Best offline transcription apps for Mac
Every app here runs its speech model on your own Mac, so your audio never leaves the machine. Several are free and open‑source. One of them is ours, and we have said so plainly next to it — including the cases where you should use something else.
What "offline" should mean
A lot of software is marketed as private while still uploading your audio to a server and processing it there. The distinction matters most for exactly the recordings people want transcribed: client calls, medical notes, research interviews, legal depositions, unreleased material.
There is a simple test. Turn on Airplane Mode and transcribe something. If it works, the model is running locally. If it stalls or errors, it was never local, whatever the marketing said. Do this before trusting anything with sensitive audio.
The one spec nobody advertises
Almost all of these apps run OpenAI's Whisper. What separates them on accuracy is which size of Whisper they ship. The small models keep downloads light and feel fast, then quietly cost you accuracy on accents, crosstalk, names and technical vocabulary — precisely where transcription earns its keep.
Very few apps state this on their landing page. If it is not mentioned, assume small, and test on your most difficult recording rather than a clean one.
The apps
Aiko — free, open source
A free, open-source native app for macOS and iOS from Sindre Sorhus, running Whisper locally. No account, no cost, no upsell. For occasional transcription of ordinary recordings this is where most people should start, and it is the honest first recommendation on this page.
Buzz — free, open source
Free and open source, with a desktop GUI oriented around transcribing and translating files rather than live dictation. Rougher around the edges than the commercial apps, but it does the job and costs nothing.
Vibe Transcribe — free, open source
Free and open source, cross-platform, and notably uses CoreML acceleration on Apple Silicon — which makes it one of the quicker free options on an M-series Mac. Worth trying before paying for speed.
MacWhisper — the established paid option
The best-known commercial app in this category, with a free tier and a paid one-time Pro licence (around €59 when checked, though it is also sold separately on the App Store under different terms — check which you are buying). Mature, well supported, and the default recommendation for people who want a polished paid tool.
Transcribe — ours
Disclosure: we make this one. It runs the full Whisper large‑v3‑turbo model — about 1.6 GB, not a cut-down variant — entirely on your Mac. Batch queue, TXT/SRT/VTT export, live transcription from the microphone, MP4 and MOV handled directly. £39 paid once, perpetual, with a free tier that does the first 5 minutes of any file at full quality and no watermark.
Do not buy it if you transcribe the odd short recording — Aiko is free and will serve you perfectly well. It earns its price on volume, on subtitle work, and on difficult audio where the full-size model genuinely pulls ahead.
Apple Dictation — built in, free
Already on your Mac, free, and on-device for supported languages. Aimed at live dictation rather than transcribing existing files, so it does not replace the apps above — but it costs nothing to try first.
whisper.cpp — free, command line
The engine several of these apps are built on, usable directly if you are comfortable in a terminal. Maximum control, no interface, and the fastest route to scripted or batch work if you can write a shell loop.
Side by side
| App | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Aiko | Free, open source | Most people, most of the time |
| Buzz | Free, open source | Batch files on a budget |
| Vibe Transcribe | Free, open source | Speed on Apple Silicon |
| MacWhisper | Free tier + one-time Pro | A polished, mature paid app |
| Transcribe | £39 once, free 5‑min tier | Full-size model, subtitles, volume |
| Apple Dictation | Free, built in | Live dictation, not files |
| whisper.cpp | Free, command line | Scripting and automation |
Prices checked 27 September 2026. They move — verify before buying, and tell us if this table has gone stale.
How to choose
- Occasional, ordinary recordings — start with Aiko. It is free and good.
- You live in the terminal — whisper.cpp, and skip the interfaces entirely.
- You want a polished paid app with a long track record — MacWhisper.
- Difficult audio, subtitle exports, or volume — a full-size model and a real queue start to matter; that is where Transcribe is aimed.
- Live dictation rather than files — try Apple Dictation before paying for anything.
Whichever you pick, run the Airplane Mode test once. It takes ten seconds and it is the only claim on this page you do not have to take anyone's word for.
Questions
What counts as a genuinely offline transcription app?
One that runs the speech model on your own Mac, so audio never leaves the machine. The simplest test is to turn on Airplane Mode and transcribe something: if it still works, it is genuinely local. Plenty of apps described as private still upload audio to a server and process it there.
Is a free offline transcription app good enough?
For most people, yes. Aiko, Buzz and Vibe all run the same underlying Whisper models locally and cost nothing. Paying makes sense when you need a specific thing they lack — a particular model size, batch queueing, subtitle exports or live transcription — not because free tools are inaccurate.
Does model size actually matter for accuracy?
Yes, and it is the difference most often hidden. Smaller Whisper models keep the download light but lose accuracy on accents, crosstalk and technical vocabulary. If an app does not say which model it ships, assume it is a small one — and test it on your hardest recording rather than a clean one.
Can any of these transcribe video files?
Several can extract the audio track from MP4 or MOV for you, which saves converting first. Check before committing to one if you mainly work from screen recordings or interview footage, because support varies and it is rarely advertised prominently.
Which app is best for subtitles?
You want SRT or VTT export with per-segment timestamps, which is narrower than it sounds — several otherwise good apps only give you plain text. If subtitles are the job, filter on that first and treat everything else as secondary.
Do any of these work on Intel Macs?
Some do, but local transcription leans heavily on Apple Silicon's neural hardware, and on Intel it is substantially slower. If you are on an Intel Mac, check each app's requirements before buying anything, and expect longer waits whichever you pick.