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A little less typing. A little more thinking.

Hold to talk.
Release to type.

Your thoughts, in the app you’re already using. Hold ⌥ Space, speak naturally, and let BetterWispr do the typing. Speech stays on your Mac.

Download for macOS

Free · macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon recommended

  • No account
  • Local speech models
  • Your vocabulary

Speak instead of typing, in any app on your Mac

Stays on your Mac

Speech is transcribed by a model running on your Mac. There is no account, no API key and no cloud fallback. Models download once, then work offline.

Hold to talk

Hold ⌥ Space while you speak and let go to finish. Prefer a toggle? Switch to press to toggle in Settings.

Pick your model

Apple speech, Parakeet for 25 European languages or English, and Whisper Large v3 Turbo. Switch whenever you like.

Types where you were

The text lands in the app you were using. If paste is blocked, it stays on your clipboard so nothing is lost.

Drops the ums

English uh, um, er and hmm are removed, along with stutters. Other languages are left as spoken, and history keeps every word.

Your vocabulary

Add names and terms as hints, and set replacements so the words you use come out the way you spell them.

History you control

Dictations are kept on your Mac with both the raw and the corrected text. Turn history off whenever you like.

A waveform that fits your voice

It learns the room's noise floor and your loudness, so quiet voices fill the bars and steady background noise stays flat.

Updates you can trust

New versions arrive from GitHub Releases through Sparkle and install only when their EdDSA signature matches.

Free and open source

Apache 2.0 licensed. Read every line on GitHub, report an issue, or build it yourself with make dev.

From thought to text

One shortcut.
Your everyday apps.

  1. 01

    Set up once

    Install BetterWispr, allow the needed permissions, and choose a local speech model.

  2. 02

    Hold and speak

    Place your cursor in a text field. Hold Option + Space and say what you want to write.

  3. 03

    Release to type

    Let go to transcribe. Your words arrive in the app you were using, ready to review.

Local by design

Your words stay
on your Mac.

Models run on your Mac. Downloads happen when you choose to install them. Your speech doesn’t need a round trip to a transcription server.

How your data is handled

Choose with context

Your voice. Your call.

There’s more than one good dictation app. Compare local processing, offline use and writing workflows before you choose.

All comparisons

BetterWispr vs Superwhisper

Local models, cloud options and configurable writing modes.

BetterWispr vs Wispr Flow

Polished writing across devices, with cloud processing.

BetterWispr vs Kivi by Sarvam

Multilingual dictation, remembered corrections and voice editing.

BetterWispr vs FluidVoice

Local speech recognition with optional AI writing enhancement.

Before you download

A few good questions.

Is BetterWispr free?

Yes. BetterWispr has no dictation subscription, account or API key requirement. Model files use storage on your Mac.

Which Macs does it support?

BetterWispr requires macOS 14 or later. Apple Silicon is recommended for local model inference. Model availability and performance depend on your hardware and language.

Does it work without internet?

Yes, once a compatible local model and its required assets are installed. Downloadable models need an explicit installation first. Apple on device speech also depends on supported languages and OS assets. There is no cloud transcription fallback.

How do I dictate?

Focus a text field, hold Option + Space, speak, and release to transcribe. You can switch to press to toggle in Settings. Transcription begins after recording stops, rather than appearing word by word while you talk.

Why does it need permissions?

Microphone permission lets BetterWispr record your voice. Accessibility permission allows automatic insertion into another app. Apple speech also requires Speech Recognition permission. You control these in System Settings.

What if automatic paste does not work?

BetterWispr checks the target app before inserting text. If it cannot safely paste, retrieve the transcript from the dashboard and copy it yourself. Secure fields and some apps may block automatic insertion.

Which languages are supported?

Language support depends on the selected model. Parakeet TDT v3 covers 25 European languages; Whisper offers broader multilingual recognition. Apple speech depends on your locale and installed assets. Test your chosen model with your own speech.

Does it rewrite everything I say?

BetterWispr applies local transcript cleanup and your configured replacements. It keeps raw and corrected text distinct in history. It does not send your words to a cloud writing service.

Your next thought, in your own words

Give your keyboard a break.

Local speech models. The apps you already use. A little more room to think.

Download for macOS

macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon recommended · No account in the app