Private voice dictation for macOS

Stop typing. Start speaking.

Q: Is Local Whisper a Wispr Flow alternative?

Yes. Local Whisper is a Mac-native Wispr Flow alternative for users who want private dictation, fn-key capture, and a buy-once model. Wispr Flow may be a better fit for users who need cross-platform mobile and desktop sync.

Q: What is Local Whisper?

Local Whisper is a private Mac dictation app for turning spoken thoughts into polished text. Hold fn, speak naturally, release, and the cleaned text appears in the active app.

Q: Does Local Whisper work in every Mac app?

Local Whisper works anywhere macOS lets you type or paste, including Mail, Slack, Cursor, Notion, Google Docs, Notes, support tools, and browser text fields.

Q: Is dictation processed locally?

The Mac app is designed to process dictation privately on your Mac. It does not configure cloud transcription or hosted cleanup services.

Q: Who is Local Whisper for?

Local Whisper is for Mac users who write emails, AI prompts, notes, documents, customer replies, handoffs, and chat messages faster by speaking than typing.

Q: Why does Local Whisper download models after install?

The DMG stays small enough to install quickly. On first launch, Local Whisper downloads the local speech and cleanup models it needs, verifies them, and reuses them for future dictation.

Q: Can I share my download link?

Each paid checkout receives a unique download link that expires for security. If you need to reinstall later, contact support from the purchase email for a fresh link.

Local Whisper turns natural speech into clean, polished writing in the app you already have open. If you are comparing Wispr Flow, try the Mac-native dictation app built around private processing, one-key capture, and a buy-once DMG.

Buy for Mac

Wispr Flow alternative Private Mac dictation Works in every text field Buy once, own forever

Keyboard: about 45 wpm Voice: about 150 wpm

Hold fn to dictate

Press the bottom-left key, talk, then release to paste clean text.

Spoken thought

“umm let’s meet at one no actually two pm is better and I’ll send the notes after lunch”

Inserted text

Let’s meet at 2pm. I’ll send the notes after lunch.

One shortcut

From thought to text without breaking stride.

Local Whisper is built for the tiny moments where typing slows you down: a reply, a prompt, a note, a handoff, or the paragraph you can say clearly but do not want to type.

Press fn and talk

Say the full thought, not the shortened version your keyboard gets.

Local Whisper cleans it up

Speech becomes structured, punctuated writing that keeps your meaning.

Keep writing where you are

The finished text lands in the active app so you can send, edit, or continue.

Works where you work

Cursor Slack Mail Notion Docs Support Notes Linear

Example: email

Reply while the thought is still fresh.

Say the rough version out loud and Local Whisper turns it into a clear email draft in the compose window. It is ideal for follow-ups, handoffs, customer notes, and replies you know but do not want to type.

maria@company.com

Subject

Meeting time

Hi Maria,

Let’s aim to meet at 2pm today.

Best,
Dhruv

Spoken: “let’s aim to meet at 4pm, no scratch that, maybe 2pm today”

Use cases

A Mac voice typing app for the places ideas actually happen.

Search engines call it speech to text, dictation software, voice typing, transcription, or an AI writing assistant. The job is the same: speak the full thought and get usable text back quickly.

Email dictation

Reply to customers, teammates, founders, and friends without building each sentence one keystroke at a time.

AI prompt dictation

Give Cursor, ChatGPT, Claude, or internal AI tools the richer context you can say faster than you can type.

Meeting notes and handoffs

Capture next steps, decisions, status updates, and project context while the details are still fresh.

Slack and async replies

Turn a rambling spoken answer into a concise message that is ready to send or lightly edit.

Made for momentum

Say the messy version. Get text you can use.

Voice is fastest when you do not have to babysit the transcript. Local Whisper captures the idea, cleans it up, and puts the final text where your cursor already is.

Speak naturally

Ramble through a thought, pause, correct yourself, and keep talking. The app turns rough speech into readable writing.

Voice type in every Mac app

Use the same shortcut in Cursor, Slack, Mail, Notion, docs, support tools, or any place macOS lets you type.

Send-ready AI polish

Filler words disappear, punctuation lands in the right place, and the result reads like something you meant to write.

Private local dictation

Dictation is processed on your Mac, and transcript text is not stored in diagnostics logs by the app.

Great for AI prompts

Give AI tools richer context by saying the whole thought out loud instead of compressing it into a tiny typed prompt.

Buy once, own forever

No subscription treadmill. Pay once for the Mac app and keep using it for everyday dictation without another monthly bill.

Wispr Flow alternative

Looking for Wispr Flow, but more local and Mac-focused?

Wispr Flow is a polished cross-platform voice dictation product. Local Whisper is different on purpose: it is for Mac users who want private dictation, a simple fn-key workflow, and a buy-once app instead of another always-on subscription.

Choose Local Whisper if you want

A Mac-native dictation app for every text field.
Private processing for speech and cleanup on your Mac.
Fast voice typing for Cursor prompts, email, Slack, docs, and notes.
A buy-once alternative to subscription voice typing tools.

Choose Wispr Flow if you need

Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android support in one account.
Cloud-synced personal dictionary, snippets, and settings.
Team, enterprise, and cross-device workflows.

Compatibility

Made for modern Apple Silicon Macs.

Local Whisper is a menu bar app for macOS users who want private, low-friction voice dictation in their existing workflow.

Platform: macOS on Apple Silicon
Shortcut: Hold the function key to record, release to insert text
Permissions: Microphone access for recording and Accessibility access for pasting
Pricing: Buy once, own forever. Checkout creates a unique download link.
First setup: Requires a large one-time model download, currently about 6GB compressed and 8GB installed.

FAQ

Questions bots, search engines, and humans ask.

Short answers about Local Whisper, private Mac dictation, local speech-to-text processing, and everyday voice typing workflows.

Is Local Whisper a Wispr Flow alternative?

Yes. If you are searching for a Wispr Flow alternative on Mac, Local Whisper is the private, Mac-native option: local transcription, fn-key capture, cleanup for rough speech, and a buy-once model. Wispr Flow is stronger if you need one account across Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android.

What is Local Whisper?

Local Whisper is a macOS dictation app that lets you hold fn, speak naturally, release, and paste cleaned-up text into the active app. It is designed for faster writing on a Mac.

How is it different from normal Mac dictation?

Local Whisper is focused on flow and cleanup. You can ramble, correct yourself out loud, and get a polished result that keeps the meaning instead of a literal rough transcript.

Does Local Whisper send audio to the cloud?

The app is designed to process dictation privately on your Mac. It does not configure a cloud transcription service or hosted cleanup service.

Which apps does it work with?

It works anywhere macOS lets you type or paste: Mail, Slack, Cursor, Notion, Notes, Google Docs, support tools, browsers, editors, and other text fields.

Who should use a Mac dictation app like this?

Developers, founders, operators, writers, support teams, and Mac power users who think faster than they type can use Local Whisper for prompts, emails, notes, handoffs, and documents.

Is Local Whisper a subscription?

No. The landing page is built around a buy-once Mac app model, so users can keep using it for everyday dictation without another monthly bill.

How do I install Local Whisper after checkout?

After Stripe Checkout, your success page creates a unique DMG download link. Open the DMG, drag Local Whisper to Applications, then launch it and grant Microphone and Accessibility access when macOS asks.

Why does it download models after install?

The app download is intentionally small. On first launch, Local Whisper downloads local speech and cleanup models to your Mac, verifies them, and reuses them for future dictation.

How large is the first setup download?

The current Whisper and Gemma artifacts are roughly 6GB compressed and about 8GB installed. Keep Local Whisper open during setup; later launches reuse the local files.

Can I reinstall after buying?

Yes. Your original checkout gets a unique download link that expires for security. If you need a fresh link later, contact support from the email address on your Stripe receipt.

Can I share my download link?

No. Download links are unique to each paid checkout and expire automatically. They are meant for the person who purchased Local Whisper.

Does checkout mean my audio goes through Stripe?

No. Stripe only handles payment. Dictation audio and transcript cleanup are designed to run locally on your Mac after the app and models are installed.

Early feedback

For people who think faster than they type.

Local Whisper is built for the everyday writing moments where a keyboard slows down the idea: prompts, replies, notes, docs, and handoffs.

“I use it for Cursor prompts. Speaking the whole context out loud gives me better answers than the tiny prompt I would have typed.”

Developer building with AI

“It turns rambling into something I can actually send. Perfect for Slack replies and follow-ups when I know what I mean but do not want to type it.”

Founder doing async work

“The buy-once model matters. I wanted fast voice writing without adding another monthly tool to the stack.”

Mac power user

Buy once, install on your Mac

Buy Local Whisper.

Checkout sends you to a dedicated download page with a unique link for the signed and notarized DMG. The app installs quickly, then downloads the local speech and cleanup models on first launch.

Pay once through Stripe Checkout.
Download your unique LocalWhisper.dmg link from the download page.
Open the DMG and drag Local Whisper to Applications.
Launch the app and grant Microphone plus Accessibility permissions.
Keep the app open while it downloads about 6GB of local models.