A free VoiceOS alternative for dictation that stays on your Mac
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
VoiceOS is a cloud-connected voice assistant and dictation app for Mac and Windows, at $29.99 a month or $143.88 a year in the US, with a 7-day trial that needs a card. YapToText does one part of that job, dictation and voice editing, for free on an Apple silicon Mac, and without the cloud.
I make YapToText, a competitor, and I have not used VoiceOS. Every VoiceOS fact here is from its llms.txt file, updated September 30, 2026, which I read on October 9, 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.
Side by side
VoiceOS column from voiceos.com/llms.txt, updated September 30, 2026, read October 9, 2026.
| VoiceOS | YapToText | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Pro $29.99 a month, or $143.88 a year in the US | Free |
| Trial | 7 days, card required, one per email | Not needed |
| Free plan | None for new users. Lapsed accounts keep 100 dictations and 25 Agent Mode sessions a week | Everything, no limits |
| Processing | Cloud | On the Mac |
| Modes | Dictation, Edit Mode, and Agent Mode with connected apps | Dictation, cleanup modes and Quick Edit |
| Platforms | Mac and Windows | Apple silicon Macs |
What VoiceOS says about privacy
- Cloud processing. Its llms.txt says plainly that a local transcript history does not mean local recognition.
- With Help Improve VoiceOS off. Raw audio and transcripts are deleted right after processing and not used for training.
- With it on. Audio and transcripts may be kept indefinitely for training, and turning it off later does not delete earlier contributions.
Check that setting before you dictate anything private, because its effect on past audio cannot be undone.
Where VoiceOS does more
- Agent Mode. It can act through connected apps, with permissions and confirmation listed per tool.
- Windows. It runs on Windows as well as the Mac.
- Enterprise. It offers custom enterprise plans and security documentation on request.
What YapToText gives you instead
- No subscription. Free, with no trial clock or card.
- Nothing sent anywhere. Speech and cleanup models both run on the Mac, with no account or analytics.
- Voice editing. Quick Edit rewrites selected text from a spoken instruction, on the Mac.
- No agent. It types and edits text, and does not act in other apps for you.
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 private dictation page explains what on-device means in practice.
The short version
- VoiceOS. Cloud dictation plus an agent, from $11.99 a month billed yearly, no free plan for new users.
- YapToText. Free dictation and voice editing that stay on an Apple silicon Mac.
- Watch the setting. VoiceOS keeps audio for training only if Help Improve VoiceOS is on.
- Not tested here. I read VoiceOS's own description, from a rival's chair.
If VoiceOS's terms change and this page lags, open an issue on GitHub. 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://voiceos.com/llms.txt (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://www.voiceos.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://www.voiceos.com/security (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-09)
Questions
Is VoiceOS free?
Not for new users. Its llms.txt says there is a 7-day Pro trial that needs a card, and no free sign-up plan. Pro is $29.99 a month or $143.88 a year in the US.
Does VoiceOS work offline?
No. Its llms.txt says VoiceOS uses cloud processing and is not an offline speech recognition app.
Does VoiceOS keep my audio?
With Help Improve VoiceOS off, it says audio and transcripts are deleted right after processing. With it on, they may be kept indefinitely for training.
Is there a free VoiceOS alternative for Mac?
YapToText is free on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later, for dictation and voice editing on the Mac.
What is VoiceOS Agent Mode?
A mode that can use screen context and connected apps to take actions, with permissions and confirmation listed per tool. YapToText has no agent mode.