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
Hex
Free MIT open-source macOS hold-to-talk dictation using Parakeet TDT v3 on the Apple Neural Engine.
Pros
- +Completely free - MIT open source, no trial expiry, no account, no word cap
- +Parakeet TDT v3 via FluidAudio on the Apple Neural Engine: ~2.5% WER, word-level timestamps, 25+ languages
- +Double-tap-to-lock recording mode for hands-free dictation without holding a key
- +WhisperKit available as an alternative on-device ASR backend
Cons
- −macOS Apple Silicon M1+ only - no Intel Mac, no Windows, no Linux
- −No filler-word removal, no voice translation, no AI commands, no meetings
- −Community-maintained open source - no paid support or commercial SLA
3
Handy
Free MIT open-source cross-platform dictation app for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Pros
- +Free and MIT-licensed - no word cap, no account, no subscription, no credit card
- +macOS, Windows 10/11, and Linux - the widest free cross-platform coverage
- +Supports Whisper, NVIDIA Parakeet TDT v3, and Moonshine ASR engines
- +Push-to-record with release-to-transcribe; 2-5 s average latency on local hardware
Cons
- −No AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no diarization, no autocomplete
- −No Qwen3-ASR engine; fewer engine choices than Glimpse
- −Transcript history and vocabulary are basic vs. more polished paid apps
4
Superwhisper
Polished local Whisper dictation for macOS, Windows, and iOS with a free tier and $249 lifetime option.
Pros
- +Runs Whisper fully on-device - audio never leaves the machine
- +macOS + Windows + iOS with seamless sync across devices
- +Free tier plus $8.49/mo subscription or $249 lifetime licence
- +Mature support for the largest Whisper variants (large-v3)
Cons
- −Voice-only - no keyboard AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no autocomplete
- −No Linux support
- −$249 lifetime is more expensive than Scrybapp's $19-$59 launch range
5
Dictivo
Mac + Windows offline dictation with four ASR engines including Parakeet, $29 one-time until Oct 2026.
Pros
- +macOS (Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows x64 - Scrybapp is macOS only
- +Four ASR engines: Parakeet (English, fast), Whisper (99+ langs), Apple (macOS 14+), and Cloud Fast optional
- +$29 one-time until 31 October 2026 (then $49 perpetual); 14-day full trial, no credit card
- +Automatic language detection and per-app vocabulary training
Cons
- −No Linux support, no AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no autocomplete
- −Cloud Fast transcription available as a paid add-on ($6.99/mo) - local is the default
- −No filler-word removal by default
$29 one-time (rising to $49) · optional Cloud Fast $6.99/moVisit site ↗ 6
Dictato
macOS Apple Silicon dictation with four local ASR engines including Parakeet and Qwen3-ASR, €19.99 once.
Pros
- +Four local ASR engines: Parakeet TDT, Whisper, Apple built-in, and Qwen3-ASR for 52 languages
- +€19.99 one-time lifetime - comparable to Scrybapp's launch price
- +macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon - fast on the Apple Neural Engine
- +7-day free trial with no credit card
Cons
- −macOS Apple Silicon only - no Intel Mac, no Windows, no Linux
- −No AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no speaker diarization, no autocomplete
- −Smaller community and shorter track record than Superwhisper or Handy
7
Resonant
Free-base macOS app with ten local ASR models including omniASR for 1,600+ languages on Apple Neural Engine.
Pros
- +Free base tier for local dictation with no word cap, no account, and no subscription
- +Ten on-device ASR models: Parakeet TDT v3 (default), Whisper Large V3 Turbo, omniASR (1,600+ languages), and more
- +NVIDIA Sortformer diarization and 11 MCP server tools on the free tier
- +Apple Neural Engine keeps inference fast without consuming GPU headroom
Cons
- −macOS Apple Silicon only - no Intel Mac, no Windows, no Linux
- −Pro tier ($96/yr) required for cloud-based cleanup, rewrites, and meeting summaries
- −No keyboard AI command layer, no ghost-text autocomplete
8
TypeWhisper
Free for personal use, macOS + Windows local dictation with swappable ASR engines and a REST API.
Pros
- +Free for personal use (GPLv3) with no word cap - commercial licence €5/mo or €49/yr
- +macOS + Windows: both Apple Silicon WhisperKit and Parakeet TDT v3 engines available
- +Local REST API on port 8080 for integration with other tools
- +SRT/VTT transcript export, push-to-talk, 90+ languages
Cons
- −No Linux build, no AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no diarization, no autocomplete
- −No filler-word removal built in
- −iOS app is still in alpha