MioTypeThe best dictation apps for Mac in 2026
Typing is the slowest part of a lot of work now. A prompt for a coding agent, a long reply in Slack, a bug report with three paragraphs of context — you can say any of these in a third of the time it takes to type them.
The Mac has had dictation for years, and in the last two a handful of apps have rebuilt it around modern speech models. This list covers the six worth looking at, what each costs, and who each one is for.
How this list is ordered
By where your speech is processed by default, then alphabetically:
- On your Mac — nothing leaves the machine: Apple Dictation (for supported languages), Superwhisper, VoiceInk.
- In the cloud — more AI editing and extras, but audio goes to a server: MioType, Typeless, Wispr Flow.
That is the only ranking. Prices and platforms are in the table so you can sort by what matters to you. MioType is our app; we have marked it as our pick and said plainly what it does not do.
| App | Free tier | Paid | Platforms | Default processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Dictation | Built in | — | Mac, iPhone, iPad | On device for supported languages |
| Superwhisper | Free plan with local Whisper models | Pro from $8.49/month | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | On device |
| VoiceInk | — | $25 once (1 Mac) | Mac (Apple silicon) | On device |
| MioType | 3,000 cloud words a week, or unlimited local | $9.99/month, $59.99/year, $149 once | Mac (Apple silicon) | Cloud, local optional |
| Typeless | Limited words a week (number not listed) | $30/month, or $12/month billed yearly | Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | Cloud |
| Wispr Flow | 2,000 words a week on desktop | $15/month, or $12/month billed yearly | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Cloud |
Prices checked on October 15, 2026, on each app's own website (links below).
1. Apple Dictation
Already on your Mac. Put the cursor where you want text, then press the Microphone key or the Dictation shortcut you set in System Settings → Keyboard. Apple's guide says there is no length limit; it stops on its own after 30 seconds of silence, and Keyboard settings tell you whether your language is processed on device.
Good for: short messages, and anyone who doesn't want to install anything.
Where it falls short: no punctuation clean-up beyond the basics, no custom vocabulary, and technical words — kubectl, useEffect, a colleague's surname — often come out wrong.
2. Superwhisper
A polished app that runs Whisper models on your Mac, with cloud models and your own API keys on the paid plan. Its site lists a free plan with unlimited use of local Whisper models, and Pro from $8.49 a month, with yearly and lifetime options. Superwhisper is now on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android.
Good for: people who want local transcription and like to tune modes and prompts.
Where it falls short: translation on Pro is into English only, and the number of settings can be a lot if you just want to talk.
3. VoiceInk
Local, open source, and sold once. VoiceInk costs $25 for one Mac, $39 for two or $49 for three, with lifetime updates and a 14-day refund. Transcription runs on your Mac; an optional cloud enhancement sends only the text. It needs Apple silicon and macOS 14.4 or later.
Good for: developers who want to read the code and never pay a subscription.
Where it falls short: fewer extras than the cloud apps, and you depend on your Mac's own horsepower for accuracy.
4. MioType ⭐ Editor's Pick
This is our app — weigh that accordingly.
MioType is built for people who write in two languages, especially developers who think in Chinese and prompt in English. Press Fn, talk, press Fn again and the text lands at your cursor in any app — terminal, editor, a Claude Code or Codex prompt. On top of dictation:
- Fn + Left Shift: speak Chinese, get English (and back).
- Fn + Control: translate the selected text in place; select a single word and you get a dictionary card.
- Fn + Space: ask a question, or ask about the selection.
- Words it learns: fix a misheard word in the text box after dictating, and MioType adds it to your dictionary.
A free account includes 3,000 cloud words a week. Or switch to the local Whisper model in Settings, which needs no account and keeps everything on your Mac. Pro adds 100,000 cloud words a month for $9.99/month, $59.99/year or $149 once; see pricing for what is on sale today.
Where it falls short: Mac with Apple silicon only — no Windows, no iPhone. Cloud is the default, so audio leaves your Mac unless you switch to the local model. And it is new.
5. Typeless
The most AI-forward app here. Typeless rewrites as you speak: it drops filler, keeps only your final version when you change your mind, formats lists, and adapts to each app and to your writing style. It translates as you speak, edits selected text by voice, and answers questions with the latest information from the web. It runs on Mac (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. The free plan has a weekly word limit its site does not state; Pro is unlimited at $30 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly, with team billing included.
Good for: people who want polished writing rather than a transcript, on every device they own, including Linux.
Where it falls short: the highest monthly price here; everything goes through the cloud, and its site does not list a way to turn the rewriting off. We compare it with MioType in MioType vs Typeless.
6. Wispr Flow
The best-known cloud dictation app, and — with Superwhisper and Typeless — one of three here on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Wispr Flow's pricing lists a free plan with 2,000 words a week on desktop (1,000 on mobile), and Pro with unlimited dictation at $15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly.
Good for: people who dictate all day across a Mac, a Windows PC and a phone.
Where it falls short: price, if you only dictate in bursts; and everything goes through the cloud. We compare it with MioType in detail in MioType vs Wispr Flow.
Which one should you pick?
- Free and already installed: Apple Dictation.
- Local, pay once, open source: VoiceInk.
- Local, lots of control, also on your phone: Superwhisper — see MioType vs Superwhisper.
- Every platform, unlimited, and you dictate all day: Wispr Flow — or Typeless if you also need Linux or want the most AI editing.
- You switch between Chinese and English, or read a lot of English you'd rather see in Chinese: MioType.
If you are leaving Wispr Flow or Typeless specifically, the Wispr Flow alternatives and Typeless alternatives are sorted by the reason you're leaving.