Comparison
The best free dictation apps for Mac
Last updated 27 August 2026
What is the best free dictation app for Mac?
It depends what you want. Handy is the most popular free open-source choice and runs on three platforms. OpenWhispr is MIT licensed with multiple model options. FluidVoice is fully on-device on macOS. MemoFlow is free for unlimited dictation and also records meetings.
All four transcribe on your own hardware, so none of them charge you monthly and none of them send your voice anywhere. The differences are about scope and licence, not quality.
How the free options compare
Handy, OpenWhispr and FluidVoice are free and open source, dictation only, and cost nothing indefinitely. MemoFlow is free for unlimited dictation, closed source, Mac only, and adds paid meeting recording on top.
| App | Pricing model | 1 year | 5 years | On-device |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MemoFlow | Free dictation forever, then one-time price, announced at launch | One-time | One-time | Yes |
| Handy | Free, open source | $0 | $0 | Yes |
| OpenWhispr | Free, MIT licensed | $0 | $0 | Optional |
| FluidVoice | Free, open source | $0 | $0 | Yes |
If your requirement is “free dictation, nothing more”, any of these will do the job and the open-source ones have the advantage of being auditable. MemoFlow earns its place on this list only if the meeting side is useful to you, or if you need Hindi and Hinglish.
Are free dictation apps as accurate as paid ones?
Largely yes. Most run the same underlying Whisper models on your own machine, so accuracy tracks the model and your microphone far more than the price. What paid apps buy is workflow depth, polish and support rather than better transcription.
What does MemoFlow add?
Two things: on-device Hindi and Hinglish transcription, which nothing else here offers, and meeting recording — both sides of a call captured as separate tracks, with summaries, action items and searchable answers across your history.
Dictation is free forever. The meeting features are one payment, never a subscription — see pricing.
When is a paid app worth it instead?
When dictation is central to your work and you want the deepest available workflow. superwhisper at $249 is the most refined Mac dictation tool made. MacWhisper at around €59 is the best option for transcribing recorded audio files in bulk.
| App | Pricing model | 1 year | 5 years | On-device |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MemoFlow | Free dictation forever, then one-time price, announced at launch | One-time | One-time | Yes |
| Wispr Flow | Subscription, $15/mo | $180 | $900 | No |
| superwhisper | One-time, $249 | $249 | $249 | Yes |
| MacWhisper | Free tier, ~€59 one-time | ~$64 | ~$64 | Yes |
| Handy | Free, open source | $0 | $0 | Yes |
| OpenWhispr | Free, MIT licensed | $0 | $0 | Optional |
| FluidVoice | Free, open source | $0 | $0 | Yes |
Pick something else if…
…you need Windows or Linux. MemoFlow is Mac-only. Handy and OpenWhispr are not — either is a better answer for a mixed-platform setup.
…open source is a requirement. MemoFlow is closed source. If you need to read what is running on your machine, Handy, OpenWhispr and FluidVoice all qualify and MemoFlow does not.
…you only transcribe existing audio files. MacWhisper is built for that workflow and does it better.
Free, unlimited, on-device dictation for your Mac.
macOS 26 · Apple Silicon · English, हिन्दी and Hinglish