# FluidVoice

> Free, open-source on-device dictation for macOS

FluidVoice is a free voice-to-text app for macOS that transcribes speech with models running on the Mac and types the result into any app. An optional local AI runtime, Fluid Intelligence, cleans up and formats the text without a cloud service, and cloud AI providers can be added with your own API key instead. The app is open source under the GPLv3, and iPhone and Windows versions are listed as coming soon.

- **Category:** Voice Dictation
- **Made by:** Altic
- **Website:** https://altic.dev/fluid
- **Runs on:** macOS
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 5, 2026

## Pricing

FluidVoice is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** Free
- **Free plan:** Completely free and open source under the GPLv3, with no paid tiers. The optional Fluid Intelligence runtime is also free but is not open source.
- **Free trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FluidVoice | $0 | The full Mac app with every speech model, Write and Command modes and optional Fluid Intelligence. GitHub Sponsors support is optional. |

Read from https://altic.dev/fluid on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with FluidVoice before buying.

## Key features

- **System-wide dictation:** Hold one global hotkey and speak, and the text is typed into any text field through macOS accessibility APIs. A live preview overlay shows words as they are recognized.
- **On-device speech models:** Nemotron Speech 3.5, Parakeet, Cohere Transcribe, Apple Speech and Whisper models run locally. Language coverage depends on the model, from English only up to 99 languages with Whisper.
- **Fluid Intelligence:** An optional local AI runtime, about a 3.5 GB download, runs the Fluid-1 model to strip filler, fix capitalization and format text with no cloud service or API key.
- **Write Mode and Command Mode:** Write Mode drafts new text or rewrites a selection in any text field. Command Mode launches apps, runs shortcuts and triggers system actions by voice.
- **Per-app prompts:** Assign different prompt sets to different apps so the tone follows the context, for example casual in Slack and formal in Mail.
- **Optional cloud AI enhancement:** Post-processing can instead use OpenAI, Groq or a custom provider with your own API key, which is stored in the macOS Keychain.

## Good for

- Mac users who want free dictation that stays on the device
- AI text cleanup without a cloud account or API key
- Developers dictating prompts into terminals and code editors

## Worth knowing

- Mac only for now: iPhone and Windows versions are listed as coming soon, with a waitlist.
- It requires macOS 15.0 or later, and Intel Macs are limited to the Whisper and Apple Speech models.
- Fluid Intelligence is a separate, privately maintained runtime and is not part of the open-source code.
- Choosing OpenAI, Groq or another cloud provider for enhancement sends text off the Mac.

## Works with

OpenAI, Groq

**Tags:** Dictation, AI features, Open source, Works offline, Local-first

## Alternatives

- [VoiceInk](https://toolgpa.com/tools/voiceink): Open-source Mac dictation with local models and a one-time price. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fluidvoice-vs-voiceink)
- [Handy](https://toolgpa.com/tools/handy): Free, open-source offline speech-to-text for desktop. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fluidvoice-vs-handy)
- [Superwhisper](https://toolgpa.com/tools/superwhisper): Voice-to-text app with offline models and custom AI modes. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fluidvoice-vs-superwhisper)
- [Wispr Flow](https://toolgpa.com/tools/wispr-flow): Voice dictation that cleans up your speech in any app. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fluidvoice-vs-wispr-flow)
- [MacWhisper](https://toolgpa.com/tools/macwhisper): Mac transcription and dictation app that runs models locally. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fluidvoice-vs-macwhisper)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026:

- https://altic.dev/fluid
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/altic-dev/Fluid-oss/main/README.md

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/fluidvoice
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).