Dictation Software for Mac
Harker is dictation software that runs on your Mac, not in the cloud: press a shortcut, speak, and your words land in any app — free and unlimited.
Download FreeChoosing dictation software for a Mac usually means picking your compromise: the built-in tool with no options, a subscription app that meters your words, or a cloud service that streams your raw audio to someone else's servers. If you dictate client work, legal notes, or unreleased ideas, that last one isn't a small-print problem.
How Harker helps
Harker takes a different shape: it's dictation software that runs entirely on your Mac. Local Whisper models (whisper.cpp) transcribe on-device, so your audio is never uploaded, the free tier has nothing to meter, and dictation keeps working with no internet connection at all.
It dictates into any app, not its own window. Press the global shortcut (Cmd+Shift+Space by default) or hold a key, speak, and the text is pasted at your cursor: email, docs, Slack, code, AI prompts. It transcribes 100+ languages with automatic detection, and you choose the model tier — nano for speed, large for accuracy.
If you want more than a faithful transcript, Premium ($7/month, or $69/year — $5.75/month) adds AI writing styles, smart formatting, grammar correction, and translation. Only the transcribed text goes to the cloud for those; your audio always stays on your Mac.
Dictation software for Mac
Dictation software converts speech into typed text. On a Mac you can use the built-in dictation in System Settings, or a dedicated app like Harker, which transcribes with local Whisper models: press a keyboard shortcut, speak, and the text is pasted at your cursor in any app — free, unlimited, offline, and without your audio ever leaving the device.
Does macOS come with dictation software?
Yes — macOS includes basic dictation under System Settings > Keyboard. It covers simple input, but it's a fixed pipeline. Dedicated dictation software like Harker adds model choice, guaranteed offline operation, and text pasted directly into any app at your cursor.
What is the best free dictation software for Mac?
Harker's free tier is a strong default: unlimited local dictation with Whisper models, no word caps, no trial period, no account, and it works fully offline in 100+ languages. Free is the product, not a demo.
Is dictation software private?
It depends on where transcription happens. Cloud dictation tools stream your raw audio to their servers. Harker transcribes on-device with local Whisper models, so your audio never leaves your Mac — there is no server to store, leak, or train on it.
Can dictation software work offline on a Mac?
Yes, if the transcription runs locally. Harker's dictation works with no internet connection at all, because Whisper models run on your device. Only the optional Premium AI features need a connection.
How it works
- 1
Set your shortcut
Pick a global keyboard shortcut, or keep the default Cmd+Shift+Space. No account, no sign-up.
- 2
Dictate
Speak naturally in any app. Local Whisper transcribes on your device, even offline.
- 3
Text appears
The transcription is pasted at your cursor, right where you were typing.
Harker saves me hours every week. It's become a core part of how I vibe-code apps and move from idea to working product faster.
Charles Green
Harker changed how I design. I talk through ideas, let my thoughts wander, and then drop those transcripts into AI generators. What used to take hours of writing prompts now starts with a simple voice note. Plus, the app itself is beautiful.
Elena Capellini
Questions
Start speaking instead of typing
Free, unlimited, and private. No account required.