What licence is TypeAloud under?

GPL-3.0. Bundled and downloaded components keep their own licences, listed in the repository.

Yes. Signed builds are free to download, with no account and no word limit.

Can I build it myself?

Yes. You need Node.js 22 or newer and a Rust toolchain; the README has the commands.

Which Macs can run TypeAloud?

TypeAloud runs on macOS 10.15 or later, on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. Local dictation is fastest on Apple Silicon. The recommended model is a one-time download of about 1 GB.

Open-source dictation

Open-source dictation for Mac,
with source you can check.

A dictation app processes everything you say while it is recording. Open source means you do not have to take its privacy claims on trust. TypeAloud is a Mac dictation app published under the GPL-3.0 licence on GitHub, transcribes locally with Qwen3-ASR, and its signed builds are free.

Download for Mac See how TypeAloud works

What you can verify

The code that records your microphone, cuts the audio, runs the model and saves History is all public. So is the network code: the model download, the update check, and the cloud engines that are only used if you add your own Groq or OpenAI key. You can confirm that local mode uploads no audio or text; only the model download and update check use the network.

What it is built with

The app is Tauri and Rust. Local transcription runs Qwen3-ASR through llama.cpp, with Metal on Apple Silicon. Builds for macOS are signed; Windows and Linux builds exist and are experimental.

Other open-source options

Handy is another open-source, cross-platform dictation app with a wide catalogue of local models, for people who like to try many. VoiceInk is GPL-3.0 too and sells signed builds from $25. TypeAloud's focus is narrower: one well-tuned model for Chinese, English and both mixed, and a dictation flow that keeps every transcript recoverable.

Common questions

What licence is TypeAloud under?: GPL-3.0. Bundled and downloaded components keep their own licences, listed in the repository.
Are the builds free?: Yes. Signed builds are free to download, with no account and no word limit.
Can I build it myself?: Yes. You need Node.js 22 or newer and a Rust toolchain; the README has the commands.
Which Macs can run TypeAloud?: TypeAloud runs on macOS 10.15 or later, on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. Local dictation is fastest on Apple Silicon. The recommended model is a one-time download of about 1 GB.

TypeAloud: free dictation for Mac, transcribed on your Mac.

Hold Ctrl+Shift, speak, release, and the text appears at your cursor. No word limit, no account, open source.

Download for Mac

Open-source dictation for Mac,with source you can check.