Voice typing for macOS
A background client and a global hotkey, typing into whatever window is in front — Mail, Slack, Xcode, Safari, Notes, a terminal. One uninterrupted pass however long you talk, and the same account works on your Windows and Linux machines too.
Does macOS already have dictation?
Yes, and it is free and already on your Mac. Its offline model is downloaded per language and per machine, and it is a macOS feature, so it stops at the edge of macOS. VibeVoice runs for as long as you hold the key, and the same key works on a Windows or Linux machine under one account.
If you dictate in short bursts on one Mac, Apple Dictation may be all you need, and it costs nothing.
It does not stop and ask you to start again
Dictating a long email or a document section works here as one uninterrupted pass: hold the key, talk, release. Nothing asks you to start again partway.
Your Mac is not doing the work
Recognition runs on our servers, so there is no local model to download and the work does not land on your hardware — the same on an M4 as on a 2019 Intel MacBook.
Getting it running on a Mac
Download and open the client
It runs in the menu bar. macOS will ask for microphone access, and for Accessibility permission so that it can type into other applications — that second prompt is the one people miss, and nothing will appear in your apps until it is granted.
Link it to your account
The client shows a device code that you confirm once in the browser. After that it holds an API key of its own; you do not sign in again on that machine.
Set a hotkey and dictate
Pick a shortcut that does not collide with Spotlight or Mission Control, put the cursor in any text field, hold it and speak. Text streams in as you go.
Where Apple Dictation stops
Apple Dictation is free, already on your Mac, and perfectly good for a sentence in a search box. It is worth being specific about where it runs out rather than vague about it being “limited”.
The offline model downloads per language and per machine. Quality varies with whichever model your Mac ended up with. And none of it follows you to Windows or Linux, because it is a macOS feature rather than a product. If you work on one Mac and dictate in short bursts, it may well be all you need, and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise.
The case for paying for something is continuous dictation, uniform behaviour across machines and operating systems, and transcription that does not depend on the age of your laptop. If your comparison is with a third-party Mac app rather than with Apple, the MacWhisper comparison is the more useful page.
What it does not do
- Accessibility permission is required. macOS will not let any application type into another one without it, and the client is no exception.
- It needs a network connection. Recognition happens on our servers, so there is no offline mode — on a plane, Apple Dictation with the offline model is the tool that still works.
- It is not voice control. You cannot drive menus, click buttons or navigate macOS by speaking; it types words. macOS Voice Control and Talon are the tools for that.
- There is no iOS app. On a phone the available path is sending voice notes to the WhatsApp bot and receiving text back.
Common questions
How is this different from the dictation already in macOS?+
Three things: it does not end a continuous session on its own, it behaves identically on your Windows and Linux machines under one account, and recognition runs server-side so it does not depend on which model your particular Mac downloaded.
Does it work on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs?+
Both. The macOS build is a universal binary — it carries an arm64 slice and an x86_64 slice, so it runs natively on either. Transcription then happens on our servers rather than locally, so an older Intel MacBook gets the same speed and the same accuracy as an M-series machine.
Why does it ask for Accessibility permission?+
macOS requires it before any application may send keystrokes to another application. Without it the client will run and record but no text will appear in your apps. It is granted once in System Settings, under Privacy & Security, Accessibility.
Does it work offline?+
No. Audio is streamed to our servers for transcription, so a connection is required. If offline dictation is a hard requirement, Superwhisper and MacWhisper both run the recognition locally on a Mac and are the right answer for that.
What does it cost on macOS?+
The same as everywhere else: 30 minutes a month free with no card, and €3 a month for Pro, which covers the macOS, Windows and Linux clients, uploaded recordings and the WhatsApp bot on one account.
Also on Windows 11 and Linux. Weighing it against a local Mac app? VibeVoice vs MacWhisper.
Last updated . Competitor figures checked August 2026: prices, platforms, and each vendor’s own description of when its text is finished, which is their account rather than our measurement. All of it changes, so check theirs before buying.