BetterWispr

Free, local, open-source dictation for your Mac

Overview

Speech models run on-device (Apple Speech, Parakeet or Whisper Large v3 Turbo, nine options in all), so nothing is uploaded and there is no account. It cleans up filler words and repetitions, adapts tone per app, learns your vocabulary from corrections, and can record meetings with 'Me' and 'Them' tracks plus summaries.

To be clear on the name: BetterWispr is an independent Apache 2.0 open-source project and has no connection to Wispr Flow, which we list separately. Different vendor, different pricing, different features. It hit Hacker News on 11 October with 207 points and 124 comments.

Key Features

  • Hold Option+Space to dictate into any app

  • Strips filler words, false starts and repetitions

  • Nine on-device models including Apple Speech, Parakeet and Whisper Large v3 Turbo

  • Per-app writing styles

  • Meeting notes with Me/Them transcription and summaries

  • Learns names and terms from your corrections

  • Voice commands such as 'scratch that'

Pricing

Starting price

Free

Free and open source (Apache 2.0). No paid tier exists. No subscription, no account, no API key needed. The only cost is disk space and a one-time model download. If you plug in a third-party API (Sarvam AI, Smallest AI or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint), that provider bills you, but local models are the default. This is a separate project from Wispr Flow, which is paid; do not carry its pricing across.

Pros

  • Free, Apache 2.0, no subscription and no account

  • Fully local, so your voice stays on your Mac

  • Choice of models, plus custom API support if you want one

  • Open source, so you can read exactly what it does

Cons

  • Mac only, and needs macOS 14 or later

  • Filler cleanup and voice commands work in English only

  • Brand new, with no independent reviews yet

  • Text insertion can fail in secure fields and falls back to the clipboard

  • Will never have an affiliate programme: it is free and open source, so there is nothing to sell

What Makes It Unique

It is a free, fully local alternative to paid cloud dictation apps, with a choice of on-device models rather than one locked engine.

Kay Score

7.5

/ 10

Tool Information

Pricing

Free

Category

Research & Productivity

Platform

Web / iOS / Android

Last Updated

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