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The Sotto Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Sotto in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPANovember 2026

Sotto

The Insider’s Guide

Mac dictation and voice assistant with local models, bought once

Sotto, as pictured on sotto.to

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among voice dictation apps, read from Sotto’s own pages.

Made by Kitze · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.0GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Sotto’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Sotto’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.0

GPA, above 1 of the 42 other voice dictation apps we grade

Sotto is a macOS app that types what you say into any app, using Whisper and Parakeet models that run on the Mac. The same license adds a voice assistant with built-in Mac tools and a local REST API that other machines and scripts can use for transcription.

To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Sotto, taken from its own pages and our grades.

There are models to choose and, for cloud use, API keys to connect.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for a one-off Mac dictation app with local models

    Sotto types your speech into any Mac app using local models, for $49 once across up to 3 Macs.

  2. 2

    What it costs

    Paid plans start at $49 one-time, for up to 3 Macs.

  3. 3

    It runs on macOS

    macOS.

  4. 4

    System-wide dictation

    Hold a key and speak; the text lands in the app you are using. The vendor lists 90+ languages with per-language hotkeys.

  5. 5

    Local models

    Whisper and NVIDIA Parakeet models run on the Mac, and after a one-time download dictation works with no internet connection.

  6. 6

    Sotto Assistant

    A voice assistant with 77 built-in Mac tools such as Calendar, Mail and Notes, which can also call your own MCP servers.

  7. 7

    A 2.0 GPA, above 1 of 42

    That is against the other voice dictation apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  8. 8

    Keep it

    To replace Sotto you would be making dictation that types into any app on your computer. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

Sotto at a glance

Pricing
Paid, from $49 one-time, for up to 3 Macs
Free plan
No
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
macOS
Made by
Kitze
Category
Voice Dictation
Our grade
2.0 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for a one-off Mac dictation app with local models

Sotto types your speech into any Mac app using local models, for $49 once across up to 3 Macs. It needs macOS 15 or later, there's no trial, and cloud transcription means bringing your own API keys.

ToolGPA report cardSottoGraded Nov 12, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyA$49 once for up to 3 Macs, less than a year of the category's middle subscription ($8.49 a month).
Free plan and trialFNo free tier and no trial. The licence arrives by email as a key.
FeaturesBSystem-wide dictation, local models, an assistant, a local REST API and CLI, and bring-your-own provider. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core job.
Ease of useCNo store rating on record. There are models to choose and, for cloud use, API keys to connect.
Platforms and integrationsDMac only, and it needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later. No other platform is listed.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.0

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who Sotto is for

  • Fits if you want to pay once and dictate on up to 3 Macs
  • Works for people who want to run dictation on local models and connect their own tools

Who it is not for

  • Skip it if you're on Windows, Linux or a phone, as it's Mac only
  • Not for you if you run macOS 14 or earlier, since it needs macOS 15
  • Tight if you want to test it first: no free tier or trial
  • Watch out: cloud transcription and AI providers need your own API keys, billed by them
  • Watch out: Apple Silicon gives the best performance

Good to know

Good for

  • Mac users who want dictation without a subscription
  • Developers who want a local transcription API on their own machine
  • People who want dictation and a voice assistant in one app

Worth knowing

  • Mac only; it needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later, and Apple Silicon gives the best performance.
  • There is no free tier or trial listed; the license is $49 and arrives by email as a key.
  • Cloud transcription and AI providers need your own API keys and are billed by those providers.
  • The license covers up to 3 Macs.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$49 one-time

To start

Sotto is a paid product, starting at $49 one-time, for up to 3 Macs.

  • Sotto for macOS

    $49

    one-time, for up to 3 Macs

    Lifetime license with all future updates; includes the assistant, API server and every model option.

Read from sotto.to on Nov 12, 2026.

Ways to pay less

  • Lifetime license

    One-time license, no subscription

    Sotto's pricing page says one payment covers use on up to 3 Macs with all future updates and no annual renewal.

    Stated on sotto.to

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: macOS

Mac dictation and voice assistant with local models, bought once. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, one-time purchase, public API, AI features, transcription, dictation.

System-wide dictation, local models, an assistant, a local REST API and CLI, and bring-your-own provider.
From our grade for features
System-wide dictation
Hold a key and speak; the text lands in the app you are using. The vendor lists 90+ languages with per-language hotkeys.
Local models
Whisper and NVIDIA Parakeet models run on the Mac, and after a one-time download dictation works with no internet connection.
Sotto Assistant
A voice assistant with 77 built-in Mac tools such as Calendar, Mail and Notes, which can also call your own MCP servers.
Local REST API and CLI
The Mac can serve transcription to scripts and other devices over Wi-Fi or Tailscale, with per-device tokens and a sotto command-line tool.
Bring your own provider
Optional cloud transcription and AI providers, including OpenAI, Groq and Deepgram, can be used with your own API keys.
Meetings and automation
Records system audio, transcribes watched folders, exposes Shortcuts actions and reads text aloud.

Where it runs

  • macOS

What it works with

  • Ollama
  • LM Studio
  • Apple Intelligence
  • OpenAI
  • ElevenLabs
  • Tailscale

Sotto is made by Kitze.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

1/42

Other voice dictation apps it is graded above

Sotto's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 1 of the 42 other voice dictation apps we grade.

It stands best on value for money (A, above 21 of 42) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 43 voice dictation apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Sotto’s own letter is outlined.

  • AValue for moneyAbove 21 of 42
  • FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 42
  • BFeaturesAbove 21 of 42
  • CEase of useAbove 2 of 42
  • DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 42

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace Sotto you would be making dictation that types into any app on your computer. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 41 of the 42 other voice dictation apps grade higher. It costs $49, paid once.

What you could not

  • Dictation that types into any app on your computer.
  • Speech turned into text you can trust.
  • A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
  • It plugs into other products, Ollama, LM Studio and Apple Intelligence among them, and has an API.
  • AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
  • Hooks into the device itself: Shortcuts.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Sotto’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Superwhisper, Wispr Flow, MacWhisper, BetterDictation and VoiceInk

The 5 tools Sotto is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

  • 2.8GPA

    Superwhisper

    Free plan · from $8.49/mo

    Voice-to-text app with offline models and custom AI modes.

    • Superwhisper has a free plan. Sotto does not.
    • Only Superwhisper lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
    • Superwhisper also covers meeting notes.
    Sotto and Superwhisper compared in full
  • 2.8GPA

    Wispr Flow

    Free plan · from $12/mo

    Voice dictation that cleans up your speech in any app.

    • Wispr Flow has a free plan. Sotto does not.
    • Only Wispr Flow lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
    • Sotto can be bought with a one-time purchase.
    Sotto and Wispr Flow compared in full
  • 3.0GPA

    MacWhisper

    Free plan · from €65 one-time

    Mac transcription and dictation app that runs models locally.

    • MacWhisper has a free plan. Sotto does not.
    Sotto and MacWhisper compared in full
  • 2.2GPA

    BetterDictation

    From $39 one-time

    Offline Mac dictation app sold as a one-time license.

      Sotto and BetterDictation compared in full
    • 2.8GPA

      VoiceInk

      Free trial · from $25 one-time

      Open-source Mac dictation with local models and a one-time price.

      • Only VoiceInk lists an iOS app.
      • VoiceInk is open source, according to its own site.
      Sotto and VoiceInk compared in full

    Part 06 · Questions

    Quick answers

    The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

    14

    Questions, each answered in a line or two

    The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

    Is Sotto free?

    No. Sotto is a paid product, starting at $49 one-time, for up to 3 Macs.

    How much does Sotto cost?

    Sotto lists one plan. Sotto for macOS: $49 one-time, for up to 3 Macs.

    What platforms does Sotto work on?

    Sotto is available on macOS.

    Does Sotto offer any discounts?

    Sotto publicly lists the following: One-time license, no subscription.

    Does Sotto have an Android app?

    No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Sotto is listed for macOS.

    Does Sotto have an iPhone app?

    No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Sotto is listed for macOS.

    Is Sotto open source?

    Sotto is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.

    Does Sotto work offline?

    Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.

    Does Sotto have an API?

    Yes. Sotto offers a public API, according to its own site.

    What does Sotto integrate with?

    Sotto's listing names Ollama, LM Studio, Apple Intelligence, OpenAI, ElevenLabs and Tailscale.

    Who makes Sotto?

    Sotto is made by Kitze.

    What are the alternatives to Sotto?

    The closest alternatives to Sotto in our directory are Superwhisper, Wispr Flow, MacWhisper, BetterDictation and VoiceInk.

    How does Sotto compare with other voice dictation apps?

    Sotto's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 1 of the 42 other voice dictation apps we grade.

    Could I make my own version of Sotto?

    To replace Sotto you would be making dictation that types into any app on your computer.

    Where this guide comes from

    The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Sotto’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Sotto's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

    Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Kitze. Prices change, so check sotto.to before you buy.

    Part 07 · About

    About ToolGPA

    Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

    5,038

    Tools graded, in 95 categories

    ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

    Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

    • 5,038

      tools graded

    • 95

      categories

    • 739

      price changes on record

    • 579

      apps priced in 12 countries

    What else is on toolgpa.com

    Scan for the live page

    Prices and grades as they are today

    Quoting this guide?

    Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

    ToolGPA, "Sotto: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/sotto

    Know someone choosing between voice dictation apps?

    Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/sotto/guide

    ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

    See our other guides

    The best-graded voice dictation apps after Sotto, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

    ToolGPA

    Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

    Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

    Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Sotto’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Sotto is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Kitze. Prices and plans change: check sotto.to before you buy.