BetterDictation vs Spokenly (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Spokenly grades higher than BetterDictation: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
BetterDictation grades higher on value for money. Spokenly grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BetterDictation
Offline Mac dictation app sold as a one-time license
Spokenly
Dictation app with free local models and optional cloud accuracy
Which one is for you
Pick BetterDictation if
- Fits if you want to pay once and dictate on one Apple Silicon Mac
- Works for people who want the transcribing done on the Mac, not in the cloud
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows, an Intel Mac, an iPhone or Android, as it's Apple Silicon Macs only
- Not for you if you want to try it first, because there's no free tier or trial
- Watch out: Pro features need the internet and send your text to OpenAI
- Pricey if you want Studio Pro on many devices: it's $2 a month a device after the included three months
Pick Spokenly if
- Fits if you want unlimited dictation that works with no connection
- Works for people who already pay for OpenAI, Deepgram or Groq keys and want to use them for dictation
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Android, because there's only a waitlist
- Not for you if you want meeting recording on Windows or Linux, as that's a Mac feature
- Pricey if you pay month to month just for clean-up, at $15 when your own LLM key would do it
- Watch out: without Pro, cloud models need your own API keys and the provider bills you for usage
- Watch out: the MCP server ships only in the macOS sideload build, and Team pricing needs at least 2 seats and is still worked out from the old Pro prices
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABetterDictationFair | 3.0GPASpokenlyVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$39 once for one Mac, less than a year of the category's middle subscription ($8.49 a month). Three Macs is $49. | CThe dictation itself is free, and Local+ adds sync and recording styles for $29 once. But Pro, for managed cloud models, is now $12 a month billed yearly ($144), or $15 month to month, right at the top of this category, and what it buys is mostly the convenience of not wiring up API keys. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial: a licence key is needed to install the app. | AThe on-device Whisper and Parakeet models are free with no word caps, no time limit and no account. Plugging in your own provider keys costs nothing from Spokenly either. You could stay free for good. |
| Features | BOn-device transcription in any app, over 100 languages and a lifetime licence. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core job of dictating. | BHold a shortcut and it types at the cursor in 100+ languages, with Modes and AI Instructions fixing grammar to suit the app, and Mobile Dictation sends speech from an iPhone or Apple Watch to the computer. The core job is covered; the meeting recorder, Agentic Actions and MCP server are Mac-only extras. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. It's an app you install and start talking into, with a licence key. | BNo App Store rating on record for it, but the local route needs no account at all: install, hold the shortcut, talk. Cloud without Pro means sorting out your own API keys first. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, and only Apple Silicon (M1 or newer). Windows is listed as coming. | BMac, Windows, Linux and iPhone, where it works through a custom keyboard, plus keys for OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq and Ollama. Computer and phone, but no web app and no Android, only a waitlist. |
| Best for | a one-off Mac dictation app | free offline dictation, with cloud if you want it |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BetterDictation and Spokenly. How we grade
Where they differ
- BetterDictation can be bought with a one-time purchase.
At a glance
| BetterDictation | Spokenly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $39 one-time, for a single Mac | $29 one-time (Local+); Pro is $12 per month, billed yearly at $144 ($15 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | On-device Whisper and Parakeet models are free with no word caps, time limit or account. Connecting your own provider API keys is also free of Spokenly charges. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | BetterDictation | Vadim Ahmerov |
| Price read from | betterdictation.com | spokenly.app |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BetterDictation
- Mac only, and Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) is required; Intel Macs are not supported. Windows is listed as coming.
- There is no free tier or free trial of the app; a license key is needed to install it.
- Pro features need an internet connection and send text to OpenAI for processing.
- Studio Pro costs $2 a month for each device after the included three months.
Spokenly
- Without Pro, cloud models need your own provider API keys, and the provider bills you for usage.
- Meeting recording, Agentic Actions and the MCP server are Mac features; the MCP server ships only in the macOS sideload build.
- There is no Android app; the site offers a waitlist.
- The Team price needs at least 2 seats, and the team page still works it out from the old $9.99 and $99.99 Pro prices.
Key features
BetterDictation
- On-device transcription
- Speech is processed locally with a Whisper model on the Apple Neural Engine; the vendor says no audio or transcripts are collected.
- Works in any app
- A system-wide shortcut types the result into whichever text field is selected, in push-to-talk or toggle-to-talk mode.
- 100+ languages
- The vendor lists more than 100 languages and says language detection is automatic.
- Pro cleanup pass
- The paid Pro add-on removes filler words, fixes grammar and formats lists using OpenAI prompts, and needs an internet connection.
- Lifetime license
- The app is a one-time purchase with updates included, and the vendor offers a refund within 14 days of purchase.
Spokenly
- Dictation in any app
- Hold a shortcut, speak and release, and the text is typed at the cursor, in 100+ languages. On iPhone it works through a custom keyboard, and Mobile Dictation sends speech from an iPhone or Apple Watch to the computer.
- Free local models
- Whisper and Parakeet models run on the device at no cost and with no usage limits. Local Only Mode blocks network requests so audio stays on the machine.
- Cloud models, your keys or Pro
- Use cloud engines by connecting your own keys from providers such as OpenAI, Deepgram and Groq, or subscribe to Pro for managed models like GPT-4o Transcribe, Deepgram Nova 3 and Soniox.
- AI Instructions and modes
- Modes with AI Instructions fix grammar, remove filler words and format text for the app in use. Pro hosts this processing; otherwise it runs on your own LLM key or Apple Intelligence.
- Meeting recording on Mac
- Records the microphone and system audio without a bot joining the call, saves the recording to History, and transcribes it afterward with a local or cloud model.
- Voice input for coding agents
- The macOS sideload build includes an MCP server so Claude Code, Codex and Cursor can ask for spoken answers, plus Agentic Actions for voice-controlled Mac automation.
Plans
BetterDictation
Basic$39
one-time, for 1 device
Lifetime license for basic transcription on a single Mac, with regular updates.
Flex$49
one-time, for 3 devices
Three-device license that includes 3 months of Pro; Pro then costs $2 a month, billed annually.
Studio$149
one-time, for 10 devices
Ten devices, a dedicated account manager and 3 months of Pro; then $2 a month per device.
Pro add-on$2
per month, billed annually
Optional add-on for a license: stammer correction, automatic formatting and OpenAI post-processing.
Spokenly
Local Models$0
Unlimited offline dictation with on-device Whisper and Parakeet models. No account needed.
Your API Keys$0
All local features plus cloud and real-time transcription through your own OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq or other keys. The provider bills usage.
Local+$29
one-time
Local models or your own keys, plus Notch and Capsule recording styles, settings sync across devices and priority support. No cloud models or hosted AI.
Pro$12
per month, billed yearly ($144), or $15 billed monthly
Everything in Local+ plus managed high-accuracy cloud models and hosted AI text cleanup, with no API keys to set up.
Team$6.99
per seat / month, or $69.99 per seat / year
Full Pro for each member on one subscription, 2-seat minimum. The team page still prices seats as 30% off $9.99 and $99.99, the old Pro prices.
Ways to pay less
BetterDictation
- Lifetime license
Lifetime license with no subscription
The core app is a one-time purchase with updates included; only the optional Pro add-on is a subscription.
Spokenly
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
Pro costs $12 a month billed yearly ($144) against $15 billed monthly, which the pricing page labels Save 20%.
- Education
50% off Pro for students
Verified students get 50% off Pro by signing in with an academic email address and contacting support to claim it.
- Other savings
30% off Pro for teams of 2 or more
Team seats cost $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year each, 30% below the individual Pro price for the life of the subscription. The minimum is 2 seats.
- Lifetime license
Local+ one-time purchase
Local+ is a single $29 payment that adds recording styles, settings sync and priority support for local models and your own API keys. Cloud models and hosted AI stay in Pro.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BetterDictation or Spokenly?
As of Nov 12, 2026, BetterDictation starts at $39 one-time, for a single Mac, and Spokenly starts at $29 one-time (Local+); Pro is $12 per month, billed yearly at $144 ($15 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, BetterDictation or Spokenly?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Spokenly has a free plan. BetterDictation does not.
Which platforms do BetterDictation and Spokenly run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Spokenly lists Windows, Linux and iOS apps. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.