Insertion
Works where you actually type
Dictate uses the Accessibility API, then falls back to paste when an app resists direct insertion.
Vs. · Apple Dictation
For the sentences the built-in fumbles.
Apple Dictation is free and suits short messages. Dictate adds a glossary, a polish step, and reliable insertion in Slack, VS Code, Notion, and web text fields.
Side-by-side
| Dimension | Dictate | Apple Dictation |
|---|---|---|
| Insertion in Electron apps and web fields Apple Dictation inserts in many native apps but is unreliable in Electron-based apps and many web text fields. Dictate uses the Accessibility API with a paste fallback. | Yes | Partial |
| Cloud-quality transcription Dictate’s server-side models hold up on long-form text and real-world vocabulary; the glossary keeps your project’s terms spelled right. | Yes | Partial |
| Polish / AI rewrite step | Yes | No |
| Transcript history Account-backed text and metadata; source audio is discarded after transcription. | Yes | No |
| Glossary / custom dictionary Apple Dictation supports a small custom vocabulary via macOS settings. | Yes | Partial |
| Cost | $8/month, one plan | Free (built-in) |
| Available offline Apple Dictation has on-device modes. Dictate needs a connection to transcribe, but its subscription check is cached and signed, so going offline never locks the app. | Partial | Yes |
| Multilingual | Yes | Yes |
| Native Apple Silicon | Yes | Yes |
Cells marked “Unknown, see vendor docs” mean we couldn’t verify the capability from public sources at time of writing. We’d rather say “we don’t know” than guess.
Accuracy
Your vocabulary, spelled right
The glossary keeps project names and technical terms spelled the way you set them.
Polish
Rambling in, prose out
The polish step removes fillers, fixes punctuation, and splits run-on sentences before insertion.
The honest call
Keep Apple Dictation if…
It already works in your apps. It is free, built in, and can work offline on supported hardware and languages.
Dictate earns its $8 on longer work, custom vocabulary, and difficult text fields.
Upgrade the sentences that matter.
$8/month flat. Cancel any time; unused subscriptions refunded.