Roundhand and VoiceInk
Two Mac 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 Mac with no cloud transcription option to manage, and writing styles already set up for code editors, terminals, chat and email. Choose VoiceInk if you would rather pay once than subscribe, want an iPhone app too, or want an app whose code you can read on GitHub.
| Compared on | Roundhand | VoiceInk |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac only: Macs with Apple silicon running macOS 14 or later. | VoiceInk is a dictation app for macOS, now also available on iOS.Source: tryvoiceink.com |
| Where speech is recognised | On the Mac. Audio is never uploaded. | VoiceInk transcribes on your device with local models by default; if you choose cloud transcription, your audio is sent to the provider you select.Source: tryvoiceink.com/privacy |
| Stored dictation | Dictation history stays in a database on the Mac. Roundhand's own servers never receive audio or transcript text. | VoiceInk stores transcriptions in a local database on your device, keeps them until you delete them by default, and does not operate cloud servers for storing user data.Source: tryvoiceink.com/privacy |
| Cloud cleanup | Optional. It sends text, never audio, to the cleanup provider. | VoiceInk's AI enhancement is optional, and only the transcribed text, never audio, is sent to the provider you select.Source: tryvoiceink.com/privacy |
| 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. | VoiceInk Modes can switch automatically by app, website, spoken word trigger or shortcut, and each Mode sets its own prompt, model, language and output.Source: tryvoiceink.com/docs/modes |
| Personal dictionary | A Dictionary where you set how words you say are written, such as a product name. | VoiceInk lets you teach it the words you use, and can correct words or expand short phrases automatically.Source: tryvoiceink.com |
| Pricing model | Free to download with a cloud cleanup trial, then Pro or Power plans, billed monthly or yearly. | VoiceInk is a one-time purchase with lifetime updates and no subscription, priced by how many Macs it runs on.Source: tryvoiceink.com/pricing |
Each VoiceInk statement is taken from the VoiceInk 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. VoiceInk's privacy policy says transcription happens on your device with local models by default, and that if you choose cloud transcription your audio file is sent to the provider you select (tryvoiceink.com/privacy). Roundhand has no cloud transcription: speech is recognised on the Mac every time, and only cloud cleanup, if you turn it on, sends text.
What each app stores
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. VoiceInk's privacy policy says it stores transcriptions and, if you turn them on, audio recordings on your device, and does not operate cloud servers for storing user data (tryvoiceink.com/privacy). Roundhand never saves your 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. VoiceInk starts you with Modes such as Dictation, Enhancement, Email, Rewrite and Assistant, and lets you switch Modes automatically by app, website, spoken word trigger or shortcut (tryvoiceink.com/docs/modes).
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. VoiceInk works only on Macs with Apple silicon (tryvoiceink.com/pricing), and VoiceInk is now also available on iOS (tryvoiceink.com). If you want dictation on your iPhone as well, VoiceInk covers that today.
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 15-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. VoiceInk is a one-time purchase with lifetime updates, priced for one, two or three Macs, with a 14-day money-back guarantee (tryvoiceink.com/pricing). VoiceInk says it is built in public on GitHub, where you can read, audit or run its code yourself (tryvoiceink.com). Current Roundhand prices are on the pricing page.
Questions about switching
- Does VoiceInk ever send my audio to the cloud?
- VoiceInk's privacy policy says transcription happens on your device with local models by default, and that if you choose cloud transcription your audio file is sent to the provider you select (tryvoiceink.com/privacy, checked on 2026-09-27). Roundhand never uploads audio: speech is always recognised on your Mac.
- Can I move my VoiceInk dictionary to Roundhand?
- Roundhand has no import from VoiceInk, 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.
- 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.
- Can I buy Roundhand once instead of subscribing?
- No. Roundhand is free to download, and dictation with the offline cleanup stays free with no time limit. Cloud cleanup comes with the Pro and Power plans, billed monthly or yearly.