Compare
The best local dictation app for Mac, compared.
Flit does one thing completely: you speak, finished text lands at your cursor, and nothing leaves your Mac. 20 comparisons below, each with the prices checked against that product’s own page and a straight answer about where it still has the edge.
Prefer one ranked answer? The 15 best dictation apps for Mac, with a best-for label on every entry.
If you are replacing Wispr Flow, that is the page to start with. Flit is the closest local equivalent: the same instant formatted dictation, without the cloud, the account, or the monthly bill.
Every tool at a glance
| Tool | Price | Where it runs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
 Flit
| $49 once | Your Mac, always | Daily dictation on a Mac, nothing uploaded |
| Wispr Flow | Subscription, monthly | Cloud | you dictate on more than a Mac, or you want a dictionary that follows you between devices |
| Superwhisper | Free tier, $249.99 lifetime, or subscription | Your Mac, or cloud models | you also need to transcribe recorded files or take meeting notes |
| SpeakMac | $29 once (1 Mac), $39 (2 Macs) | Your Mac | you are on an Intel Mac or macOS 13, you need meeting recordings, or $20 decides it |
| Spokenly | Free, or $9.99/mo Pro | Local or cloud, your choice | you want free, or you write on more than a Mac |
| VoiceInk | $25 to $49 once, by Mac count | Your Mac | auditable source or the lowest price matters most, and you do not need streaming or a codebase index |
| FluidVoice | Free, open source (GPLv3) | Your Mac; optional cloud cleanup via OpenAI or Groq | free and open source is the deciding factor, you are on an Intel Mac, or you need multi-hour recordings transcribed |
| Snaply | Free for individuals | Your Mac | you want meeting notes and writing help in one free app, or English plus European languages is all you need |
| Utter | Free, or $5/mo, $59.99/yr | Local free, cloud on Pro | you want dictation on your iPhone too, or you also need file and meeting transcription |
| Voibe | $7.50/mo, $59/yr, $149 lifetime | On your Mac with M1 or newer, or cloud | you also write on Windows, or you have an Intel Mac |
| Yaps | $12/mo billed yearly, or $15/mo. Free tier is mobile only | Your device | you want file transcription, voice notes and dictation in one subscription, or you dictate on Windows, Linux or a phone |
| Typeless | Free 8,000 words/week, or $12/mo billed yearly | Their servers | you write on more than a Mac, you need 100+ languages, or you want team controls like SSO and audit logs |
| Aqua Voice | $8/mo Pro, $24/mo Max | Cloud | you want it on iPhone too, or you want to try it free before deciding |
| Willow Voice | Not published on site | Not stated; offline mode offered | your organization requires SOC 2 or HIPAA paperwork, or you need Windows and iPhone |
| MacWhisper | Free tier, about €59 once for Pro | Your Mac | you have recorded audio or video that needs a transcript |
| Apple Dictation | Free, built into macOS | Your Mac, for supported languages | you dictate occasionally and do not mind tidying the result |
| Otter.ai | Freemium subscription | Cloud | you need a record of conversations with other people |
| AudioPen | $99/year, or $33 for 3 months | In AudioPen, to copy out | you want to capture spoken thoughts on any device and have them rewritten into polished prose |
| Dragon | Professional licensing, historically costly | Mac product discontinued | you are on Windows and need specialist vocabularies or full command and control |
| Talon Voice | Free, with paid supporter tiers | Your Mac | you need to control your computer without a keyboard, or you want to code by voice properly |
| Whisper (do it yourself) | Free, plus your time | Your Mac | you want total control, or the building is the point |
Prices come from each product's own pricing page and change over time. Confirm before you buy, and tell us if we have one wrong.
Dictation apps, the direct comparison
Same job as Flit: you talk, text appears in the app you are using.
Flit vs Wispr Flow
The subscription leader, in the cloud
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Superwhisper
A powerful local toolbox, at a price
Read the comparison →
Flit vs SpeakMac
The other local, buy-once Mac tool
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Spokenly
Free, cross-platform, cloud on the upsell
Read the comparison →
Flit vs VoiceInk
Open source, local, and cheaper
Read the comparison →
Flit vs FluidVoice
Free, open source, local-first
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Snaply
Free, local, and does meetings too
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Utter
Mac and iPhone, freemium
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Voibe
Mac and Windows, account required
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Yaps
A local toolkit, on a subscription
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Typeless
Cloud, metered by the word
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Aqua Voice
Reads your screen, in the cloud
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Willow Voice
Built for compliance, on every platform
Read the comparison →
Adjacent tools that solve a different problem
People compare these with Flit, but they answer a different question. Often the right answer is to own both.
Flit vs MacWhisper
A file transcriber, not a dictation app
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Otter.ai
Meeting notes, not typing
Read the comparison →
Flit vs AudioPen
Spoken notes, rewritten into prose
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Talon Voice
Full voice control, a different tool
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Dragon
The legacy incumbent, not for Mac
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Apple Dictation
Free, built in, and basic
Read the comparison →
Flit vs Whisper (do it yourself)
Free models, and a project to maintain
Read the comparison →
Your voice was always faster.
Not out yet. $29 USD once when it is, with no account, no subscription and nothing uploaded.
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macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon