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Sotto is the better pick if you primarily want local on-device Mac dictation, need the app to cover three Macs at a low one-time cost, rely on multilingual dictation or speech-to-speech translation, or need audio file batch re-transcription. Typilot wins when voice is one part of a larger AI workflow - 27 keyboard commands, meeting transcription with diarization, ghost-text autocomplete, and local AI polish without any API key - or when you need Windows or Linux support.
Yes, for local on-device Mac dictation - and Typilot extends well beyond with 27 keyboard-triggered AI commands, ghost-text autocomplete via a local Ollama model, on-device meeting transcription with speaker diarization, and native apps for Windows and Linux. The main trade-offs are pricing ($49 for three Macs with Sotto vs $199 lifetime for Typilot) and scope (Sotto ships built-in translation and audio file import that Typilot does not).
No. Sotto is a Swift app built exclusively for macOS 13 (Ventura) and later. There is no Windows or Linux build. For local on-device dictation on Windows, Typilot, Murmur, HyperVoice, and Superwhisper all offer native Windows apps with local Whisper processing. For Linux, Typilot, Handy, and OpenWhispr provide local dictation.
On local modes, Sotto processes audio entirely on-device using WhisperKit and Parakeet via Core ML - your voice never leaves the machine. The optional AI cleanup functions (email drafting, code prompt optimisation) use your own OpenAI or Groq API key and require an internet connection. Typilot offers the same on-device guarantee on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and its AI polish and command layer run through a local Ollama model with no API key required.
Sotto costs $49 one-time and covers up to three Macs with all future updates and no subscription. Typilot is $7.99/month or $199 one-time lifetime and includes a 3-day full-feature trial. For multi-Mac users, Sotto is the cheaper option per seat. Typilot's higher price reflects the broader feature set: 27 AI commands, autocomplete, meeting transcription with diarization, AI polish without any API key, and cross-platform support for Windows and Linux.