A FluidVoice alternative that installs from the Mac App Store

By Ryleigh Newman · Published October 6, 2026 · Updated October 7, 2026

YapToText is an open-source alternative to FluidVoice that installs from the Mac App Store with both of its models inside, runs from macOS 14, and sends no analytics. FluidVoice is free and open source too, under the same GPL-3.0 license, and it does things I do not: it runs on Intel Macs through Whisper, offers a long list of speech models from Parakeet to Nemotron, and has a Command Mode that controls your Mac by voice.

I built YapToText, so read what I say about FluidVoice with that in mind. Everything about FluidVoice here comes from its README on GitHub and its site at altic.dev/fluid, read on October 6, 2026. I have not tested FluidVoice 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: 7 sections

Side by side
Where FluidVoice is ahead
Where YapToText is different
Getting FluidVoice from the right place
FluidVoice vs Wispr Flow, VoiceInk and Handy
The short version
Questions

Side by side

FluidVoice checked October 6, 2026, on its README and altic.dev/fluid. Both apps are free.

	YapToText	FluidVoice
License	GPL-3.0	GPL-3.0 since February 23, 2026; Apache 2.0 before
Price	Free, no paid tier; tips are optional	Free; GitHub Sponsors for support
Install	Mac App Store, with both models inside; or Homebrew, without models	Homebrew cask or GitHub releases
macOS	14 or later, Apple silicon	15 or later; Intel Macs through Whisper models
Speech models	Whisper Large v3 Turbo (Q5) inside, ten more Whisper models in the library	Nemotron Speech 3.5, Parakeet Flash and TDT v3 and v2, Cohere Transcribe, Apple Speech and Whisper
AI cleanup	Phi-3.5 Mini Instruct, MIT licensed, inside the app, on the Mac	Fluid Intelligence, a local model that its README says is privately maintained, an optional 3.5 GB download; or OpenAI, Groq or a custom provider
Edits text by voice	Quick Edit on a selection	Write Mode writes or rewrites text in any field
Controls the Mac by voice	No	Command Mode launches apps, runs shortcuts and triggers system actions
Analytics	None	An anonymous activity signal per day; detailed anonymous analytics on by default, and can be turned off
Languages	29 plus auto-detect	Depends on the model: Whisper up to 99, Nemotron about 40, Parakeet TDT v3 25
Other platforms	None	Its README says iOS and Windows are on the way, with a waitlist

Both keep your voice on your Mac. They differ in how you install them, which Macs they run on, and how open the cleanup model is.

Where FluidVoice is ahead

FluidVoice is good software, and some of what it does, I do not do at all. If you have an Intel Mac, want to pick from many speech models, or want to control your Mac by voice, FluidVoice is the better fit.

Intel Macs. Its README says Intel Macs are supported through Whisper models. YapToText needs Apple silicon.
More speech models. Parakeet, Nemotron and Cohere Transcribe as well as Whisper and Apple Speech. FluidVoice says its Parakeet is one of the fastest on the Mac. That is its claim, and I have not measured it. YapToText runs Whisper only.
Command Mode. Launch apps, run shortcuts and trigger system actions by voice. YapToText types and edits text. It does not control the Mac.
Cloud cleanup if you want it. You can add an OpenAI, Groq or custom provider key. YapToText has no cloud option at all.
A notch-aware live preview. Its overlay fits around the MacBook notch.

Where YapToText is different

YapToText makes a few different choices. The App Store install, macOS 14, no analytics and an openly licensed cleanup model are the reasons to pick it.

Everything in one download. The App Store build ships Whisper and the cleanup model, about 2.9 GB, so it dictates from the first launch with nothing else to fetch.
One version older. It runs on macOS 14 Sonoma. FluidVoice's README asks for macOS 15.
No analytics. YapToText has no account, no analytics, no telemetry and no tracking. FluidVoice's README says it never collects your voice or text, and lists the anonymous usage signals it does send.
A cleanup model you can inspect. Phi-3.5 Mini Instruct is MIT licensed. FluidVoice's README says its Fluid Intelligence runtime is privately maintained, so that layer cannot be read, though the rest of the app can.
Quick Edit and Dictionaries. Select text, tap Right Option and say the change, and dictionary entries that also prime the speech model.

The AI Models page in YapToText: Whisper Large v3 Turbo (Q5) and Phi-3.5 Mini Instruct marked Included, model library below. — Figure 1. The AI Models page: both models ship inside the App Store app and show as Included, with more Whisper models in the library below.

Getting FluidVoice from the right place

FluidVoice's own README carries a warning worth repeating for anyone searching for it. Download FluidVoice from its GitHub releases or Homebrew, not from a look-alike site.

Not official. Its README says fluidvoice.org is not affiliated with FluidVoice or Altic, and asks people to report it if it shows up in search results claiming to be official.
Official. altic.dev/fluid is its website, and its README lists fluidvoice.com and fluidvoice.app as official domains too.
Downloads. GitHub releases, or Homebrew with brew install --cask fluidvoice.

The same care applies to YapToText: its only download sources are the Mac App Store, its GitHub releases and its Homebrew tap.

FluidVoice vs Wispr Flow, VoiceInk and Handy

Most searches for FluidVoice compare it with something else. FluidVoice and VoiceInk are the two open-source Mac apps closest to it. Wispr Flow is the cloud app most people are leaving.

FluidVoice vs Wispr Flow. FluidVoice is free and transcribes on your Mac. Wispr Flow transcribes in the cloud, with a free plan of 2,000 words a week on desktop and Pro at $15 a month or $12 billed yearly, and it runs on Windows, iPhone and Android.
VoiceInk vs FluidVoice. Both are GPL-3.0 and local. VoiceInk sells its ready-built app for a one-time $25 after a trial, needs Apple silicon, and has an iPhone and iPad app in beta. FluidVoice is free and also runs on Intel Macs through Whisper.
Handy vs FluidVoice. Handy is MIT licensed and runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. The open-source roundup has the details.

The roundup of open-source dictation apps sets YapToText, Handy, OpenWhispr, FluidVoice and VoiceInk side by side, and the VoiceInk alternative page covers that one in depth.

The short version

Pick FluidVoice for an Intel Mac, many speech models, Command Mode, or a cloud provider of your own.
Pick YapToText for an App Store install with everything inside, macOS 14, no analytics, and an MIT-licensed cleanup model. It is free on the Mac App Store.
Or run both. They can live on the same Mac, as long as they do not share a hotkey.

Two free, open-source apps that keep your voice on your Mac. The differences are install, Mac and openness. If something here no longer matches FluidVoice's README, tell me on GitHub.

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.

About the author. Ryleigh Newman is a developer whose hands make typing difficult and who dictates every day with YapToText, the app this site describes. Facts about other apps come from their own sites, with the date they were read. More about the project.

Sources

https://github.com/altic-dev/FluidVoice (checked 2026-10-06)
https://altic.dev/fluid (checked 2026-10-06)
https://github.com/altic-dev/FluidVoice/releases (checked 2026-10-06)
https://wisprflow.ai/pricing (checked 2026-10-06)
https://tryvoiceink.com (checked 2026-10-06)
https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-06)
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-06)

Questions

Is FluidVoice free?

Yes. Its README says FluidVoice is free and open source under GPL-3.0, with GitHub Sponsors for anyone who wants to support it. YapToText is free too, with optional tips that buy no features.

Does FluidVoice work on Intel Macs?

Yes, through its Whisper models, according to its README. Its other models need Apple silicon, and it requires macOS 15 or later. YapToText needs Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later.

Is FluidVoice available for Windows or iPhone?

Not yet, according to its README, which says iOS and Windows are on the way and links a waitlist. It runs on macOS today. YapToText is a Mac app only.

Is fluidvoice.org the official FluidVoice site?

No. FluidVoice's README says fluidvoice.org is not affiliated with it. Its official site is altic.dev/fluid, and official downloads are its GitHub releases or Homebrew.

Does FluidVoice collect data?

Its README says it never collects your voice, audio or text, and that it sends one anonymous activity signal per day, uploaded weekly, plus detailed anonymous usage analytics that are on by default and can be turned off. YapToText has no analytics.

FluidVoice vs Wispr Flow: what is the difference?

FluidVoice is free and transcribes on your Mac. Wispr Flow transcribes in the cloud, has a free plan of 2,000 words a week on desktop and Pro at $15 a month or $12 billed yearly, and runs on Windows, iPhone and Android as well.