2026 Comparison

Best Dictation Software
for Mac

Looking for voice-to-text on your Mac? Here's an honest comparison of the leading options—from Apple's built-in dictation to dedicated transcription tools—so you can choose what fits your workflow.

TL;DR: Our Picks

Best for most users

DeepFlo

AI-enhanced transcription with voice editing. Works in any app. $8/mo or free tier.

Best free option

Apple Dictation

Built-in, works offline, good for quick notes. No AI enhancement.

Best for privacy

Whisper (local)

Open-source, fully offline. Requires technical setup.

Full comparison

App
Price
AI Enhanced
Works Offline
Voice Editing
Best For
DeepFlo
Free / $8/mo
✅ Yes
❌ No
✅ Yes
Writers, developers, power users
Apple Dictation
Free
❌ No
✅ Yes
❌ No
Quick notes, casual use
Whisper
Free
❌ No
✅ Yes
❌ No
Privacy-focused, technical users
Otter.ai
Free / $17/mo
✅ Yes
❌ No
❌ No
Meeting transcription
Superwhisper
$8/mo
Partial
✅ Yes
❌ No
Offline-first users

Detailed breakdown

DeepFlo

Editor's Pick
Free / $8/mo

DeepFlo is a modern dictation tool built specifically for Mac. What sets it apart is the combination of real-time transcription and AI enhancement—your speech is automatically punctuated, grammar-corrected, and polished as you go.

The standout feature is voice editing: after dictating, you can say commands like "make this more formal" or "translate to Spanish" to transform your text without touching the keyboard. It works in any app—just place your cursor and hold fn to dictate.

Pros

  • AI enhancement produces cleaner text
  • Voice editing commands are genuinely useful
  • Works in any application
  • Free tier includes 2,000 words/week
  • Simple fn-key activation

Cons

  • Requires internet connection
  • Mac only (no Windows/iOS)
  • Pro features require subscription
Download DeepFloFree plan available

Apple Dictation

Free (built-in)

Apple's built-in dictation is already on your Mac—just enable it in System Settings. It's the easiest option to start with: press the fn key twice or the microphone key to begin dictating.

The newer versions include on-device processing for privacy and work offline. However, it lacks AI enhancement, so you get raw transcription with basic auto-punctuation. Fine for quick texts, but you'll need to clean up anything longer.

Pros

  • Free and pre-installed
  • Works offline (on-device)
  • Good privacy—no cloud processing
  • Simple to enable and use

Cons

  • No AI enhancement or cleanup
  • Limited punctuation intelligence
  • No voice editing commands
  • Can struggle with accents and jargon

Whisper (via MacWhisper or CLI)

Free (open source)

OpenAI's Whisper is a powerful open-source speech recognition model. On Mac, you can run it locally through apps like MacWhisper or via command line. It's completely offline and private—nothing leaves your machine.

The tradeoff is setup complexity. You'll need to download models, potentially install dependencies, and figure out the workflow yourself. It's great for technical users who prioritize privacy and don't mind tinkering.

Pros

  • Fully offline and private
  • Free and open source
  • Excellent accuracy
  • No subscriptions or usage limits

Cons

  • Requires technical setup
  • No real-time streaming (batch processing)
  • No voice editing or AI enhancement
  • Can be resource-intensive

Otter.ai

Free / $17/mo

Otter.ai is primarily a meeting transcription tool. It's designed to record and transcribe conversations, generate summaries, and identify speakers. If your main need is capturing meeting notes, it's excellent.

However, it's not really designed for active dictation into other apps. You record audio in Otter, then export the text. For real-time voice-to-text while writing, it's not the right tool.

Pros

  • Excellent for meetings
  • Speaker identification
  • AI summaries and action items
  • Team collaboration features

Cons

  • Not for real-time dictation
  • Expensive for full features
  • Requires recording, then exporting
  • Web/app focused, not system-wide

Superwhisper

$8/mo

Superwhisper brings Whisper's accuracy to a polished Mac app with local processing. If offline operation is critical and you want something easier than DIY Whisper setup, it's a solid choice.

It lacks the AI enhancement and voice editing that DeepFlo offers, but for pure transcription with privacy, it works well. The $8/mo price is fair for the convenience over manual Whisper setup.

Pros

  • Runs offline on-device
  • Good accuracy (Whisper-based)
  • Clean, simple Mac app
  • Privacy-focused

Cons

  • No AI text enhancement
  • No voice editing commands
  • Requires subscription
  • Less polished output than AI-enhanced options

Which one should you choose?

Choose DeepFlo if...

  • You want polished, AI-enhanced output
  • You write emails, docs, or content regularly
  • You want to edit with voice commands
  • You're okay with cloud processing
Try DeepFlo →

Choose Apple Dictation if...

  • You just need occasional quick notes
  • You want something free and simple
  • You prefer offline/on-device processing
  • You don't mind cleaning up text manually

Choose Whisper if...

  • Privacy is your top priority
  • You're comfortable with technical setup
  • You want fully offline operation
  • You don't need real-time dictation

Choose Otter.ai if...

  • You mainly need meeting transcription
  • You want speaker identification
  • You collaborate with a team
  • Real-time dictation isn't your use case

Ready to try AI-powered dictation?

DeepFlo's free tier gives you 2,000 words/week. No credit card required.

Download DeepFlo for MacFree plan available • macOS 12+