SpeedOfTalk vs Apple Dictation
Every Mac comes with Dictation, and it's free. For a lot of people it's enough. Here's what SpeedOfTalk adds, and when you're better off with what you already have.
| SpeedOfTalk | Apple Dictation | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.95 once | Free, built into macOS source |
| Setup | Download the app, then the speech model (about 0.6 GB) on first launch | None: turn it on in Keyboard settings source |
| Where speech is processed | On your Mac, in every language it supports | On your Mac in many languages; in others, on Apple's servers source |
| Works in | Any app with a text field | Any app with a text field source |
| Starting it | Hold a key and talk, or tap to start and stop | Press a shortcut or the Microphone key to start and stop source |
| Punctuation | Added automatically | Added automatically, in some languages source |
| Ums and uhs | Removed, with three levels of cleanup | Apple's guide doesn't mention removing them source |
| Rewrite by voice | Select text and say "make this shorter" | Spoken commands such as "new line"; fix words by typing or dictating them again source |
| Your own words and snippets | Dictionary and spoken snippets | Not covered in Apple's Dictation guide source |
| Languages | 25 European languages | Many more, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic and Hindi source |
| Accuracy on newer Macs | The same speech model on every Apple silicon Mac | macOS 27 adds more advanced Dictation in English with Apple Intelligence source; MacStories found it noticeably better on an M3 or newer with 12 GB of memory or more source |
Apple Dictation details from Apple's Mac User Guide and macOS feature availability page, and the MacStories macOS 27 review. Checked October 2026.
Choose SpeedOfTalk if…
- You dictate all day and want the ums gone and the punctuation right without fixing it afterwards.
- You want hold-to-talk on one key, in every app, including the terminal.
- You need names and jargon spelled your way, or text you insert by saying a short cue.
- You want to be sure your voice never leaves your Mac, whatever language you speak.
Choose Apple Dictation if…
- You dictate now and then, and it already gets your words right.
- You speak a language outside Europe.
- You dictate in English on an M3 or newer Mac with macOS 27, where Apple's accuracy has improved.
- You don't want to install anything or pay for anything.