The 7 Best Offline Voice to Text Apps in 2026
Updated September 2026 · Prices checked on each vendor's site
Short answer
- Offline dictation on Mac and Windows, pay once: PandaScribe.
- Free: Superwhisper with local models, or whisper.cpp if you are comfortable with a terminal.
- Offline transcription of recordings: MacWhisper on Mac, whisper.cpp anywhere.
- Plain voice to text with no AI: several of these give you a raw transcript; see below.
Disclosure: we make PandaScribe. We have listed free and competing tools where they are the better fit.
Comparison at a glance
| App | Type | Platforms | Offline | No-AI mode | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PandaScribe | Live dictation | Mac (Intel + Apple Silicon), Windows | Always | Yes, cleanup can be switched off | $39 once |
| Superwhisper | Live dictation, files (Pro) | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | With local models | Not documented | Free; Pro from $8.49/mo |
| MacWhisper | File transcription, dictation | Mac (macOS 14+) | Default | Yes | Free; Pro €65 once |
| BetterDictation | Live dictation | Mac (Apple Silicon) | Yes; Pro cleanup uses OpenAI | Yes, without Pro | $39 lifetime |
| Voibe | Live dictation | Mac, Windows | Apple Silicon only | Not documented | $7.50/mo or $149 lifetime |
| whisper.cpp | Command-line files | Mac, Windows, Linux | Always | Yes, raw output | Free, open source |
| Apple Dictation | Live dictation | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Partly | Yes | Free, built in |
What "offline" should mean
An app is offline for voice to text if the speech recognition model runs on your own device, so it works with Wi-Fi off and your audio is not sent anywhere. Watch for three catches:
- Hybrid apps. Some transcribe locally only on certain hardware (Voibe needs Apple Silicon) or only with certain models (Superwhisper's cloud models are online).
- Cloud cleanup. The transcript can be local while the AI rewrite is not. BetterDictation's Pro post-processing uses OpenAI, for example.
- First-run downloads. Every local app needs the internet once to download its model, which is normal.
The simplest test: download the app and model, turn off Wi-Fi, and dictate a sentence. If text still appears, it is offline.
1. PandaScribe: offline dictation for Mac and Windows
PandaScribe types what you say into any app using Parakeet, Whisper or Moonshine models on your computer. Built-in rules remove filler words, an optional local AI model fixes grammar, and you can switch the AI off for a word-for-word transcript. Say "scratch that" to remove your last sentence. After the one-time license activation, it runs with no connection.
Price: 10 free transcriptions, then $39 once. Not for: transcribing existing audio files.
What runs locally in PandaScribe, and the few times it goes online
2. Superwhisper: best free offline option
Superwhisper gives unlimited dictation with local Whisper models on its free plan. Pro ($8.49/month or $249.99 lifetime) adds cloud models and file transcription. On Intel Macs the company recommends cloud models, so offline works best on Apple Silicon.
3. MacWhisper: best offline transcription software for files
MacWhisper transcribes interviews, meetings and videos locally with Whisper and exports text or subtitles. Cloud engines are optional. It needs macOS 14 or later; the free tier covers basic use and Pro is €65 one time.
4. BetterDictation: low-cost offline dictation on Apple Silicon
BetterDictation runs on the Apple Neural Engine for quick on-device dictation, from $39 lifetime. It does not support Intel Macs or Windows yet, and its optional Pro cleanup sends text to OpenAI.
5. Voibe: offline on Apple Silicon, cloud elsewhere
Voibe transcribes on-device on M-series Macs and uses a zero-retention cloud mode on Intel Macs and Windows. There is a 7-day trial, then $7.50/month or $149 lifetime.
6. whisper.cpp: free and fully local, for technical users
whisper.cpp is the open-source engine behind many local transcription apps. It runs from the command line on Mac, Windows and Linux and outputs a raw transcript with no AI rewriting. It is ideal for batch file transcription, but it does not type into other apps as you speak.
7. Apple Dictation: free, partly on-device
Built into macOS and iOS, Apple Dictation is the zero-setup choice. Whether it runs on-device depends on your device and language, and Apple's support page explains how to check. There is no custom vocabulary.
Voice to text with no AI
Many people searching for offline voice to text also want the words left alone: no rewriting, no summarising, no invented phrasing. Speech recognition itself is a machine learning model, but you can avoid the extra language-model step:
- PandaScribe: turn off Post Processing in settings so no language model touches the text.
- whisper.cpp: only produces a raw transcript.
- BetterDictation: standard dictation, without the Pro cleanup add-on.
- Apple Dictation: no rewriting step at all.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best offline voice to text app?
For live dictation on Mac and Windows with a one-time price, PandaScribe. For free, Superwhisper with local models. For transcribing recordings, MacWhisper.
Is offline speech to text accurate?
Yes. Local Whisper and Parakeet models are accurate enough for everyday dictation. Adding names and technical terms as custom words fixes most remaining errors.
Is there a free offline voice to text app?
Superwhisper's free plan, whisper.cpp and Apple Dictation are all free. PandaScribe gives 10 free transcriptions before its $39 license.
Which offline app works on Windows?
PandaScribe runs its models locally on Windows 10 and 11, and whisper.cpp works on Windows from the command line. Voibe on Windows uses its cloud mode.
Choosing a Mac dictation app more broadly? See the best dictation apps for Mac.