Two Local Dictation Apps, No Subscription in Sight
If you've searched for a Mac dictation app that doesn't bill you every month, VoiceInk and Scrybapp probably both showed up. That's not a coincidence — both apps run OpenAI's Whisper model directly on your Mac, both process audio without sending it to a server, and both are built around a single idea: dictation shouldn't cost you $180 a year like Wispr Flow does.
But "both local, both one-time-ish" is where the similarities stop. The actual experience of using them day to day is different enough that picking the wrong one will annoy you for months. Here's the honest breakdown.
What VoiceInk Is
VoiceInk is a Mac dictation app built on whisper.cpp, the open-source C++ port of Whisper that a lot of local transcription tools are built on. The core app is free and open source, which is genuinely rare in this space — you can read the code, fork it, or just trust that nothing shady is happening under the hood. VoiceInk also offers an optional paid tier that unlocks cloud-based AI enhancement (things like automatic formatting or rewriting via GPT), which is a bit ironic for a "local-first" app since that specific feature leaves your Mac. Pricing on the paid tier has shifted over time, so check VoiceInk's current site rather than trusting a number printed here.
What Scrybapp Is
Scrybapp is also built on Whisper, runs 100% offline once installed, and is a single paid app: $19 one-time during the current launch window (reverting to $59 once this batch of licenses sells out), covering 3 device activations. There's no free core plus paid upsell — you pay once and every feature is included, including the filler-word removal that cleans up "um," "uh," and false starts automatically before the text lands in your document.
Accuracy and Model Choice
Since both apps sit on top of Whisper, the theoretical accuracy ceiling is similar. In practice, the difference comes down to which Whisper model size each app defaults to and how much tuning has gone into the surrounding pipeline — punctuation insertion, sentence breaks, handling of pauses. VoiceInk lets more advanced users pick from several whisper.cpp model sizes manually, which is good if you like to tinker and know the tradeoffs between speed and accuracy. Scrybapp ships with a model selection tuned for everyday dictation out of the box, so you're not stuck reading model-size documentation before your first sentence. If you want the deeper technical comparison of Whisper model sizes and what they trade off, see our Whisper model comparison.
For 99+ languages, both apps benefit from Whisper's multilingual training. Neither is going to out-transcribe the other on language coverage — the differences show up more in English accents, background noise handling, and how gracefully each app deals with you talking fast.
Setup and Ease of Use
This is where the gap is biggest. VoiceInk, being open source with a lot of configurability, asks more of you upfront: picking a model, granting permissions, sometimes troubleshooting build-specific quirks that come with any actively-developed open source project. That's not a knock — it's the nature of open tooling. But if you just want to press a shortcut and dictate, it's an extra half hour you didn't plan for.
Scrybapp is built for the "install, grant permission, press ⌥Space, start talking" path. It works in any macOS text field — Mail, Slack, Notion, Xcode, whatever has focus — without app-specific configuration. If you've read our guide to voice typing on macOS, that's the same one-shortcut model Scrybapp follows everywhere.
Privacy Posture
Both apps score well here relative to cloud dictation tools. Audio processed locally never leaves your machine, which matters if you dictate anything sensitive — client notes, medical details, unreleased code. Scrybapp keeps this consistent across every feature, including the AI cleanup step. VoiceInk's optional cloud-enhancement tier is the one exception worth knowing about: if you turn that specific feature on, some text does leave your Mac. If privacy is your main reason for avoiding Wispr Flow or Otter.ai in the first place, read the fine print on any optional cloud feature before enabling it, in either app.
Pricing and Licensing
Scrybapp's model is simple: $19 one-time at launch pricing, $59 after the launch batch is gone, 3 activations, no subscription, no per-word limits, no feature paywall. A 14-day refund covers you if it's not a fit.
VoiceInk's free core plus optional paid AI-enhancement subscription is a hybrid model. If you never touch the cloud-enhancement feature, you're paying nothing beyond your time. If you do want that feature, you're back to a recurring bill — smaller than Wispr Flow's $15/month, but recurring all the same.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Scrybapp | VoiceInk |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 one-time (launch), $59 after | Free core, optional paid cloud enhancement |
| Processing | 100% Local | Local (core), cloud for optional AI enhancement |
| Offline | Full, always | Full for core dictation, not for cloud add-on |
| Open source | No | Yes (core app) |
| Setup complexity | Low — install and go | Moderate — model selection, more config |
| Filler-word removal | Built in, automatic | Varies by config |
| Device activations | 3 | Per install, no formal cap on core app |
| Risk-free option | 14-day refund | Free to try since core is free |
Who Should Pick Which
If you like open source, don't mind spending time configuring model sizes, and won't touch the cloud-enhancement tier, VoiceInk is a legitimately good, cost-free option. That's a real point in its favor and worth saying plainly.
If you want a dictation app that's ready in two minutes, has filler-word cleanup baked in without extra setup, and you'd rather pay once than manage yet another optional subscription toggle, Scrybapp is the better fit for most people. For a wider field of local-only options beyond just these two, our offline dictation apps roundup covers the rest of the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is VoiceInk really free?
The core dictation app is free and open source. An optional paid tier adds cloud-based AI text enhancement, which is a separate, recurring cost if you choose to use it.
Does Scrybapp have a free version?
No. Scrybapp is a single $19 one-time purchase at launch pricing (reverting to $59 later), with a 14-day refund if it doesn't work out for you.
Which one is more private?
Both are local-first for core dictation. Scrybapp stays local for every feature including AI cleanup; VoiceInk's optional cloud-enhancement add-on is the one feature that leaves the device, and only if you turn it on.