The best local dictation apps
Local dictation turns your speech into text on your own machine, instead of streaming your voice to someone else's server. That means it works offline, keeps your words private, and does not need an account to start. Here is what separates a real local app from a cloud one wearing a privacy badge, and how the main options stack up.
What to look for
On-device transcription
The whole point of local dictation is that your speech is turned into text on your own machine. No upload, no server, no account required to start.
Works offline
If it needs the internet to transcribe, it is not really local. A local app keeps working on a plane, on a train, or when the wifi drops.
Clear privacy story
Look for tools that spell out exactly what leaves your machine. Open source is the strongest version of this, because you can verify it yourself.
Honest pricing
Many dictation apps are subscriptions. A one-time price or a genuine free tier is worth a lot when you dictate every day.
Works in every app
Good dictation types into whatever you are using, from email to your editor, not just one built-in box.
Glimpse
We build Glimpse, so call this biased, but it is built around every point above. Press a shortcut, talk, and it types into whatever app you are using, with transcription that never leaves your device.
- Transcription runs entirely on your device
- Works offline, in any app
- Free dictation forever, no word limits
- Open source under AGPL-3.0, so you can audit it
- One-time price for the paid features, no subscription
- Runs on both macOS and Windows
How it compares to the alternatives
Glimpse is not the only option. Here are honest, side-by-side looks at how it compares to the other popular dictation tools.
Want the full list? See all comparisons.