An Apple Dictation alternative for Mac
Updated 12 October 2026
Apple Dictation is free and built into every Mac, and it is a fine place to start. Kords is worth a look if you want to hold a key and talk in any app, lock it on for long stretches, teach it your names, and choose how your words are tidied, while still working on your Mac by default.
The short version
- Stay with Apple Dictation if you dictate now and then and the built-in shortcut does the job.
- Try Kords if you dictate every day and want it faster to start, easier to correct and tuned to the way you write.
Apple Dictation and Kords side by side
| Apple Dictation | Kords | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, built into macOS | Free to download. Paid plans are optional |
| Start and stop | Press a shortcut, press again to stop | Hold a key and talk, or double-tap to lock on hands-free |
| Your own words and names | Not its focus | A dictionary with sounds-like hints |
| Tidying | Basic | Fixes punctuation and drops ums and false starts, or Word for word for exactly what you said |
| Tone | None | Optional Voices: Casual, Professional, Creative |
| Translation | Not part of dictation | Into Spanish, French or German |
| Where speech is processed | Depends on your Mac and language. Apple says in the Dictation settings | On your Mac by default. Cloud is optional |
Things Kords adds
- Hold to talk. Press and hold, say it, let go. No window and no button to find.
- Hands-free lock. Double-tap to keep recording for a long email or a set of notes, then press once to finish.
- Any shortcut you like. A key, a two-key combination or a mouse button.
- Names it gets right. Add the people, places and products it keeps mishearing.
- Cloud accuracy when you want it. Optional, and off until you switch it on.
How to try it without giving anything up
Kords runs alongside Apple Dictation. Download it, give it the Microphone, Speech Recognition and Accessibility permissions, and hold Right Option in any app. If it is not for you, quit it, and Apple Dictation is still there.
Compared in October 2026 using what Apple says about itself. Products change, so check their own site for the latest. Apple is a trademark of its owner, and Kords is not affiliated with it.
Questions people ask
Is Apple Dictation good enough?
For occasional use, often yes. If you dictate every day, a dedicated app can be quicker to start, easier to correct and better with your names.
Can I use Kords and Apple Dictation together?
Yes. They are separate. Kords uses its own shortcut, and Apple Dictation keeps working as before.
Does Kords use Apple's speech recognition?
In on-device mode, yes. Kords uses Apple's on-device speech recognition on your Mac when your language supports it.