Mac dictation · Head to head

THOHT vs Apple Dictation

Apple Dictation is free and built in, so the real question is whether THOHT is worth installing. The answer depends on how much you dictate and how much you care about accuracy, speed and formatting.

By the THOHT team · Facts checked October 7, 2026

The short answer

Stick with Apple Dictation for occasional, casual voice input. Try THOHT if you dictate often and want a dedicated workflow, custom vocabulary, AI clean-up, and a forever-free local tier on Apple silicon Mac.

Disclosure: we make THOHT, so treat this as our take — but a fair one. Apple Dictation figures reflect publicly reported pricing and features checked October 7, 2026 and may change; check Apple Dictation's site for the latest.

Side by side

Feature	THOHT	Apple Dictation
Price (personal)	Free + $4.99/mo Pro	Free
Processing	On-device / cloud by platform	On-device / cloud
Free tier	Unlimited local (Apple silicon Mac)	Included; no published usage quota
Platforms	macOS + iOS + iPadOS	macOS, iOS, iPadOS (built-in)
iOS app	Yes, iPhone + iPad (Universal Purchase)	Yes (built-in)
Licence	Free + subscription	Free (OS feature)
Open source	No	No
Apple Silicon	Native	Yes

Where each one wins

Where THOHT wins

A dedicated transcription engine with custom vocabulary for names and technical terms.
Consistent on-device transcription on Apple Silicon, rather than behaviour that varies by language and Mac.
Pro adds AI polishing, translation, custom prompts and context-aware formatting Apple Dictation doesn't offer.
Menu-bar workflow with a global hotkey, tuned for fast capture.

Where Apple Dictation wins

Completely free and built into macOS and iOS — nothing to install.
Works system-wide on the iPhone too, out of the box.
Fine for short, casual dictation where accuracy isn't critical.

Our verdict

Apple Dictation is the right baseline to try first. If you dictate daily and the misses start to cost you time, THOHT is the natural upgrade — and its local tier is still free.

About Apple Dictation

Apple Dictation is built into Mac, iPhone and iPad. Many supported languages can run on-device, but offline availability varies. Check your device settings before relying on it without a connection.

Visit Apple Dictation

Pricing details:: Included with macOS, iOS and iPadOS; no separate subscription.
Processing details:: Offline availability depends on language, device and text field. Mac Keyboard settings show whether a connection is required; search-field dictation can use servers.

Primary sources · checked October 7, 2026

Frequently asked questions

Is THOHT better than Apple Dictation?+

THOHT adds a dedicated workflow, custom vocabulary and optional AI formatting that Apple Dictation does not. For quick casual notes, Apple Dictation is convenient and free; accuracy varies with language, microphone and speaking style.

Do both work offline?+

THOHT runs core transcription on-device on Apple Silicon and works offline. Apple Dictation is on-device for many languages on Apple Silicon, but falls back to Apple's servers for others and on older Macs.

Is THOHT free like Apple Dictation?+

THOHT has a forever-free local tier with no usage caps. Pro ($4.99/month US, 7-day trial) adds AI editing, translation and custom prompts. Apple Dictation is entirely free but more limited.

Try THOHT on Mac, iPhone and iPad

Local dictation on Apple silicon Mac is free with no usage caps. Pro is $4.99/month (US) after a 7-day free trial — one Universal Purchase covers Mac, iPhone and iPad.

Download on the App Store See full pricing