VoiceInk cloud providers: which ones transcribe, how to add an API key, and who pays
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
VoiceInk does not include a cloud service of its own. If you want cloud transcription or cloud cleanup, you connect a provider with your own API key, and you pay that provider. Your VoiceInk license does not include provider charges or credits. This page covers which providers do which job and how to connect one.
I leave out the names of the general AI assistant companies on VoiceInk's list, as I do across this site, and name the speech providers.
I built YapToText, a dictation app for the Mac, so read what I say about VoiceInk with that in mind. Every fact about VoiceInk here comes from its own docs, read on October 11, 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.
Providers that transcribe
From VoiceInk's docs, Cloud Providers, read October 11, 2026. The list also has several AI assistant companies, some for enhancement only, which I do not name here. Your provider account decides which models you can use.
| Provider | Transcription model in VoiceInk | Also enhances |
|---|---|---|
| Groq | Whisper Large v3 Turbo | Yes |
| Mistral | Voxtral | Yes |
| OpenRouter | Models from its transcription catalog | Yes |
| Deepgram | Nova 3 and Nova 3 Medical | No |
| ElevenLabs | Scribe V2 | No |
| Soniox | Soniox V5 | No |
| Speechmatics | Speechmatics | No |
| AssemblyAI | Universal-3.5 Pro and Universal-2 | No |
| Cartesia | Ink 2 | No |
Connect one
- Open AI Models, Cloud and select the provider.
- Enter its API key.
- Click Verify.
- Open a Mode and choose the transcription model, or the enhancement provider and model.
VoiceInk stores API keys in the macOS Keychain. Removing a key makes the Modes that use it unavailable until you reconnect. Keys are not in a settings backup, as the backup page explains.
What leaves your Mac
- Cloud transcription. Sends your audio to the selected service.
- Cloud enhancement. Sends the text and any context you enabled.
- Their rules. Each service applies its own data and retention policy.
The VoiceInk privacy page and the Context Awareness page go through it.
Limits to know
- Batch only. AssemblyAI Universal-2 and Groq's Whisper model do not stream partial text.
- Streaming only. Cartesia Ink 2 needs Real-time for live dictation and cannot transcribe imported files.
- OpenRouter. It has separate transcription and enhancement catalogs. Its transcription is batch based and does not pass your Vocabulary as hints.
- Compatible endpoints. Other transcription endpoints that follow the common API format can be added under Custom Models.
The option with no keys at all
If managing API keys and provider bills is not what you wanted from a dictation app, VoiceInk's own local models avoid it, as the local models page shows. YapToText goes further in that direction: it has no cloud option, no API keys and no account, and both its speech model and its cleanup model run on the Mac. The cost of that is choice: you cannot plug in a cloud model for a hard accent or a medical vocabulary. The VoiceInk alternative page compares the two.
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.
The short version
- Who pays. You, to the provider. The license does not cover it.
- Connect. AI Models, Cloud, API key, Verify.
- Keys. In the macOS Keychain, not in backups.
- Privacy. Audio or text goes to that provider.
- No keys. Use local models.
If VoiceInk changes its provider list, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.
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://tryvoiceink.com/docs/cloud-providers (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-11)
Questions
Does VoiceInk include cloud transcription?
No. You connect your own provider account with an API key. The VoiceInk license does not include provider charges or credits.
How do I add an API key to VoiceInk?
Open AI Models, Cloud, select the provider, enter the key and click Verify. Then pick the model in a Mode.
Where does VoiceInk store API keys?
In the macOS Keychain. They are not included in a settings backup.
Which providers can VoiceInk use for transcription?
Among others, Groq, Mistral, OpenRouter, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, Soniox, Speechmatics, AssemblyAI and Cartesia.
Can I use VoiceInk without any API key?
Yes, with its local models.