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
Free MIT open-source dictation for Mac, Windows, and Linux - Whisper, Parakeet TDT v3, and Moonshine.
Pros
- +Completely free - MIT licence, no word cap, no account, no subscription
- +Runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux - adds the Linux coverage WhisperOne lacks
- +Three swappable local ASR engines: Whisper, NVIDIA Parakeet TDT v3, and Moonshine
Cons
- −Voice dictation only - no keyboard AI commands, no meeting transcription, no autocomplete
- −No filler-word removal or per-app formatting rules
3
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, plus WhisperKit as an alternative backend
- +Double-tap-to-lock recording for hands-free dictation
Cons
- −macOS Apple Silicon only - no Intel Mac, no Windows, no Linux
- −No AI commands, no meetings, no autocomplete
4
Dictato
Mac-only local dictation with four ASR engine choices and €19.99 lifetime pricing.
Pros
- +Four on-device engines selectable: NVIDIA Parakeet (25 langs), Whisper (99 langs), Apple SpeechAnalyzer, Qwen3-ASR (30 langs)
- +€19.99 one-time lifetime licence, 7-day free trial with no credit card
Cons
- −Mac Apple Silicon only - no Windows or Linux
- −No AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no autocomplete
5
VoiceInk
Open-source local dictation for macOS - auditable, no subscription, audio stays on device.
Pros
- +Fully local Whisper inference - audio stays on device
- +Open source (GPL v3) and auditable, free to build from source
- +Power Mode switches settings per app
Cons
- −macOS-only
- −No meetings, notes, or broader AI layer
6
Superwhisper
Polished local-Whisper dictation for macOS, Windows, and iOS with free tier and lifetime option.
Pros
- +Fully local Whisper transcription - audio never leaves the device
- +iOS app for on-the-go dictation, syncs with Mac and Windows
- +Free tier, $8.49/mo subscription, or $249 lifetime licence
Cons
- −Voice dictation only - no keyboard AI command layer, no meeting transcription, no autocomplete
- −No Linux support; lifetime costs far more than WhisperOne
7
Spokenly
Strong free local tier plus BYOK cloud routing to zero-markup providers.
Pros
- +Free tier: local Whisper Large-v3 + NVIDIA Parakeet, no word cap, no account required
- +BYOK cloud routing to OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq, or Anthropic at zero markup
- +Pro adds AI formatting and autocorrect
Cons
- −No keyboard AI command layer, no ghost-text autocomplete, no meeting transcription
- −Cloud routing is optional but sends audio to the chosen provider when enabled
8
Glimpse
Free AGPL-3.0 core for Mac and Windows with four on-device ASR engines including Qwen3-ASR.
Pros
- +Free core tier with unlimited dictation, no word cap, no account, and four local ASR engines: Whisper, Parakeet TDT, Nemotron (streaming), and Qwen3-ASR
- +AGPL-3.0 open source - inspect, fork, or self-host freely
- +Low one-time price for premium features: $25 Solo or $39 Plus
Cons
- −macOS 14+ and Windows 10+ only - no Linux
- −No keyboard AI command layer, no ghost-text autocomplete, no meeting transcription