spellsafespellsafe vs Apple Dictation
Checked October 14, 2026
Every Mac comes with Dictation built in, and for quick notes it's often all you need. spellsafe is for people who dictate a lot and want more control.
At a glance
| spellsafe | Apple Dictation | |
|---|---|---|
| Where speech is recognised | On your Mac (NVIDIA Parakeet on the Neural Engine) | On your Mac or on Apple's servers, depending on language and settings (Apple says to check Keyboard settings) |
| Works offline | Yes, after a one-time model download | For some languages |
| AI cleanup and rewrite | On your Mac (Qwen3, runs locally) | No |
| Platforms | Mac with Apple silicon, macOS 14 or later | Every Mac, plus iPhone and iPad |
| Languages | English | Many languages, varying by region |
| Price | Not announced yet | Included with macOS |
Where Apple Dictation is stronger
- Already on your Mac: nothing to install and nothing to pay.
- Many languages, and you can switch between them while dictating.
- Works on Intel Macs too.
Where spellsafe is stronger
- Doesn't stop after 30 seconds of silence, which Apple's Dictation does.
- A custom vocabulary for names and jargon, applied as you speak.
- Local AI cleanup, “rewrite that”, voice commands, and a searchable history of everything you've dictated.
- Hold-to-talk on a shortcut of your choice, including Right Option.
Which should you pick?
Stick with Apple Dictation if you dictate the odd sentence, or need a language other than English. Try spellsafe if you dictate for long stretches and want your words spelled your way.
Try spellsafe
spellsafe is a menu bar app for Macs with Apple silicon. Download it, grant microphone and Accessibility access, and press ⌃⌥D to start talking.
Download for MacAbout this comparison. We make spellsafe, so we're not neutral. We checked Apple Dictation's details on its own site on October 14, 2026, and prices and features change. Apple doesn't publish a simple list of which languages are processed on the device. Apple's separate Voice Control feature adds more commands and isn't covered here. Spotted a mistake? Email hello@spellsafe.ai and we'll fix it.
Sources: Apple: Dictate messages and documents on Mac. Apple Dictation is a trademark of its owner; spellsafe isn't affiliated with it.