Best voice to text software for Mac in 2026

Published July 16, 2026

Best voice to text software for Mac in 2026 (quick pick)

Not every voice-to-text tool does the same thing. Before comparing apps, it helps to know which category you actually need:

• Live dictation into any app: Clovy. Hold the fn key, speak, and polished text lands at your cursor in any Mac app. Free to start; Pro is $20/month.
• Transcription of audio or video files: MacWhisper. It transcribes existing recordings on your Mac using locally run models like Whisper and Parakeet, with optional cloud providers. Version 14 launched in July 2026 with a new transcript editor and faster performance.
• Meeting notes without a bot: Clovy. It records from your Mac's audio so no participant bot joins the call, and transcripts and notes are stored on your device.
• Offline-first needs: MacWhisper (local transcription of files) or Superwhisper's fully on-device Pro configuration on Apple Silicon. Clovy is partially offline: your dictation history and notes stay readable without internet, but model calls for dictation and cleanup require a connection.

Clovy's category is live push-to-talk dictation with AI writing cleanup and a private workspace. It is not primarily a file transcription tool.

Dictation vs transcription vs meeting notes: pick the right tool

These three terms get used interchangeably in most listicles, but they describe different workflows.

Clovy is built for live dictation into any app, with meeting notes as an adjacent feature that uses the same private infrastructure. If you need to batch-transcribe a folder of audio files, MacWhisper is the more direct fit.

What makes Clovy different for 2026 dictation

Several Mac voice-to-text apps exist in 2026, and a few do live dictation reasonably well. Clovy's differentiation comes down to three things.

Push-to-talk with polished output. The default shortcut is the fn key: hold it, speak, release. Clovy transcribes what you said and then runs a cleanup pass that removes filler words, adds correct punctuation, and applies the writing style you selected. You can choose standard, casual lowercase, or formal. The result is writing that reads like you would have typed it, not a raw transcript. For longer stretches, a hands-free toggle keeps the session open without holding a key.

Privacy that is on by default. Audio and prompts leave your Mac for inference, but they route to zero-retention Venice models by default. That means the model provider stores nothing and trains on nothing. Your dictation history is stored on your Mac, not on OpenSoftware servers. OpenSoftware retains account, login, and billing records, plus anything you deliberately submit in an in-app issue report.

Privacy you can verify, not just trust. Clovy is open source and MIT-licensed. The Clovy API, which routes model calls, runs in a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) and serves cryptographic attestation at opensoftware.co/verify. You can confirm what code is running on the servers yourself. That level of verifiability is uncommon among dictation tools, most of which rely on policy statements rather than technical proof.

How live dictation works in Clovy

The workflow is simple by design:

1. Install Clovy on macOS 14 or later (Apple Silicon or Intel).
2. Click into any app where you want to type: an email draft, a chat input, a code comment, a terminal.
3. Hold the fn key and speak naturally.
4. Release the key. Clovy processes the audio, cleans it up, and types the result at your cursor.

Hands-free mode is available for longer dictation sessions where holding a key is inconvenient. You toggle it on, speak as long as you need, and toggle it off when finished.

Because Clovy operates at the system level, there is no per-app setup. It types into the active text field regardless of which app is open: your email client, a browser text box, a Markdown editor, a commit message in the terminal. The Clovy private dictation feature requires no integrations or extensions to function across apps.

Accuracy and cleanup expectations

Clovy is not designed to produce raw transcription. The goal is writing quality output: punctuation is added, filler words are removed, and the result reads like composed text rather than a spoken stream.

A few practical habits improve results:

• Speak at a measured pace. Very fast speech with no pauses increases transcription errors before cleanup.
• Pronounce names, acronyms, and numbers clearly. For unusual proper nouns, say them slowly the first time.
• Pause briefly between distinct ideas rather than running sentences together.
• Use a decent microphone. The built-in Mac microphone works, but a headset or external mic noticeably reduces errors in noisy environments.

Common dictation pain points and how Clovy handles them:

• Filler words (um, uh, like): Removed by default during the cleanup pass.
• Missing punctuation: Added contextually based on sentence structure and natural pauses.
• Formatting inconsistencies: The writing style setting (standard, casual lowercase, formal) gives you a consistent output register across sessions.
• Long dictations: Clovy supports extended recording sessions for stretches where a single short press-and-release is not enough.

Privacy: what leaves your Mac and what stays local

Most dictation tools are vague about this. Clovy is precise.

When you dictate, the audio leaves your Mac and is sent for transcription and cleanup. By default, that request routes to zero-retention Venice models. Zero retention means the provider does not store the audio or transcript after the request completes, and it does not use your input for model training.

What stays on your Mac:

• Your dictation history
• Meeting recordings, transcripts, and notes
• App state, sessions, and agent memory

What OpenSoftware stores on its servers:

• Account, login, and billing records
• Anything you deliberately submit in an in-app issue report, which sends your description, diagnostics, and attachments to the team

Clovy is partially offline. Your dictation history and stored notes remain readable without an internet connection. Dictation itself, note generation, and the local agent all require a live model call, which needs internet. Claiming otherwise would be inaccurate, and the FAQ documents this directly.

Two separate assurances back the privacy claims, and it is worth keeping them distinct. First, the Clovy API runs in a TEE and serves cryptographic attestation at opensoftware.co/verify, which lets you verify the code executing inside the enclave. Second, the default Venice routing carries a contractual zero-retention commitment from the provider. The attestation proves what Clovy's own infrastructure runs; the zero-retention commitment covers what the model provider does with what it receives. Together they replace "trust our policy" with something you can actually check.

Clovy compared to the main Mac voice-to-text options in 2026

A few comparisons worth expanding:

Clovy vs MacWhisper. MacWhisper transcribes audio and video files you already have, using locally run models like Whisper and Parakeet, with optional cloud transcription providers. It is strong for processing recorded content on your Mac. Clovy types into your cursor while you speak. These are different workflows. MacWhisper 14 (July 2026) added a new transcript editor and speed improvements. If you need to transcribe a recorded interview, MacWhisper is the better fit. If you need to write by voice in your email client right now, Clovy is. You can read a full breakdown in the Clovy vs Superwhisper comparison for similar tradeoffs around local model modes.

Clovy vs Wispr Flow. Wispr Flow's transcription always happens in the cloud. By default, audio and transcripts are stored on its servers and may be used to train its models; reaching its zero-retention state requires turning Privacy Mode on and Cloud Sync off, a combination that is only the default on Enterprise and HIPAA plans. Clovy routes to zero-retention models by default on every plan and keeps history on your Mac. The Clovy vs Wispr Flow page covers the data control differences in detail.

Clovy vs Superwhisper. Superwhisper offers a genuine fully on-device configuration: with Superwhisper Pro on Apple Silicon, both the voice model and the language model can run locally, so dictation in that setup never touches a server. Clovy does not offer an on-device model mode. That is an honest tradeoff, and Superwhisper deserves the credit. Superwhisper also has a free tier, a manual meeting recording mode with summaries, and a Windows 10+ version with feature gaps. Outside the on-device configuration, Clovy's privacy defaults are stronger: zero-retention routing by default on every plan, including free, with no manual setup.

Clovy vs Otter.ai. Otter's OtterPilot bot can join your Zoom, Meet, or Teams calls as a visible participant via calendar integration, and Otter also offers bot-free desktop capture from system audio. Either way, recordings and transcripts are stored in Otter's US AWS cloud, and its trust page says de-identified recordings and transcripts train its models automatically. Clovy's meeting notes record from your Mac's audio directly, so nothing joins the call, and transcripts stay on your device. OpenSoftware never trains on your data.

Clovy vs ChatGPT Desktop. ChatGPT Desktop requires Apple Silicon and macOS 14+. OpenAI retired voice mode from the macOS app in January 2026. The current Record mode, available on paid plans with a 240-minute cap, captures meetings from system audio and deletes raw audio after transcription, but that processing happens on OpenAI's servers and the results live in your ChatGPT history there. Clovy also requires macOS 14+ and runs on both Apple Silicon and Intel. The Clovy vs ChatGPT Desktop comparison documents the practical differences.

Clovy vs Apple Dictation. Apple's built-in Dictation is free, and Apple documents that general text dictation can be processed on your device rather than sent to Siri servers, depending on your settings and Mac model; you can check this in Keyboard settings. It does not apply AI writing cleanup. Clovy adds punctuation correction, filler-word removal, and selectable writing styles on top of transcription. If you want raw speech-to-text with no cost and no account, Apple Dictation is a reasonable baseline. If you want writing quality output and private AI infrastructure, Clovy is the upgrade.

Dragon for Mac in 2026: discontinued, not replaced

Nuance Dragon for Mac is no longer available. Nuance discontinued Dragon Professional Individual for Mac in October 2018, and its own support pages document the end-of-life dates; existing perpetual licenses kept working but the product received no further updates and is not supported on current macOS versions. If you are searching for Dragon Professional for Mac or wondering what replaced it, the short answer is that no single app occupies the same space.

For live push-to-talk dictation with AI writing cleanup, Clovy covers that use case. For local Whisper-based transcription of files, MacWhisper covers that ground. For voice navigation and accessibility-focused input, Apple's built-in Voice Control and accessibility tools are worth evaluating.

Pricing and hardware requirements

Clovy runs on macOS 14 or later on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

• Hobby (free): Includes dictation with the same zero-retention privacy standard as Pro. Good for trying Clovy on real work before committing.
• Pro ($20/month): More usage across dictation, meeting notes, and the local agent. Extended agent sessions, access to all models, and scheduled routines for recurring tasks.

Note on offline use: Clovy's history, notes, and files stay on your Mac and remain accessible without internet. Dictation, note generation, and the agent require a live model call and will not function without a connection. The app does not claim otherwise.

Frequently asked questions

Is Clovy's dictation processed on my Mac? The app and your dictation history live on your Mac. The audio itself is sent out for transcription and cleanup, routed to zero-retention Venice models by default. That means nothing is stored by the provider and nothing is trained on. History stays on your device, not on OpenSoftware servers.

Does it work in every app? Yes. Clovy operates at the system level and types polished text into whichever app has focus: email clients, browsers, Markdown editors, terminals, chat apps, code editors. There is no per-app configuration.

Does Clovy train on my dictation? No. OpenSoftware never trains on your data. By default, model calls route to zero-retention Venice models on the Private tier, which store nothing and train on nothing. An Anonymous tier of third-party models is available but opt-in only, and those providers may retain what they receive; Clovy strips identifying metadata before routing. A separate E2EE model tier encrypts your prompt on device so it is decrypted only inside the enclave.

Can I use Clovy without sending data to the internet? Partially. Your dictation history, notes, transcripts, and files stay on your Mac and are readable offline. Dictation itself requires a model call, which needs internet. Clovy documents this clearly rather than claiming fully offline operation.

Does Clovy transcribe existing audio or video files? Clovy is primarily a live dictation tool. It also generates meeting notes from live calls recorded through your Mac's audio. For batch transcription of existing audio or video files, MacWhisper is designed for that use case.

What Macs does it run on? Clovy requires macOS 14 or later and runs on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

Is Dragon for Mac still available? No. Nuance discontinued Dragon for Mac in 2018 and it is not supported on current macOS versions. Clovy covers live dictation with AI cleanup; MacWhisper covers local file transcription.

How can I verify Clovy's privacy claims? Visit opensoftware.co/verify. The Clovy API runs in a TEE and serves live cryptographic attestation. Clovy is also open source and MIT-licensed, so the full codebase is auditable.

Sources

Claims about other products come from their own public pages or named third-party sources, checked on July 16, 2026.

• Clovy privacy details: storage, model routing, and retention claims
• Clovy source code: MIT-licensed app and Clovy API
• Clovy API attestation: live TEE attestation you can check yourself
• OpenSoftware privacy policy: what OpenSoftware stores
• Apple Support, "Use Dictation on Mac": on-device processing for general text dictation, depending on settings
• MacWhisper (macwhisper.com): local model transcription with optional cloud providers
• 9to5Mac, July 14, 2026: MacWhisper 14 launches with new transcript editor and faster performance
• Nuance support (nuance.custhelp.com): Dragon Professional for Mac 6 end-of-life dates; MacRumors, October 24, 2018: Nuance discontinues Dragon for Mac
• Wispr Flow data controls page (wisprflow.ai/data-controls) and pricing page: cloud-only transcription, Privacy Mode and Cloud Sync defaults, free tier limits
• Superwhisper docs (superwhisper.com): local model requirements, cloud API zero-retention agreements, meeting mode, platforms, pricing
• Otter.ai privacy and security pages: storage, training defaults, capture modes
• OpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT macOS app requirements, voice mode retirement, Record mode

More guides and comparisons

• AI meeting notes without a bot: Clovy writes structured meeting notes from your Mac's audio. No bot joins the call, and recordings, transcripts, and notes are stored on your Mac.
• Local AI agent for Mac: Clovy's agent runs on your Mac, not a company's cloud VM. Open-source Hermes foundation, sandboxed by default, zero-retention model routing.
• Clovy vs Superwhisper: Superwhisper has a genuine fully on-device Pro mode; Clovy is private by default with zero setup. An honest comparison of two privacy-minded Mac dictation apps.
• Clovy vs Wispr Flow: Wispr Flow transcribes in the cloud and can train on your data until you change two settings. Clovy routes dictation to zero-retention models by default and keeps history on your Mac.
• Clovy vs Otter.ai: Clovy captures from your Mac's audio, keeps transcripts on your device, and never trains on your data. Otter stores recordings in the cloud and trains on de-identified data by default, whether captured by its bot or its desktop app.
• Clovy vs ChatGPT Desktop: A practical comparison of dictation, privacy defaults, and hardware requirements.
• Clovy FAQ: Common questions about Clovy, privacy, and pricing.

Try Clovy on real work

Clovy is a fit if you want live dictation into any Mac app, AI writing cleanup with selectable styles, and privacy infrastructure you can verify rather than take on trust.

Free to start. macOS 14 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel.

Download Clovy