Free Speech to Text on Mac: The Best Free Options

The best free speech to text on Mac is Apple Dictation. It is built into macOS, types into any app where you can type, and costs nothing.

For many people that is all they need. This guide shows how to turn it on, which other free options are worth a look, and when a paid app is worth it. Apple's steps are for macOS 27 and were checked on November 5, 2026. App prices and free plans were checked on the same day.

How to turn on free speech to text on Mac

These steps are from Apple's "Dictate messages and documents on Mac" page for macOS 27.

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Click Keyboard in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
3. Go to Dictation and turn it on.
4. Click Enable.
5. Click in any text field, then press the Microphone key, use the Dictation shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation.
6. Speak. Press Escape when you are done.

Apple says you can dictate text of any length, but Dictation stops on its own when it hears no speech for 30 seconds. Dictation is not available in all languages or regions.

For more detail, see how to dictate on Mac and how to change the Mac dictation shortcut.

The free speech to text options on Mac

Here is how the free options compare. Each one does a different job.

• Apple Dictation: free, built in. Types into any app. Best for messages, notes and short documents.
• Apple Voice Memos: free, built in. Shows a transcript of a recording. Best for ideas and voice notes.
• Google Docs voice typing: free in the browser. Types into Google Docs only.
• Superwhisper free plan: free dictation in any app with local Whisper models. File transcription is a paid feature.
• Wispr Flow free plan: free dictation in any app, with a weekly word limit.
• MacWhisper free version: free file transcription with local models. Pro is a one-time €64.

1. Apple Dictation: best free speech to text for most people

Apple Dictation is already on your Mac. It works in Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, browsers and most other apps. You can say punctuation, like "comma" or "question mark". See the Mac dictation punctuation commands.

On a Mac with Apple silicon, Apple says you can keep typing while you dictate.

Privacy: Apple says you can check in Keyboard settings whether your speech is processed on your Mac and not sent to Siri servers. Look at the text under Dictation.

Where it falls short: it stops after 30 seconds of silence, and it does not transcribe audio files. If it stops too early for you, read why Mac dictation stops.

2. Apple Voice Memos: free transcripts of recordings

Voice Memos can show a transcript of what you recorded. Open a recording and click the Transcription button. Then copy the text into any document.

Apple says transcription is not available in all countries or regions. See how to transcribe voice memos to text on Mac for the full steps.

3. Google Docs voice typing: free, but only in Google Docs

Google Docs has its own voice typing. Open a document and choose Tools > Voice typing. Google's help page said it works in the latest Chrome, Edge and Safari when we checked on October 28, 2026.

It only types into Google Docs, and voice commands work only in English. See how to dictate in Google Docs on Mac.

4. Superwhisper: free plan with local models

Superwhisper types into any app. Its free plan includes, in the site's words, "unlimited use of Whisper models", plus support for 100+ languages. Its site says it works offline and that offline models run best on Apple Silicon Macs.

Free plan limits: transcribing audio and video files is a Pro feature. Pro costs $8.49 a month. New users can try Pro features for 3,000 words, then the free plan stays free.

5. Wispr Flow: free plan with a weekly limit

Wispr Flow is free on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and needs no credit card to start. It types into any app.

Free plan limits: its pricing page lists "limited words per week" on the free plan. Pro is $12 per user a month billed yearly and removes the limit.

Read its privacy page if you want to know where your speech is processed. Our Wispr Flow alternatives guide covers this.

6. MacWhisper: free file transcription

MacWhisper focuses on audio and video files. Its site says it uses local models, so your files stay on your Mac. There is a free version, and Pro is a one-time €64 with more features.

If you are comfortable with the command line, open-source Whisper tools are also free. See Whisper apps for Mac.

When free is enough

Stay with a free option when:

• You dictate short messages, notes and emails.
• You are fine with Dictation stopping after a long pause.
• You only need transcripts of your own voice memos now and then.
• You have an Intel Mac. TalkFlowy and some other offline apps need Apple Silicon.

Start with Apple Dictation. It costs nothing to try, and you may never need more.

When a paid app is worth it

A paid app is worth a look when free tools start to cost you time. For example:

• You dictate long documents every day and want a tool built for it.
• You want every word handled on your Mac, with no question about where your voice goes.
• You need audio and video files transcribed, not only live speech.
• You hit a free plan's word limit every week.

TalkFlowy is not free, but it has a free trial with full features and no credit card. It works 100% offline: local AI models transcribe your speech on your Mac, and your voice and text are not sent to a server. Press a shortcut, speak, and words appear live. Then AutoPaste puts them into the app you are using and copies them to the clipboard. It also transcribes audio and video files and supports 50+ languages.

After the trial, it is a one-time license: Personal (1 Mac) $89, Pro (up to 3 Macs) $249, or Custom for 10 to 50 Macs. No subscription and no per-minute fees. It needs an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or newer) with macOS 14.6 or later.

To compare paid apps side by side, read the best dictation app for Mac or Apple Dictation alternatives.