Dictidy01 / DICTATE
Local · No API keySpeak instead of type.
Press your shortcut, speak, then press it again. Whisper transcribes on your Mac and Dictidy pastes the raw transcript at your cursor.
⌥Spacedefault shortcut
Free & open source · Made for Mac
Speak naturally.
Make your words
a little tidier.
Dictate by voice or rewrite selected text, right where you’re typing. A small menu-bar app for clearer emails, messages, and notes.
Your voice stays on your Mac. AI cleanup and rewriting use your Anthropic or OpenAI API key. Provider charges apply.
Apple Silicon · macOS 13.3+ · No Dictidy subscription
You say
“um could we move our meeting to Thursday actually Friday works better for me”
Dictate + Clean · your chosen AI model
Ready to review
Could we move our meeting to Friday? That works better for me.
Illustrative example. Results vary by model and instructions.
✓ On-device speech transcription✓ Your API keys, your model choice✓ Open source · No app telemetry
Three ways to work
Start with your voice.
Or the words already there.
Stay in your email, chat, notes, or editor. Dictidy works across apps that support standard copy and paste.
02 / DICTATE + CLEAN
Local speech + online AITurn a thought into a message.
Speak naturally. Dictidy transcribes locally, then sends the text to your chosen model to remove filler and tidy the wording before pasting.
⌃Spacedefault shortcut
03 / REWRITE
Online AI · Your API keyGive a rough draft another pass.
Select existing text and run Auto Clean, Rewrite, or your own instruction. The result replaces your selection in the same app.
⇧⌘RAuto Clean default
All shortcuts are customizable. Review generated text before sending.
Your writing, your setup
A small app with room
for the way you work.
Use the defaults to get started. Make the prompts, shortcuts, and models your own when you’re ready.
Clean up lightly. Or rewrite more freely.
Auto Clean tidies speech while aiming to keep your voice. Rewrite helps shape a clearer message. Create your own instructions for the writing you do often.
The right model for each instruction.
Connect Anthropic, OpenAI, or both. Choose a default model, then override it for individual instructions. Use one model for quick cleanup and another for a thoughtful rewrite.
Your last result, within reach.
Copy Last Text and Paste Last Text let you reuse the latest output without generating again. If cleanup fails, you can recover the raw transcript.
See what changed.
Review before-and-after text, copy an earlier result, or rewrite it again. History keeps up to 100 entries on your Mac and can be turned off or cleared.
Know where your words go
Local speech.
Your choice of AI.
Dictidy has no account system and sends no app telemetry. Its code is open for anyone to inspect.
AI cleanup is a separate, online step. You decide which provider and model handle your text.
Read the privacy policy- Audio stays on your Mac.Whisper transcribes locally. Dictidy keeps recordings in memory and does not save audio files.
- Rewriting sends text to your provider.Selected text or a transcript, plus your instructions, goes directly to Anthropic or OpenAI. That provider’s data policies apply.
- API keys stay in macOS Keychain.Each key is used only with its respective provider. You never enter keys on this website.
- You control local history.History is on by default and stores text locally as plain-text JSON. Turn it off to stop saving new entries; clear history to delete saved entries.
What free means here
Free app. Clear costs.
No Dictidy subscription, trial countdown, or paid tier.
Dictidy + local dictation
$0
Free and open source under the MIT license.
- Voice transcription on your Mac
- No API key for raw dictation
- No paid word allowance
- Works offline after the speech model downloads
AI cleanup + rewriting
Pay your provider
Bring your own Anthropic or OpenAI API key. API usage is billed separately by that provider.
- Internet access required for rewriting
- Costs depend on your model and text length
- A consumer chat subscription does not supply an API key
- No rewriting fees charged by Dictidy
Get started
Set up once.
Keep your flow.
You’ll need an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 13.3 or later. Dictation downloads a roughly 1.6 GB speech model; allow at least 2 GB of free space.
Latest release from GitHub · Release notes
Before you install: Dictidy is self-signed and is not notarized by Apple. macOS will show a first-open security warning. Read the installation guide before approving it.
Download and open Dictidy.
Unzip the download and move Dictidy.app to Applications. Follow the installation guide for the macOS first-open prompt.
Follow the setup wizard.
Grant Accessibility access so Dictidy can copy and paste in your apps, then quit and relaunch when prompted. Dictidy lives in the menu bar.
Choose voice, rewriting, or both.
For dictation, download the speech model and grant Microphone access. For cleanup or rewriting, add an Anthropic or OpenAI API key and select a model.
Make it yours.
Check your shortcuts, try Auto Clean, and tune your instructions. Use Check for Updates from the menu to keep the app current.
Is Dictidy really free?
Yes. The app and local dictation are free and open source. AI cleanup and rewriting require your own Anthropic or OpenAI API key, and you pay that provider’s usage charges. No Dictidy account or subscription is required.
Can I use it completely offline?
Raw Dictate works offline after you download the Whisper speech model. Dictate + Clean and rewriting selected text require an internet connection and a configured provider API key. Dictidy does not currently offer local AI rewriting.
Does my ChatGPT or Claude subscription cover rewriting?
A consumer chat subscription does not supply the API access Dictidy needs. Create an API key with Anthropic or OpenAI and set up that provider’s API billing separately. Use the provider’s account controls to manage your spending.
Will it work in my apps?
Dictidy uses macOS copy and paste automation, so it works in many standard text fields in apps such as Mail, Slack, Notes, browsers, and editors. App-specific text controls can behave differently. If a paste misses its target, use Copy Last Text or Paste Last Text to recover the result.
Can I dictate long meetings?
Dictidy is designed for short dictation at your cursor, not meeting recording. A recording automatically stops after five minutes. You can start another recording whenever you need one.
Does it support Intel Macs, Windows, or phones?
No. Dictidy currently supports Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 13.3 or later. There are no Intel, Windows, Linux, iOS, or Android builds.
What gets saved?
Dictidy does not save audio recordings. History is on by default and keeps up to 100 text entries locally. You can disable new history entries and clear existing ones in Settings. The latest output also stays available until you quit or clear history. See the privacy policy for details.
How does it compare with other dictation apps?
Dictidy suits Mac users who want a free, open-source app, local transcription, and control over AI models and prompts. Other apps may offer easier managed billing, mobile support, or local AI cleanup. Our comparison guides explain the tradeoffs.
Find your fit
A little research before you choose.
Practical guides to the options, with the tradeoffs made clear.
Dictidy vs. Wispr Flow
Local transcription and your own API keys, or a managed cross-platform service.
Compare the approaches →Dictidy vs. superwhisper
Consider model control, local processing, and the setup that suits you.
See the tradeoffs →Free Mac dictation options
What you get for free, and where AI processing can add a cost.
Explore your options →Open-source dictation on Mac
Understand the license, data flow, and control behind the download.
Read the guide →Clean up dictated text
Turn a spoken first draft into a clearer message with a cleanup instruction.
See how it works →Type less with dictation
Where voice input helps, and what it still needs you to do.
Know the limits →Your voice. Your words.
A clearer message.
One less app to switch to.
Start with free, local dictation. Add your own AI key when you want help tidying the words.
Apple Silicon · macOS 13.3+ · AI provider charges apply to rewriting