VoiceInk

VoiceInk transcribes what you say into text almost instantly, natively on macOS. Processing happens entirely offline, which removes the usual trade between good dictation and handing your audio to somebody else's servers.

Local AI models do the work, built on whisper.cpp, on FluidAudio for the Parakeet model, and on transcribe.cpp for local GGUF models, with SenseVoice Small available for multilingual use. The author worked on the app for five months before opening the source.

Daily use is shaped by a handful of features.

• Global shortcuts: start recording with configurable keys, including push to talk.
• Modes: detect the app or address you are working in and apply the settings you configured for it.
• Context awareness: reads screen content so the transcript suits what you are actually doing.
• Personal dictionary: teaches the model custom words and industry terms, with smart text replacements.
• AI assistant: offers a conversational voice mode inside the same app.

VoiceInk requires macOS 14.4 or later and installs from the project site or with a Homebrew cask, and it can be built from source using the included instructions. Buying a license funds continued development and adds automatic updates and priority support. The code is under GPL v3, but the project is not accepting pull requests at present, so forking is the route for anyone wanting to change it, while bugs and feature ideas still go through issues.