no AI instruction mode, no meeting transcription, no ghost-text autocomplete
- −No Parakeet or Moonshine backend - Whisper only
6
OpenWhispr
Free MIT open-source local dictation for Mac, Windows, and Linux with meeting diarization and an MCP server.
Pros
- +Free local tier: local Whisper + NVIDIA Parakeet, no word cap, no account, works on macOS, Windows, and Linux
- +On-device speaker diarization and meeting transcription - a feature PandaScribe lacks entirely
- +MCP server for AI coding agents; 3,700+ GitHub stars; BYOK cloud at zero markup
- +99+ languages via Whisper multilingual; voice fingerprinting merged April 2026
Cons
- −No ghost-text autocomplete or keyboard inline AI command triggers
- −Open-source setup may require more configuration than PandaScribe's polished installer
7
Murmur
Local Whisper dictation for Windows and Mac at €39.97 lifetime with built-in app-adaptive AI cleanup.
Pros
- +Fully local - audio never leaves the device, works offline; CUDA + Vulkan GPU acceleration
- +Free 5 dictations/day tier with no credit card; €39.97 lifetime at the same price as PandaScribe
- +Built-in AI cleanup adapts tone and removes filler words per active app automatically
- +99+ Whisper languages; runs on Windows and macOS
Cons
- −No Linux support; no mobile app; no keyboard AI commands, no meeting transcription, no speaker diarization
- −No voice-triggered AI instruction mode; AI cleanup is passive per dictation, not on-demand generation
8
SnailText
Local Whisper dictation for Mac and Windows with a free tier, GPU acceleration, and custom dictionaries.
Pros
- +Free tier: unlimited dictation with compact Whisper models, no account required, no word cap
- +Runs on macOS and Windows; GPU via Vulkan (Windows) and Metal (Mac), CPU fallback
- +Pro adds custom dictionaries, snippet auto-replacement, advanced models, and 3-device support
- +Audio processed in RAM only - never uploaded to any server
Cons
- −Subscription-only for Pro ($7.49/mo or $89/yr - no lifetime option); only 13 languages
- −No AI instruction mode, no keyboard AI commands, no meeting transcription, no speaker diarization, no ghost-text autocomplete; no Linux build