offline dictation

Offline dictation that never leaves your machine

Dimmy is a private, offline voice-to-text app for macOS and Windows. Press a hotkey, talk, release, and a local model (Whisper or Parakeet) transcribes your speech on-device. No audio is sent to the cloud, and dictation audio is not kept unless you turn on audio in history. An optional local AI pass cleans up grammar, punctuation, and tone across 13 styles, then the text pastes straight into whatever app you're in: an editor, a browser, a chat window, or a terminal. With Whisper it handles up to 99 languages with automatic detection, and you don't need an account.

The alternatives ask you to compromise. Dragon is offline but costs $699, runs on Windows only, and lost its Mac app back in 2018. Cloud dictation apps send your audio to a server to transcribe it. Dimmy is open source under the AGPL-3.0 and a native app (not an Electron wrapper), so you can read the code and build it yourself for free.

On-device modelsNo accountOpen-source
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Dimmy vs Dragon & cloud dictation

FeatureDimmyDragon & cloud dictation
Runs offline / on-device
Yes. Local Whisper or Parakeet, works with no internet.
Dragon is offline but paid; most cloud dictation needs a connection.
Does audio leave your device?
Not with local models. Dictation audio is not kept unless you turn on audio in history.
Cloud dictation sends audio to a server, under that provider's retention policy.
Price
Free from source. Pro €4.99/mo, €99 once for 3 years.
Dragon is $699 one-time (Windows only); cloud apps are usually subscriptions.
Open source
Open source (AGPL-3.0), build it yourself for free.
Dragon and cloud apps are closed source.
Platforms
Native macOS + Windows.
Dragon is Windows-only; its Mac app was discontinued in 2018.
AI cleanup / command mode
AI styles, filler removal, and a voice command mode.
Dragon auto-formats but has no AI cleanup or agentic commands.
Meeting recaps
Yes. Meeting recaps in the same app, local or with your provider.
Dragon and dictation tools don't record meetings.
Languages
Up to 99 languages with Whisper, auto-detected; about 25 with Parakeet.
Dragon supports several via paid language packs.
Account required
No account needed to dictate.
Cloud dictation usually requires sign-up.
included limited paid plan only not available
Competitor details verified on vendor sites in 2026 and may change. Recheck before relying on them.
why switch

Why switch to Dimmy

Private by design: with local models, transcription runs on-device, no audio leaves your machine, and dictation audio is not kept unless you turn on audio in history.
Works on a plane: with local models, dictation keeps working in a tunnel, on a flight, or anywhere with no internet.
Truly open source: AGPL-3.0, so you can inspect the code and build it yourself for free.
Built for accessibility and RSI: push a hotkey and talk, fully hands-free input that reduces typing strain.
Great for developers: dictate into terminals, editors, commit messages, and chat, with an optional local AI pass to clean up grammar.
Modern and maintained, unlike $699 Dragon (Windows-only, no Mac since 2018): a native app with up to 99 languages (Whisper), command mode, and meeting recaps in the same app.
frequently asked

Private, offline dictation for Mac and Windows. With local models, your voice never leaves your machine.

Yes. With a local model (Whisper or Parakeet) on your own machine, Dimmy transcribes speech entirely offline after the one-time download. You can dictate on a plane, in a tunnel, or anywhere without Wi-Fi.
Not in local mode: your audio is transcribed on-device and never leaves your machine, and dictation audio is not kept unless you turn on audio in history. If you choose a cloud provider, the audio goes to it with your own key. Most cloud dictation services stream your audio to a server.
Dimmy is open source under the AGPL-3.0, and you can build it from source for free. There is also a Pro plan (€4.99/month, €39/year, or €99 once for 3 years) if you would rather have a ready-made signed build.
Dragon Professional is a $699 one-time Windows-only program with no Mac version since 2018 and no meeting or AI-cleanup features. Dimmy is free and open-source, native on both macOS and Windows, and adds AI cleanup, a command mode, and meeting recaps.
Yes. Dimmy pastes text into any app, including terminals, code editors, and chat, so you can dictate code, commit messages, and commands hands-free. The push-to-talk hotkey suits RSI relief and accessible computing.
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Product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Dimmy is not affiliated with them. Competitor information checked in June 2026; tell us if something changed.