TypeAloud vs Shandianshuo
A Shandianshuo alternative,
open source and free in full.
Shandianshuo (闪电说) is a popular Chinese voice input app with a local model in its free tier and paid plans for its cloud features. TypeAloud is also local, but there are no tiers, no login and the source is open.
TypeAloud and Shandianshuo compared
| TypeAloud | Shandianshuo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Basic free; Pro ¥29/month or ¥238.8/year; Max ¥139/month or ¥1,188/year |
| Local speech model | Qwen3-ASR 0.6B, or 1.7B | Included in Basic |
| Monthly allowances | None | Basic: 0.5 hours of its premium dictation and 50 Agent credits a month |
| Login | Not needed | Needed for the free allowances |
| Source code | Open source (GPL-3.0) | Closed source |
| AI correction and Agent | No | Yes |
| Platforms | macOS; Windows and Linux builds are experimental | Windows and macOS; mobile in beta |
Competitor details checked on 25 Oct 2026 against shandianshuo.cn/pricing. Prices and limits change; the official pages are authoritative.
Nothing metered
Shandianshuo's free tier counts hours and credits each month. TypeAloud has nothing to count: every feature is in the free download, including the larger 1.7B model.
Open source
TypeAloud's code is on GitHub under GPL-3.0, so you can see exactly what happens to your audio, and builds are signed and free.
Where Shandianshuo is the better choice
Shandianshuo can correct and polish text with an AI model and run spoken Agent commands. If you want your speech rewritten or want voice-driven actions, it offers more. TypeAloud writes down exactly what you said.
Common questions
- Is TypeAloud really free?
- Yes. Local transcription needs no account, API key or subscription, and there is no word limit. Cloud transcription is optional and uses your own Groq or OpenAI key, which those providers may charge for.
- Does my audio leave my Mac?
- Not in local mode. The model runs on your device and transcripts are saved there. Audio is only uploaded if you choose a cloud engine with your own API key.
- Do I have to replace my input method?
- No. TypeAloud is not an input method. It inserts the finished text at your cursor, so you keep typing with whatever keyboard or IME you use and hold Ctrl+Shift when you want to speak.
- Which Macs can run it?
- Apple Silicon is recommended for local dictation. The recommended model is a one-time download of about 1 GB.
- What other dictation apps run on a Mac?
- The roundup of Mac dictation apps compares ten of them by price and by whether they transcribe locally or in the cloud.
Local transcription. No account. No subscription.
Download for Mac