The short answer
Apple Dictation is the right pick if you want words on the screen with nothing to install. Voiceinator is the right pick if you dictate emails, notes or drafts and want them to come out clean. Both are free.
Side by side
Both apps are free. They differ in cleanup, setup and which Macs they run on.
| Apple Dictation | Voiceinator | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, built into macOS | Free, no account, no trial |
| Setup | Turn it on in System Settings | Install the app (about 4.4 GB), allow Microphone, Accessibility and Input Monitoring |
| What you get | Your words, transcribed | Clean text: ums dropped, restarts fixed |
| Word list | Uses what macOS knows | Your own list for names, clients and jargon |
| Rewrite by voice | Not part of Dictation | Highlight text, say what to change |
| Which Macs | Intel and Apple Silicon | Apple Silicon (M1 or newer), macOS 14 or later |
| Offline | Depends on your language and settings | Yes. Speech to text and cleanup both run on your Mac |
Where Apple Dictation wins
Apple Dictation is already on your Mac. There's nothing to download, it runs on Intel Macs and older versions of macOS, and it's good for a quick line in a text box. If that's all you need, use it and skip ours.
Where Voiceinator wins
Voiceinator cleans up after you. Say "um, so can you, can you send me the draft" and it types a finished sentence. It also matches the app you're in, so Slack sounds like Slack and email sounds like email, and it keeps a word list so your names and jargon come out spelled right.
- Hold Right Option (or any key you pick), talk, let go.
- Highlight a sentence and say "make this warmer" to rewrite just that sentence.
- Meeting mode turns a call into notes with action items and who owns each one.
What happens to your voice
With Voiceinator, your audio and your text stay on your Mac. Nothing is uploaded. The only network use is the update check, plus the optional Accurate model download if you turn it on. Apple's handling depends on your macOS version and language, so check Apple's own dictation privacy page for yours. Our details are on the privacy page.
Common questions
Voiceinator and Apple Dictation can sit side by side on the same Mac, and Voiceinator costs nothing.
Is Voiceinator better than Apple Dictation?
For clean emails, notes and drafts, yes. It removes ums and fixes restarts before typing. For a quick line with no install, Apple Dictation is easier, and it also runs on Intel Macs.
Is Voiceinator really free?
Yes. No account, no card, no trial, and no monthly plan.
Can I use both?
Yes. They don't conflict. Keep Apple Dictation for quick lines and use Voiceinator when you want the text cleaned up.
Does Voiceinator work offline?
Yes. Both default models come inside the app, so it works with no internet. It goes online only for updates and the optional Accurate model.
Updated October 27, 2026.