Open source alternatives to Wispr Flow

15 projects on starwire do the same job. Ranked by how much of what Wispr Flow does each one covers, read from its README and website. Ties go to the most active.

What Wispr Flow does

  1. Dictate into any text fieldcore
  2. Clean up speech into polished textcore
  3. Works across apps with a hotkey
  4. Custom vocabulary and names
  5. Many languages
  6. Snippets and voice shortcuts

Each dot in the table is one job, in this order. Square dots are core jobs and count double. Full means yes, half means partly. "See the evidence" under a project shows the line behind each one. Coverage is what a project documents, not how well it works or how hard it is to move to. How we score this

ProjectCoversStarsCommits, 12 weeksLast releaseClosed vs openedSetupLicense
EnviousWisprOn-device dictation for macOS using Whisper or Parakeet on Apple Silicon Replaces it100%221+3
931
 9 days ago95% Install like an app GPL-3.0
Covers everything on the checklist.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYespastes clean text into whatever app you're working in
  • Clean up speech into polished textcoreYesdrops filler, fixes grammar and punctuation
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesPress your keybind from any app.
  • Custom vocabulary and namesYesSnippets, custom words, no account
  • Many languagesYesWhisper (99+ languages, with automatic language detection)
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsYesSnippets, custom words, fillers, emoji and number formatting
betterwisprOffline macOS dictation: hold a key, speak, and text is typed into any app Replaces it100%537+20
322
 yesterday72% Install like an app Apache-2.0
Covers everything on the checklist.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYesthe text lands in whatever app you were typing in
  • Clean up speech into polished textcoreYesBetterWispr drops the ums and false starts
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesHold ⌥ Space in any app and just talk.
  • Custom vocabulary and namesYesspelling hints and phrase replacements for names and jargon
  • Many languagesYesParakeet v3 (25 European languages)
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsYessay "comma", "new line", "scratch that"
freeflowFree open-source voice-to-text app, a macOS alternative to Wispr Flow Replaces it94%3.1k+47
48
 36 days ago23% Install like an app MIT
Covers all 2 core jobs. Partly: Many languages.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYesDictate into any focused text field
  • Clean up speech into polished textcoreYesContext-aware cleanup
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesCustomize hold-to-talk and tap-to-toggle shortcuts
  • Custom vocabulary and namesYesCustom vocabulary
  • Many languagesPartlyOutput Language
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsYesDefine spoken commands that paste predefined text immediately.
saysoOffline dictation for macOS, Windows and Linux that types into the active app Replaces it81%51+2
477
 10 days ago80% Install like an app GPL-3.0
Covers all 2 core jobs. Partly: Snippets and voice shortcuts. Not shown: Many languages.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYesSayso writes the text into the app you are using
  • Clean up speech into polished textcoreYesA style edits the transcript with a prompt
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesOption+Space (Ctrl+Space on Windows, Ctrl+Alt+Space on Linux) starts a dictation
  • Custom vocabulary and namesYesWords bias the recognition toward names and terms.
  • Many languagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsPartlyReplacements change text after transcription
macparakeetLocal dictation and transcription app for Apple Silicon Macs, with a CLI Replaces it75%788+16
1,596
 31 days ago92% Install like an app Custom license
Covers 1 of 2 core jobs. Partly: Clean up speech into polished text. Not shown: Snippets and voice shortcuts.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYesText appears wherever your cursor is
  • Clean up speech into polished textcorePartlyApple Intelligence serves cleanup only.
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesPress a hotkey in any app, speak, text gets pasted.
  • Custom vocabulary and namesYesCustom Vocabulary Teach it your jargon
  • Many languagesYes98 Languages
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
jot-gemini-transcribe-macOSmacOS hold-to-talk dictation demo that types transcribed speech Replaces it75%557+1
23
 3 months ago0% Install like an app Apache-2.0
Covers all 2 core jobs. Not shown: Many languages; Snippets and voice shortcuts.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYesputs polished text wherever your cursor is
  • Clean up speech into polished textcoreYespunctuated, filler words removed, cleaned up.
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesyour words are in the app you were already using
  • Custom vocabulary and namesYesNames and product terms go in the Dictionary
  • Many languagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
YapOffline dictation with local Whisper that types at the cursor while you speak Replaces it75%78
0
 4 months agoToo few Install like an app MIT
Covers all 2 core jobs. Not shown: Many languages; Snippets and voice shortcuts.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYeswhat you said lands at the cursor
  • Clean up speech into polished textcoreYesoptional LLM cleanup pass
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesHold a key, talk
  • Custom vocabulary and namesYesteach it your words
  • Many languagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
HandyOffline speech-to-text desktop app built with Tauri v2 Replaces it69%39k+765
144
 today100% Install like an app MIT
Covers 1 of 2 core jobs. Partly: Clean up speech into polished text; Custom vocabulary and names. Not shown: Snippets and voice shortcuts.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYeshave your words appear in any text field
  • Clean up speech into polished textcorePartlyafter any LLM post-processing
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesPress a shortcut, speak, and have your words appear
  • Custom vocabulary and namesPartlymanage dictionary, switch models and languages
  • Many languagesYesautomatic language detection
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
open-wisprOn-device voice dictation app for Apple Silicon Macs Covers one part69%225
19
 6 days ago100% Install like an app MIT
Covers 1 of 2 core jobs. Partly: Clean up speech into polished text; Custom vocabulary and names. Not shown: Snippets and voice shortcuts.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYesyour words appear at the cursor
  • Clean up speech into polished textcorePartlyinstead of auto-punctuation
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesHold a key, speak, release
  • Custom vocabulary and namesPartlyguide style, vocabulary, or punctuation
  • Many languagesYesSupports 99 languages via Whisper's multilingual models.
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
qwen-scribeLocal speech transcription and system-wide dictation for Apple Silicon Macs Replaces it49%224+1
8
 NoneToo few Install like an app Apache-2.0
Covers 1 of 2 core jobs. Not shown: Clean up speech into polished text; Snippets and voice shortcuts.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYesin any text field, speak, then release to transcribe locally
  • Clean up speech into polished textcoreNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYespush-to-talk key
  • Custom vocabulary and namesYesvocabulary hints
  • Many languagesYesAutomatic language detection
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
yapMenu bar dictation app that transcribes speech on the Mac without an account Covers one part44%478+10
14
 5 days ago80% Install like an app MIT
Covers 1 of 2 core jobs. Partly: Many languages. Not shown: Clean up speech into polished text; Custom vocabulary and names; Snippets and voice shortcuts.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYesYour words land in whatever text field you were using.
  • Clean up speech into polished textcoreNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesGlobal shortcut, fully rebindable
  • Custom vocabulary and namesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Many languagesPartlyonce macOS has the speech model for your language
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
hexLocal voice dictation app for macOS, Windows and Linux Covers one part38%6.7k+819
1,652
 3 days ago75% Install like an app MIT
Covers 1 of 2 core jobs. Not shown: Clean up speech into polished text; Custom vocabulary and names; Many languages; Snippets and voice shortcuts.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYespastes into whatever app you're in
  • Clean up speech into polished textcoreNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesHold a key, speak, and it pastes.
  • Custom vocabulary and namesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Many languagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
wispr-flow-linuxUnofficial port of a voice dictation app to Linux Replaces it38%205+6
70
 13 days ago59% Install like an app Unlicense
Covers 1 of 2 core jobs. Partly: Clean up speech into polished text. Not shown: Works across apps with a hotkey; Custom vocabulary and names; Many languages; Snippets and voice shortcuts.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYesinjecting transcribed text into your focused application
  • Clean up speech into polished textcorePartlypush-to-talk input access
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Custom vocabulary and namesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Many languagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
gpt-voiceMac dictation app that types speech into any text field using ChatGPT sign-in Covers one part38%109+4
8
 25 days agoToo few Install like an app MIT
Covers 1 of 2 core jobs. Not shown: Clean up speech into polished text; Custom vocabulary and names; Many languages; Snippets and voice shortcuts.See the evidence
  • Dictate into any text fieldcoreYesput the transcript into your text field
  • Clean up speech into polished textcoreNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Works across apps with a hotkeyYesA configurable global shortcut.
  • Custom vocabulary and namesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Many languagesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Snippets and voice shortcutsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
openwhisprVoice dictation app using local Whisper or Parakeet, or cloud models Not checked yet12k+96
774
 16 days ago76% Install like an app MIT

Vital signs from GitHub, checked weekly. How we read these · How setup is read

These also replace

Otter.ai6Superwhisper2Dragon1

All repos

New repos every two days, stars refreshed daily. Visits are counted without cookies, and the numbers are public. How it works Data RSS Newsletter

The best new open source, once a weekOne short email: the repo everyone is suddenly starring, a handful worth trying, and one hidden gem, each with a plain note on what it does. Free, with no tracking pixels.

Read past issues

↑ ↓ to move   Enter to choose   Esc to close
Follow starwire by RSSCopy an address into your feed reader.
The day's bestOne item a day: the repos rising fastest and the biggest new picks.starwire.foo/top.xml
Every new pickAll of them as they are added, up to 60 a day.starwire.foo/feed.xml
The weekly emailEach issue of the newsletter, once a week.list.starwire.foo/archive.xml