17 apps2 best-of guides15 free to start
AI and dictation
Chat assistants, local models and dictation apps that type what you say, faster than you can.
The top 3
Our highest-rated picks in AI and dictation right now.
- 1
MacWhisperPrivate transcripts of interviews, lectures and calls, made on your own Mac, with a free version that covers most jobs.Free to start - 2
ChatGPTThe AI assistant to start with if you want to type, talk and show photos to 1 app on both iPhone and Mac.Free to start4.8 - 3
ClaudeA thoughtful AI partner for writing, research and code, with a free plan that already searches the web and reads your files.Free to start4.7
Best-of guides
Each one names 1 winner, the best free pick and who should choose something else.
All 17 apps in AI and dictation
17 apps
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Price
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MacWhisperPrivate transcripts of interviews, lectures and calls, made on your own Mac, with a free version that covers most jobs.Free to start
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ChatGPTThe AI assistant to start with if you want to type, talk and show photos to 1 app on both iPhone and Mac.Free to start4.8
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ClaudeA thoughtful AI partner for writing, research and code, with a free plan that already searches the web and reads your files.Free to start4.7
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Wispr FlowDictation that cleans up as you talk, cutting filler words and fixing your corrections in any app on Mac and iPhone.Free to start4.8 -
SuperwhisperDictation for any Mac app that cleans up what you said, with offline models free and no word cap.Free to start -
LM StudioA free way to run open AI models like Qwen and DeepSeek on your own Mac, fully offline and private.Free -
Draw ThingsA free offline AI image generator for iPhone, iPad and Mac with inpainting, ControlNet and LoRA training.Free to start4.4 -
GeminiThe AI assistant to pick if your email, files and calendar already live with Google, with a free Mac app on top.Free to start4.7 -
Locally AIA free AI chat app that runs open models on your iPhone, iPad or Mac with no account and no data collected.Free4.7 -
PerplexityAI answers that show their homework, with a link to every source, free for everyday questions.Free to start4.8 -
HandyHold a key, talk, and your words land in any app, transcribed offline by open-source models at no cost.Free, open source -
OllamaThe open-source engine for running AI models on your own Mac, with optional cloud models when you need speed.Free, open source -
Whisper NotesAn offline transcription app for $6.99 once, with speaker labels, 100+ languages and no data collected.$6.99 once4.7 -
LittlebirdAn AI assistant for your Mac that remembers what you worked on, so you can ask about it without explaining.Free to start -
PinchbarAI text actions on whatever you copy, from the menu bar, with on-device Apple Intelligence by default.Free to start -
EneyMacPaw's AI assistant that organizes files, drafts emails and works with your apps, on a credit plan from $14.99 a month.From $14.99 -
OsaurusA free Mac app that runs private AI agents on your own computer.Free, open source
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