Spokenly Free Version is My Voice-to-Text Daily Driver

My voice-to-text use case is almost exclusively dictation (in English) in lieu of typing. There are a lot of transcription apps, many of them very powerful with advanced features for enterprise and academic users in multilingual environments. I don't need that. I just need something dependable and free that works well and saves me from having to type so much. After trying a great many apps, I'm most satisfied with Spokenly.

Key Features for This Use Case

• Requires no account - just download it from the Mac App Store, set it up, and start using it. You don't need a username and password for functionality.
• Local only, if you want - If you are privacy-focused, you can download and employ local conversion engines, including Nvidia's Parakeet, even on Intel Macs. I use it regularly on a 2019 MBP. Other local models include:
  • Various Whisper implementations
  • Parakeet version for multilingual use
  • Apple speech analyzer for macOS 26
• Bring your own API key for online use - If you want to use your own API key for OpenAI, Soniox, Grok, or other specialized engines, you can do this and still stay with the free version.
• True universal compatibility - You can dictate text anywhere on the system where you can put a cursor, so Spokenly can fill in forms in your browser, compose emails and messages, and write Reddit posts or blog entries.
• Text replacement - You can set up custom replacements for anything you use regularly that your dictation engine chokes on: proper names, tech terms, place names/addresses, etc.

Other features

• Agentic Control - If you want to get into setting up workflows that you trigger with your voice, Spokenly has a list of functions that it can automate:
  • Search Google & YouTube
  • Query ChatGPT & Claude
  • Open/Close Apps
  • Send keystrokes
  • Open websites
  • Run Apple shortcuts
  • Run shell commands
• Supports 100 Languages - I am a native English speaker, but I have rudimentary Spanish skills (thanks to training with the Puerto Rican National Guard when I was in the Army). I can easily include Spanish phrases while dictating in English, and Spokenly changes gears on the fly.
• File Upload - You can upload recorded files and have them transcribed. This is a feature in other apps, and I suggest testing this out if it's something important to you. Uploading a two-minute voice memo you recorded in quiet conditions on your iPhone is going to work differently than a one-hour Teams meeting with 10 different speakers. YMMV.

Caveats

This is not a plug-and-play app for absolute beginners. You have to choose what model you want to use, and they aren't all the same. Luckily, Spokenly does offer some suggestions. If you go with a local model, you have to download it, and if you're short on hard drive space, the models are about .5 GB on average. If you want advanced online support, you'll need to obtain your own API keys or be prepared to pay for the pro version ($7.99 a month). Also, depending on your configuration, you may experience lag if you're on an older or under-powered device.