A free DictaFlow alternative for Mac with no monthly word limit
By Ryleigh Newman · Published · Updated
DictaFlow is a hold-to-talk dictation app for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android. Its site lists 2,000 free words a month, then Pro at $7 a month or $69 a year, and its privacy policy says audio is processed by DictaFlow and its service providers unless you use its Local Offline mode. YapToText, the app I built, is a free alternative for the Mac with no word limit and no account, and it recognizes speech on the Mac every time.
I built YapToText, so read what I say about DictaFlow with that in mind. Everything about DictaFlow here comes from dictaflow.io, read on October 6, 2026. I have not tested DictaFlow hands-on, so nothing here ranks the two by accuracy or speed.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
On this page: 8 sections
Side by side
Checked October 6, 2026, on dictaflow.io.
| DictaFlow | YapToText | |
|---|---|---|
| Free use | 2,000 words a month | Everything, with no word limit |
| Paid | Pro, $7 a month or $69 a year | None |
| Where speech is recognized | By DictaFlow and its providers in the cloud; on the device in Local Offline | On your Mac, always |
| Account | Sign in with Apple, Google or Microsoft | None |
| Default key on a Mac | Fn, held while you talk | Right Command, tap to start and stop |
| Runs on | Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android | Mac only |
| Mac builds | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon |
| Remote desktops | A typing mode for Citrix, RDP and VMware Horizon | Not tested there |
| Languages | More than 100, per its Mac page | 29 plus auto-detect |
DictaFlow is cross-platform with a monthly allowance. YapToText is Mac only with nothing to count.
What DictaFlow costs
DictaFlow's prices are on its home page and its product facts page. DictaFlow is one of the cheaper paid dictation apps, and its free plan resets every month.
- Free. 2,000 words a month, with no credit card.
- Pro. $7 a month, or $69 a year, which DictaFlow works out as $5.75 a month.
- Offline on Pro. DictaFlow says that with Pro you can dictate without word limits on supported devices in Local Offline, and that offline dictation does not use the cloud word allowance.
- Medical Pro. A separate product for clinics, at $39 per user a month for one to four seats or $29 for five or more. DictaFlow says its consumer plans are not for patient information.
- A foot pedal. DictaFlow sells a USB pedal as a push-to-talk trigger.
For what the other dictation apps charge, see the pricing comparison.
Where your voice goes with DictaFlow
DictaFlow's privacy policy and facts page describe two ways your speech is handled. By default DictaFlow uses cloud providers. Local Offline is the mode that keeps recognition on the device.
- In the cloud. The policy says DictaFlow and its service providers process your audio to create text, and names OpenAI, Deepgram and Groq for transcription and related AI processing.
- Retention. It says audio is ordinarily discarded after processing and not permanently kept on its servers, and that transcription text may be retained for features you choose, sync, support or legal reasons.
- On the device. Its facts page says local processing is available for dictation without an internet connection, that cloud processing provides the full feature set, and that consumer DictaFlow is not fully offline.
- An account. You sign in with Apple, Google or Microsoft, and DictaFlow stores your plan, usage and settings.
- Where. The policy says data may be processed in Canada, the United States and other countries.
Those are DictaFlow's statements, and I cannot check them. YapToText has one mode: the speech model and the cleanup model both run on the Mac, with no account. The private dictation guide shows how to check any app.
Where DictaFlow is ahead
DictaFlow does several things YapToText does not. If you work in Citrix or on a Windows PC, DictaFlow documents that and I cannot.
- Every platform. Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android on one account.
- Intel Macs. Its Mac download supports Apple silicon and Intel on macOS 14 or later.
- Remote desktops. A typing mode that enters text character by character for Citrix, RDP, VMware Horizon and fields where pasting is blocked.
- Correcting as you talk. DictaFlow says it handles spoken corrections in the middle of a dictation. Its own facts page notes that other apps do this too.
- A clinical product. Medical Pro, which DictaFlow sells to clinics that need a business associate agreement. YapToText has no such product.
Where YapToText is different
YapToText is the simpler of the two. It is free with no monthly count, needs no account, and never uses a cloud provider.
- No allowance. There is no word count, no plan and no trial. Tips are optional and unlock nothing.
- On device only. Whisper Large v3 Turbo and the cleanup model are in the App Store download, and there is no cloud mode to fall back to.
- Tap, not hold. The default is tap to start and tap to stop, which is easier on hands that cannot hold a key down. Hold to talk is an option.
- A pedal works too. Any single key can be the trigger, so a pedal or switch that presses a key can start it. The one key guide covers that.
- Open source. The code is public under GPL-3.0.
- What it lacks. Windows, phones, Intel Macs, a documented Citrix mode, and a product for clinics.
YapToText is free on the Mac App Store, and its source is on GitHub.
DictaFlow vs Wispr Flow
DictaFlow positions itself against Wispr Flow, mostly on price. DictaFlow Pro is $7 a month against Wispr Flow's $15, and Wispr Flow's free plan is the larger one.
DictaFlow checked October 6, 2026. Wispr Flow from its pricing page, reread October 6, 2026.
| DictaFlow | Wispr Flow | |
|---|---|---|
| Free use | 2,000 words a month | 2,000 words a week on desktop |
| Paid | $7 a month or $69 a year | $15 a month or $144 a year |
| Offline | Local Offline on supported devices | No |
| Runs on | Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android |
The Wispr Flow alternative page compares Wispr Flow with YapToText, and the pricing page has its plans in full.
The short version
- Need Windows, a phone or Citrix. DictaFlow covers them, free for 2,000 words a month and $7 a month after.
- On a Mac and want no meter. Use YapToText: it is free, with no account and no word limit.
- Care where audio goes. DictaFlow uses cloud providers unless you choose Local Offline. YapToText has only the local way.
DictaFlow is cheap and everywhere. YapToText is free and only on your Mac. If DictaFlow has changed something this page says, tell me on GitHub and I will fix it.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Related
Sources
- https://dictaflow.io/ (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://dictaflow.io/mac/ (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://dictaflow.io/facts.html (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://dictaflow.io/privacy.html (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://dictaflow.io/llms.txt (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://wisprflow.ai/pricing (checked 2026-10-06)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-03)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-03)
Questions
Is DictaFlow free?
It has a free plan of 2,000 words a month with no credit card, per dictaflow.io on October 6, 2026. Pro is $7 a month or $69 a year.
How much does DictaFlow cost?
DictaFlow Pro is $7 a month, or $69 a year, which is $5.75 a month. DictaFlow Medical Pro is a separate product at $39 per user a month for one to four seats, or $29 for five or more.
Does DictaFlow work on a Mac?
Yes. Its Mac page says the direct download runs on macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. You hold Fn while you speak and release it, and the text goes where your cursor is.
Does DictaFlow work offline?
Partly. DictaFlow says local processing is available for dictation without an internet connection, that cloud processing provides the full feature set, and that consumer DictaFlow is not fully offline.
DictaFlow vs Wispr Flow: what is the difference?
DictaFlow Pro is $7 a month and Wispr Flow Pro is $15. DictaFlow's free plan is 2,000 words a month. Wispr Flow's is 2,000 words a week on desktop. DictaFlow documents a typing mode for Citrix and remote desktops. I have not tested either.
Is there a free alternative to DictaFlow with no word limit?
On a Mac, YapToText is free with no word limit and no account, and it recognizes speech on the device. It runs only on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later.