Updated Nov 6, 2026, from what MacPip lists today.
MacPip lists 4 dictation and transcription apps for Mac, and a person has checked 1 of them.2 of them have a free version.3 of them sell a one-time license.3 of them are paid by subscription.There is no single best dictation app for everyone, so MacPip does not rank them.If you want it free, start with Vocena.
Apps a person checked come first, newest check first. Never ordered by payment.
| App | What it does | Price | Free or paid | Apple silicon | Open source | Made by | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocena | Live captions and translation for any sound on your Mac | Free, Plus Lifetime $29.99 once | Free versionOne-timeSubscription | Not stated | No | Jun Jay | Nov 1 |
| LensNote | AI lecture note taker that keeps every slide | $30/mo; 14-day free trial | Subscription | Not stated | No | Bob Jones | Pending |
| VoxStudio | Record, transcribe, search and edit audio and video on Mac | Free, Pro available | Free versionOne-timeSubscription | Yes, Apple silicon only, its maker says | No | Not stated | Pending |
| Take Dictation | Fast, private dictation for Mac. | $39 once, 14-day free trial | One-time | Yes, Apple silicon only, its maker says | No | Jay-J Hernandez | Pending |
Live captions and translation for any sound on your Mac
From its maker: Live captions for any sound your Mac plays or hears, with translation under each line. Captions are free with no time limit; translation is a one-time unlock.
AI lecture note taker that keeps every slide
LensNote is an AI note taker for recorded lectures, meetings and long videos. It captures each distinct slide once, pairs it with what was said, and writes a key message per slide, plus a transcript, summary and action items. No bot joins your calls. It is a subscription at $30 a month, with a 14-day trial.
Record, transcribe, search and edit audio and video on Mac
From its maker: Native Mac app for Apple silicon: on-device transcription, cited answers across your recordings, subtitles, clips, voiceover and a local MCP server. Try it for 14 days.
Fast, private dictation for Mac.
From its maker: You’ve finished saying the reply. You want to keep going.
Take Dictation on MacPip More Dictation and Transcription apps
Look for whether speech is turned into text on your Mac or on a server, which languages it supports, and how it handles long recordings.
There is no single best one for everyone. MacPip lists 4: Vocena, LensNote, VoxStudio, Take Dictation. If you want it free, look at Vocena. If you would rather pay once than subscribe, look at Take Dictation. If you want it to run natively on Apple silicon, look at VoxStudio.
Yes. With a free version on MacPip: Vocena, VoxStudio.
With a one-time option, so you can avoid a subscription: Vocena, VoxStudio, Take Dictation.
By their makers' word or by our check: VoxStudio, Take Dictation.
Each has a dated report on its page: Vocena.
Apps a person has checked come first, newest check first, then the rest by when they were added. Payment never changes the order, and sponsored rows are labeled and kept apart.