LokalBot
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Wispr Flow is one of the most popular dictation apps: speak in any app and it writes polished text, on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android. In August 2026 it added Notetaker, which records meetings without a bot and answers questions across your meeting history. Both run in Wispr's cloud, under an account. LokalBot does the same two jobs on your Mac by default, adds a day timeline and autocomplete, and is free and open source.
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Side by side
| Feature | LokalBot | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Where speech runs | On your Mac — Qwen3-ASR by default, with Parakeet, Granite Speech, and Whisper as alternatives | Wispr's cloud; there is no on-device mode |
| Works offline | After a one-time model download | Needs a connection |
| Account required | None | Yes |
| Dictation | Hold or toggle ⌥ Space, live transcript pill, pastes at the cursor | Deeper: AI cleanup, personal dictionary, snippets, per-app styles, and command mode |
| Meeting capture | Bot-free microphone + system audio; detects meetings and, on a fresh install, asks before recording | Bot-free Notetaker for Zoom, Meet, Teams, Slack huddles, and more |
| Ask across meetings | Cited answers from a local model that link back to the transcript and audio | Answers across your meeting history, linked to the moment they came from |
| Where meetings are kept | On your Mac — audio, transcripts, and notes | Transcripts in Wispr's cloud for cross-device sync, with configurable retention |
| Transcription languages | 52 languages and dialects with the default model; 99 with Whisper | Dictation: 100+ · Notetaker: 21 |
| Connect AI tools | Read-only CLI and MCP server, off until you enable Agent Access | MCP for Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini |
| Compliance | No LokalBot server ever holds your dictation or meetings | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and HIPAA-ready plans |
| Day timeline | App and window activity by default; screen text and encrypted screenshots are opt-in and deleted after 14 days | No |
| Writing autocomplete | Cotyping, in almost any app | No — AI edits what you dictate instead |
| Source code | Open source, GPLv3 | Proprietary |
| Price | Free — dictation and meeting notes included, nothing gated | Free: 2,000 dictated words a week and a weekly meeting cap · Pro $15/mo, or $12/mo billed annually · Growth $23/mo, or $18/mo billed annually · Enterprise custom |
| Platforms | macOS 15+ on Apple Silicon | Dictation: Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android · Notetaker: Mac and Windows |
Verdict
The dictation specialist, now with meeting notes.
Dictation and meeting notes that stay on your Mac.
Questions
No. Wispr's data-controls page says transcription always happens in its cloud, for both dictation and Notetaker. LokalBot transcribes dictation and meetings on your Mac after a one-time model download, and keeps working without a connection.
For plain speech-to-text, test both on your own voice. Wispr Flow goes further on editing: it removes filler words, learns your vocabulary, and adapts its style to each app. LokalBot's dictation is simpler — hold ⌥ Space, speak, and it types — and it uses the same local speech model as your meetings.
Yes. They use different shortcuts, and LokalBot is free. Some people keep Wispr Flow for heavy dictation and use LokalBot for meetings they'd rather not upload, a searchable day timeline, and autocomplete.
Download
Free and open source. Models download on first use; built-in inference then works offline.
Download for macOS.dmg installer · brew install --cask stevyhacker/tap/lokalbot · all releases and notes
Wispr Flow is a trademark of its owner; LokalBot is not affiliated with or endorsed by it. Details are based on public pages and pricing as of October 2026 and may change — if something here is wrong or out of date, open an issue and we'll fix it.