# Best offline dictation software, ranked by user sentiment

31 registry tools match this list. 7 have enough public posts to rank, 1,678 posts in all, collected between Jun 19, 2026 and Sep 16, 2026.

**Quick answer**

**Spokenly** has the highest Index score on this list: 7.0 ± 0.3 out of 10, from 244 posts (Jun 20 to Sep 16, 2026).

That lead is inside the margin of error. Spokenly, Handy, OpenWhispr, VoiceInk and MacWhisper are statistically tied, so treat them as one leading group rather than a settled order.

- Highest-scoring tool that is free outright: [Handy](https://dictationindex.com/tools/handy), #2 at 7.0 ± 0.4
- Highest-scoring open-source tool: [Handy](https://dictationindex.com/tools/handy), #2 at 7.0 ± 0.4

Updated September 16, 2026 · Every registry tool that processes speech on the device, or is hybrid and listed as offline capable. Cloud-only tools are excluded.

## The ranking

Ordered by Index score. Where two scores are closer than their margins allow, the row says so: the order among tied tools is not settled.

- **#1 [Spokenly](https://dictationindex.com/tools/spokenly)**: 7.0 / 10 from 244 posts (47% positive, 47% neutral, 6% negative). ± 0.3 margin · posts from Jun 20 to Sep 16, 2026 · statistically tied with #1 to #5. Privacy-first Mac and iOS dictation with free local models and optional cloud AI. Badges: Top on accuracy, Top on price.
- **#2 [Handy](https://dictationindex.com/tools/handy)**: 7.0 / 10 from 176 posts (48% positive, 44% neutral, 8% negative). ± 0.4 margin · posts from Jun 20 to Sep 16, 2026 · statistically tied with #1 to #5. Open-source offline dictation for Mac, Windows and Linux, MIT licensed. Badges: Top on privacy, Top on platform support, Top on usability.
- **#3 [OpenWhispr](https://dictationindex.com/tools/openwhispr)**: 6.9 / 10 from 270 posts (42% positive, 54% neutral, 4% negative). ± 0.3 margin · posts from Jun 19 to Sep 16, 2026 · statistically tied with #1 to #5. Open-source Wispr Flow alternative with local Whisper, MIT licensed. Badges: Open source.
- **#4 [VoiceInk](https://dictationindex.com/tools/voiceink)**: 6.7 / 10 from 169 posts (45% positive, 45% neutral, 10% negative). ± 0.4 margin · posts from Jun 19 to Sep 16, 2026 · statistically tied with #1 to #5. On-device Whisper and Parakeet dictation for Mac, one-time purchase, GPL licensed. Badges: Top on speed, Open source.
- **#5 [MacWhisper](https://dictationindex.com/tools/macwhisper)**: 6.6 / 10 from 145 posts (40% positive, 54% neutral, 6% negative). ± 0.4 margin · posts from Jun 23 to Sep 16, 2026 · statistically tied with #1 to #5. Local Whisper dictation and file transcription for Mac, one-time purchase. Badges: On-device.
- **#6 [Superwhisper](https://dictationindex.com/tools/superwhisper)**: 6.0 / 10 from 554 posts (34% positive, 51% neutral, 15% negative). ± 0.2 margin · posts from Aug 21 to Sep 16, 2026. Local Whisper dictation for Mac and iPhone, with optional cloud models.
- **#7 [Apple Dictation](https://dictationindex.com/tools/apple-dictation)**: 3.2 / 10 from 120 posts (15% positive, 32% neutral, 53% negative). ± 0.5 margin · posts from Jun 21 to Sep 15, 2026. Built-in dictation on Mac, iPhone and iPad, on-device on Apple Silicon.

## Scores and facts in one table

The same ranking as plain data. "Posts cover" is the period each tool's posts actually span.

**Best offline dictation software: scores, sample sizes and registry facts**

| Rank | Tool | Score | Margin | Posts | Posts cover | Positive | Negative | Platforms | Processing | Pricing | Free |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Spokenly](https://dictationindex.com/tools/spokenly) | 7.0 | ± 0.3 | 244 | Jun 20 to Sep 16, 2026 | 47% | 6% | macOS, iOS | Hybrid | From $9.99/mo | Free tier |
| 2 | [Handy](https://dictationindex.com/tools/handy) | 7.0 | ± 0.4 | 176 | Jun 20 to Sep 16, 2026 | 48% | 8% | macOS, Windows, Linux | On-device | Free / open-source | Free |
| 3 | [OpenWhispr](https://dictationindex.com/tools/openwhispr) | 6.9 | ± 0.3 | 270 | Jun 19 to Sep 16, 2026 | 42% | 4% | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS | Hybrid | Free / open-source | Free |
| 4 | [VoiceInk](https://dictationindex.com/tools/voiceink) | 6.7 | ± 0.4 | 169 | Jun 19 to Sep 16, 2026 | 45% | 10% | macOS | On-device | $29 one-time | Free tier |
| 5 | [MacWhisper](https://dictationindex.com/tools/macwhisper) | 6.6 | ± 0.4 | 145 | Jun 23 to Sep 16, 2026 | 40% | 6% | macOS | On-device | $69 one-time | Free tier |
| 6 | [Superwhisper](https://dictationindex.com/tools/superwhisper) | 6.0 | ± 0.2 | 554 | Aug 21 to Sep 16, 2026 | 34% | 15% | macOS, iOS | Hybrid | From $8.49/mo or $249.99 one-time | Free tier |
| 7 | [Apple Dictation](https://dictationindex.com/tools/apple-dictation) | 3.2 | ± 0.5 | 120 | Jun 21 to Sep 15, 2026 | 15% | 53% | macOS, iOS | Hybrid | Included | Free |

## What the ranked tools have in common, and where they differ

- 3 of the 7 ranked tools process speech on the device, 0 in the cloud and 4 offer both.
- 3 are free outright and 4 more have a free tier. 3 can be bought once instead of by subscription.
- 3 are open source.
- Sample sizes differ widely: from 120 to 554 posts per tool, and collection reaches back further for quieter tools, so check the "Posts cover" column before comparing two scores.

## Which tool do users rate best on each topic?

Every post is labelled with the topics it discusses. For each topic this shows the most and least favorably discussed tool on this list, among tools with at least 15 labelled posts on that topic.

| Topic | Most favorable | Least favorable | Tools compared |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Accuracy | [Spokenly](https://dictationindex.com/tools/spokenly) (85% positive, 11% negative, n = 27) | [Apple Dictation](https://dictationindex.com/tools/apple-dictation) (14% positive, 86% negative, n = 44) | 7 |
| Speed | [VoiceInk](https://dictationindex.com/tools/voiceink) (100% positive, 0% negative, n = 21) | [MacWhisper](https://dictationindex.com/tools/macwhisper) (76% positive, 24% negative, n = 17) | 6 |
| Price | [Spokenly](https://dictationindex.com/tools/spokenly) (95% positive, 5% negative, n = 42) | [Superwhisper](https://dictationindex.com/tools/superwhisper) (35% positive, 60% negative, n = 55) | 6 |
| Reliability | [OpenWhispr](https://dictationindex.com/tools/openwhispr) (30% positive, 65% negative, n = 20) | [Superwhisper](https://dictationindex.com/tools/superwhisper) (12% positive, 88% negative, n = 17) | 2 |
| Privacy | [Handy](https://dictationindex.com/tools/handy) (100% positive, 0% negative, n = 22) | [Superwhisper](https://dictationindex.com/tools/superwhisper) (77% positive, 13% negative, n = 39) | 5 |
| Platform support | [Handy](https://dictationindex.com/tools/handy) (92% positive, 0% negative, n = 24) | [Superwhisper](https://dictationindex.com/tools/superwhisper) (30% positive, 50% negative, n = 60) | 6 |
| Usability | [Handy](https://dictationindex.com/tools/handy) (95% positive, 5% negative, n = 73) | [Apple Dictation](https://dictationindex.com/tools/apple-dictation) (26% positive, 74% negative, n = 43) | 7 |

## Also on this list, not ranked

24 more registry tools match this list but have too few qualifying posts to rank. They are listed so the ranking is not mistaken for the whole market.

| Tool | What it is | Score | Why it is not ranked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Apple Voice Control](https://dictationindex.com/tools/apple-voice-control) | Full voice control of Mac, iPhone and iPad with built-in dictation, fully offline | Not scored | 4 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [BetterDictation](https://dictationindex.com/tools/betterdictation) | Offline dictation for Mac focused on reliability in professional environments | Not scored | 3 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Braina](https://dictationindex.com/tools/braina) | AI assistant and dictation in 100+ languages for Windows, with offline mode | Not scored | 1 qualifying post, 50 needed |
| [Caster](https://dictationindex.com/tools/caster) | Open-source voice commands for 13+ languages, built on Dragon, Kaldi or WSR | Not scored | No qualifying posts collected yet |
| [Cursorless](https://dictationindex.com/tools/cursorless) | Structural voice editing for code in VS Code, built on Talon | Not scored | No qualifying posts collected yet |
| [Dictato](https://dictationindex.com/tools/dictato) | Ultra-fast offline Mac dictation with 80ms latency | Not scored | 8 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Dragon Professional](https://dictationindex.com/tools/dragon-professional) | Professional dictation and voice commands for Windows, from Nuance | Not scored | 6 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Dragonfly](https://dictationindex.com/tools/dragonfly) | Open-source speech recognition framework supporting Dragon, WSR and Kaldi backends | Not scored | No qualifying posts collected yet |
| [EmberType](https://dictationindex.com/tools/embertype) | Open-source Whisper-based dictation for Mac in 98+ languages | Not scored | No qualifying posts collected yet |
| [Gboard Voice Typing](https://dictationindex.com/tools/gboard-voice-typing) | Built-in voice keyboard on Android and iOS with offline language packs | Not scored | 11 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Google Voice Access](https://dictationindex.com/tools/google-voice-access) | Full phone control by voice for Android, with offline language packs | Not scored | 3 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [HyperWhisper](https://dictationindex.com/tools/hyperwhisper) | Open-source dictation with local Whisper and optional cloud routing | Not scored | 1 qualifying post, 50 needed |
| [nerd-dictation](https://dictationindex.com/tools/nerd-dictation) | Open-source offline dictation for Linux, driven from the command line | Not scored | 3 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Numen](https://dictationindex.com/tools/numen) | Open-source voice control and dictation for Linux | Not scored | No qualifying posts collected yet |
| [OpenTypeless](https://dictationindex.com/tools/opentypeless) | Open-source dictation with choice of speech and language model, MIT licensed | Not scored | 11 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [SpeechPulse](https://dictationindex.com/tools/speechpulse) | Fully on-device GPU-accelerated dictation for Windows and Mac, no account needed | Not scored | No qualifying posts collected yet |
| [Talon](https://dictationindex.com/tools/talon) | Hands-free computer control with dictation, scriptable in Python | Not scored | 3 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Utter](https://dictationindex.com/tools/utter) | AI voice keyboard for any app on Mac, iOS and Android with BYOK option | Not scored | 4 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Voibe](https://dictationindex.com/tools/voibe) | Fast private dictation for Mac and Windows, fully on-device on Apple Silicon | Not scored | 8 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Voicetypr](https://dictationindex.com/tools/voicetypr) | Fully on-device Whisper and Parakeet dictation for Mac and Windows, AGPL licensed | Not scored | 14 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Weesper Neon Flow](https://dictationindex.com/tools/weesper-neon-flow) | Offline dictation in 50+ languages for Mac and Windows | Not scored | 6 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Whispering](https://dictationindex.com/tools/whispering) | Open-source Whisper GUI for desktop and browser dictation | Not scored | 8 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Whisperstream](https://dictationindex.com/tools/whisperstream) | Local Whisper dictation for Windows, one-time purchase, no subscription | Not scored | 3 qualifying posts, 50 needed |
| [Windows Voice Access](https://dictationindex.com/tools/windows-voice-access) | Full voice control and dictation built into Windows 11, fully on-device | Not scored | 2 qualifying posts, 50 needed |

## Questions about this ranking

### What is the best offline dictation software?

By aggregated user sentiment, Spokenly scores highest at 7.0 ± 0.3 out of 10 from 244 posts, but Handy, OpenWhispr, VoiceInk and MacWhisper are within the margin of error, so they are statistically tied. Data through September 16, 2026.

### Which of these tools are free?

Spokenly, Handy, OpenWhispr, VoiceInk, MacWhisper, Superwhisper and Apple Dictation are free or have a free tier, according to the registry. The comparison table shows which is which.

### Which of these tools work offline?

Spokenly, Handy, OpenWhispr, VoiceInk, MacWhisper, Superwhisper and Apple Dictation can process speech on the device, according to the registry. The others send audio to a cloud service.

### How is this ranking calculated?

Every registry tool that processes speech on the device, or is hybrid and listed as offline capable. Cloud-only tools are excluded. Tools need at least 50 qualifying public posts to be ranked. Each post counts 10 if positive, 5 if neutral or mixed and 0 if negative, and the average is pulled slightly toward 5 so small samples cannot top the table. The ± figure is a 90% margin of error.

### Why is a tool I use missing from the ranking?

Tools with fewer than 50 qualifying posts are listed below the ranking without a rank. A tool whose collected posts are mostly about something else that shares its name is not scored at all.

Scores come from public posts on X, labelled positive, neutral, mixed or negative, then averaged with a small prior so thin samples cannot top the table. The ± figure is a 90% margin. Each tool lists the dates its posts actually cover. Data through September 16, 2026. [How scoring works](https://dictationindex.com/method)

---

Source: https://dictationindex.com/best/offline
The Dictation Index, September 2026 edition. Data through 2026-09-16. Method v0.2: https://dictationindex.com/method
Scores are aggregated sentiment from public posts on X. Quote a rank together with its margin and any statistical tie.
All data as JSON (CC BY 4.0): https://dictationindex.com/tools.json · Everything in one file: https://dictationindex.com/llms-full.txt