Roundhand and TypeWhisper
Two dictation apps, compared on where speech is recognised, what each stores, how it writes for each app and how it is priced.
Choose Roundhand if you want speech always recognised on your own computer with no engine to choose, and writing styles already set up for code editors, terminals, chat and email. Choose TypeWhisper if you want open-source code you can read, a choice of speech engines and AI providers, or an app on iPhone today.
| Compared on | Roundhand | TypeWhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac: a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later. Windows: a PC with Windows 11 and an x64 (Intel or AMD) processor. | TypeWhisper lists Macs on macOS version 14 or later, Windows 10 and 11 from the Microsoft Store, and iPhone and iPad with iOS 18 or laterSource: www.typewhisper.com/en/ |
| Where speech is recognised | On your computer. Your audio is never uploaded. | TypeWhisper says local speech engines run on your device, and that cloud speech and AI providers are used only after you configure and select themSource: www.typewhisper.com/en/ |
| Stored dictation | Dictation history, and meetings you record, stay in a database on your computer. Roundhand's own servers never receive audio or transcript text. | TypeWhisper's privacy policy says it stores transcription history (text, timestamps and app context) on your device by default, and that no audio or transcription data goes to TypeWhisper-operated servers unless you enable and confirm its optional Improve TypeWhisper add-onSource: www.typewhisper.com/en/privacy |
| Cloud cleanup | Optional. It sends text, never audio, to the cleanup provider. | TypeWhisper's workflows clean up dictation using the AI provider you choose, and cloud providers are used only after you configure and select them. What is sent to a provider is not stated on the page checkedSource: www.typewhisper.com/en/ |
| Writing style per app | Four built-in styles (Terminal, IDE and AI chat, Chat, Prose) picked by the app you are in, and changeable per app. | TypeWhisper types into the active text field, with rules per app or websiteSource: www.typewhisper.com/en/ |
| Personal dictionary | A Dictionary where you set how words you say are written, such as a product name. | TypeWhisper has a dictionary, and its Premium features sync the dictionary and snippets and learn from your correctionsSource: www.typewhisper.com/en/ |
| Pricing model | Free to download with a cloud cleanup trial, then Pro or Power plans, billed monthly or yearly. | TypeWhisper's Personal plan is free, its Commercial plan adds Premium features and is billed monthly or as a lifetime licence, and a Supporter contribution is one-timeSource: www.typewhisper.com/en/ |
Each TypeWhisper statement is taken from the TypeWhisper page it links to, as that page read on 2026-10-09.
Where your speech is recognised
Roundhand recognises speech on your computer. 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. Dictation audio is never uploaded or saved to disk. TypeWhisper says local speech engines run on your device, and that cloud speech and AI providers are used only after you configure and select them (www.typewhisper.com/en/). Roundhand has no cloud speech option: speech is recognised on your computer every time, and only cloud cleanup, if you turn it on, sends text.
What each app stores
Roundhand keeps your dictation history, and the meetings you record, in a database on your computer, 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. TypeWhisper's privacy policy says it stores transcription history (text, timestamps and app context) on your device by default, and that no audio or transcription data goes to TypeWhisper-operated servers unless you enable and confirm its optional Improve TypeWhisper add-on (www.typewhisper.com/en/privacy). Roundhand never saves your dictation audio, only the text.
How each one writes for the app you are in
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. TypeWhisper types into the active text field, with rules per app or website (www.typewhisper.com/en/).
Platforms and what you need
Mac: a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later. Windows: a PC with Windows 11 and an x64 (Intel or AMD) processor. TypeWhisper lists Macs on macOS version 14 or later, Windows 10 and 11 from the Microsoft Store, and iPhone and iPad with iOS 18 or later (www.typewhisper.com/en/).
How the pricing works
Roundhand is free to download, and dictation with the offline cleanup stays free with no end date. A new account gets a 30-day trial of cloud cleanup. After it, Pro includes a monthly allowance of managed cloud cleanup, and Power lets you use your own API key, with your provider billing you directly. Both are billed monthly or yearly. TypeWhisper's Personal plan is free, its Commercial plan adds Premium features and is billed monthly or as a lifetime licence, and a Supporter contribution is one-time (www.typewhisper.com/en/). TypeWhisper says it is open source under GPLv3, with its core app free to use (www.typewhisper.com/en/). Current Roundhand prices are on the pricing page.
Questions about switching
- Does TypeWhisper ever send my voice to the cloud?
- TypeWhisper's privacy policy says that if you opt into a cloud engine or configure a custom endpoint, the data for that request is sent to the provider you selected (www.typewhisper.com/en/privacy, checked on 2026-10-09). Roundhand never uploads audio: speech is always recognised on your computer.
- Can I move my TypeWhisper dictionary to Roundhand?
- Roundhand has no import from TypeWhisper, so you add your words to Roundhand's Dictionary yourself. Each entry sets how a word you say is written, such as a name or product spelled your way.
- Which platforms does TypeWhisper run on?
- TypeWhisper lists Macs on macOS version 14 or later, Windows 10 and 11 from the Microsoft Store, and iPhone and iPad with iOS 18 or later (www.typewhisper.com/en/, checked on 2026-10-09). Roundhand runs on Macs with Apple silicon, and Roundhand for Windows installs from the Microsoft Store. There is no phone app.
- Is TypeWhisper open source?
- TypeWhisper says it is open source under GPLv3, with its core app free to use (www.typewhisper.com/en/, checked on 2026-10-09).