A free LumeVoice alternative that keeps your voice on the Mac
By Ryleigh NewmanPublished
YapToText, the app I make, is a free alternative to LumeVoice for the Mac. Both type what you say into any app, cleaned up. The difference is where the speech goes: LumeVoice turns speech into text in the cloud and needs a connection, and its free start is 3,000 words, once. YapToText does both steps on the Mac, works with Wi-Fi off, and has no word count, no account and no paid tier. LumeVoice does things YapToText does not: it runs on Windows, iPhone and Android, and on older Macs back to macOS 11.5. Every LumeVoice fact here comes from lumevoice.com, read on October 22, 2026.
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.
What LumeVoice is, from its own site
LumeVoice, which its site mostly calls Lume, is a dictation app made by one person. You hold a key, fn on a Mac, talk, and let go, and the words land cleaned up wherever the cursor is. A double press keeps it listening hands-free until you press once more.
- Cleanup. It drops the ums, keeps your last word when you change your mind, and sets lists and punctuation.
- Your words. A dictionary for names and jargon, and snippets that type a whole address or sign-off from a short cue.
- Files. It can transcribe a recording or a video you drop in.
- Languages. 100 languages, detected automatically, and it can write what you say in another language.
- Platforms. Mac (macOS 11.5 or later), Windows 10 and 11, iPhone and Android.
- Where speech goes. Its FAQ says it turns speech into text in the cloud, so it needs an internet connection. It says audio is not stored on its servers, history stays on your device, and dictations are never used to train models.
LumeVoice is a cloud dictation app with a small free start. YapToText is an on-device one with no allowance to run out of.
Price, side by side
LumeVoice from lumevoice.com, read October 22, 2026. Its site shows Pro from $6.66 a month, which is the yearly price divided by twelve.
| LumeVoice | YapToText | |
|---|---|---|
| Free use | 3,000 words, once, no card | Everything, with no word count |
| Paid | Pro: $14.99 a month, $79.99 a year, or $249 lifetime | None |
| Trial | 7 days on Pro Monthly or Annual, card needed | No trial, nothing to unlock |
| Where speech becomes text | In the cloud | On your Mac |
| Works offline | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac with Apple silicon |
| Account | An account gets the free words | None |
What you keep, and what changes
- Dictating into any app. LumeVoice is hold to talk on fn. YapToText taps Right Command to start and again to stop, and Hold to talk is a choice on the keys page, fn included, if your hands already know the LumeVoice habit.
- Cleanup. Both remove fillers and fix punctuation. YapToText's cleanup model runs on the Mac, and Auto mode keeps chat as spoken and turns a letter into an email.
- Names and snippets. YapToText has Dictionaries for names and jargon and snippets for addresses and sign-offs, both kept on the Mac.
- Files. YapToText transcribes any audio or video file too, from the Utility page or the menu bar.
- Editing what you wrote. YapToText's Quick Edit rewrites a selection from a spoken instruction. The LumeVoice home page does not describe editing a selection by voice.
- Your phone and Windows. This is what you give up. YapToText is Mac only, Apple silicon only.
Which one fits
Pick LumeVoice if you dictate on a phone or a Windows PC as much as on the Mac, or your Mac is an Intel one. Pick YapToText if you want speech to stay on the Mac, dictate more than a few thousand words, or would rather not pay for dictation at all. On the same Mac you can try both, since neither changes the other's settings. The comparison of every Mac dictation app puts both beside the others.
Related
Sources
- https://lumevoice.com (checked 2026-10-22)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-22)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-22)
Questions
Is LumeVoice free?
It starts free: 3,000 words, one time, with no card. After that, Pro is $14.99 a month, $79.99 a year or $249 once, as read on lumevoice.com on October 22, 2026.
Does LumeVoice work offline?
No. Its FAQ says it turns speech into text in the cloud and needs an internet connection. YapToText works offline.
Is there a free LumeVoice alternative for Mac?
YapToText is free with no word limit and no account, and both of its models run on the Mac. It needs a Mac with Apple silicon.