Roundhand and Apple Dictation
The Dictation that comes with macOS and Roundhand, compared on where speech is recognised, what is kept and how the text comes out.
Choose Roundhand if you want speech always recognised on your Mac, filler words taken out, a writing style picked for the app you are in, and a Dictionary of your own words. Stay with Apple Dictation if you want the dictation that already comes with macOS and also runs on iPhone.
| Compared on | Roundhand | Apple Dictation |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac only: Macs with Apple silicon running macOS 14 or later. | Dictation is part of macOS, turned on in System Settings under Keyboard.Source: support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac |
| Where speech is recognised | On the Mac. Audio is never uploaded. | Apple says your device shows in Keyboard settings whether Dictation is processed on the device; otherwise what you dictate is sent to and processed on Apple servers.Source: www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/ask-siri-dictation/ |
| Stored dictation | Dictation history stays in a database on the Mac. Roundhand's own servers never receive audio or transcript text. | Apple says dictation processed on its servers is not stored unless you opt in to Improve Siri and Dictation, and a history of Siri and Dictation interactions is stored on your device.Source: www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/ask-siri-dictation/ |
| Languages | 25 languages, detected automatically, or up to three you choose in Settings. | Apple says Dictation is not available in all languages or regions, and lists the languages it supports on its macOS Feature Availability page.Source: support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac |
| Punctuation and cleanup | Removes filler words such as um and uh, keeps the version you meant when you restart a sentence, and fixes capitals and punctuation for the app you are in. | Dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks as you dictate, and you say other punctuation marks, emoji and new lines by name.Source: support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac |
| Where you can dictate | Into the app you are in. Password and other secure fields are skipped. | Apple says Dictation lets you speak to enter text anywhere you can type it.Source: support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac |
Each Apple Dictation statement is taken from the Apple page it links to, as that page read on 2026-09-27.
Where your speech is recognised
Roundhand recognises speech on your Mac. After the speech model has downloaded once, dictation and the built-in cleanup keep working with Wi-Fi off, on a plane or behind a strict network. Your audio is never uploaded or saved to disk. Apple says your device shows in Keyboard settings whether Dictation is processed on the device; otherwise what you dictate is sent to and processed on Apple servers (www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/ask-siri-dictation/). Apple's Mac User Guide says you can check Keyboard settings to see whether general text Dictation is processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers (support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac). With Roundhand there is nothing to check: speech is recognised on the Mac every time.
What each one keeps
Roundhand keeps your dictation history in a database on your Mac, where you choose how long it is kept or clear it. Roundhand's own servers hold your account, never audio or transcript text. If you turn on cloud cleanup, the text of each dictation (never the audio) goes to the cleanup provider to be tidied. If you choose Share Audio Recordings, Apple stores audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions from your Mac and may review a sample of it (support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac). Roundhand never saves your audio, so there is no recording to share.
How the text comes out
After each dictation, Roundhand removes filler words such as um and uh, keeps the version you meant when you restart a sentence, and fixes capitals and punctuation. Roundhand looks at the app your cursor is in and picks one of four writing styles. Chat apps such as Slack get short, casual messages. Mail, Notes, Pages and Google Docs get full sentences, which cloud cleanup can also split into paragraphs. Visual Studio Code, Cursor, Xcode, Windsurf and Zed get the IDE and AI chat style, and terminals get a single line with commands and paths left as you said them. You can change the style for any app, or switch Roundhand off for one. Apple's Dictation adds commas, periods and question marks as you dictate, and lets you say punctuation marks, emoji, new line and new paragraph (support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac).
Platforms and what you need
Roundhand is a Mac app for Apple silicon, running macOS 14 or later. Intel Macs are not supported, and a Windows version is in development. Apple's iPhone User Guide says that with Dictation on iPhone you can dictate text anywhere you can type it (support.apple.com/guide/iphone/dictate-text-iph2c0651d2/ios). If you want the same dictation on your phone and your Mac, Apple Dictation covers both; Roundhand is for the Mac. Current Roundhand prices are on the pricing page.
Questions about switching
- Does Apple Dictation run on my Mac or on Apple servers?
- Apple says your device shows in Keyboard settings whether Dictation is processed on the device; otherwise what you dictate is sent to and processed on Apple servers (www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/ask-siri-dictation/, checked on 2026-09-27). Roundhand always recognises speech on your Mac, and your audio is never uploaded.
- Does Roundhand work without an internet connection?
- Yes. Once its speech model has downloaded, dictation and the built-in cleanup work without an internet connection. Cloud cleanup, sign-in and checkout still need one.
- Is Roundhand available on Windows or iPhone?
- No, Roundhand is Mac only for now, on Apple silicon. A Windows version is in development with no release date; there is no phone app.
- Does Roundhand cost anything?
- Roundhand is free to download, and dictation with the offline cleanup stays free with no time limit. Paid plans add cloud cleanup; see the pricing page for what each includes.