Voice to text for Mac
that goes beyond dictation
NovaVoice is the fastest voice to text app on macOS. AI formatting turns your speech into clean prose. Agent Mode lets you control Gmail, Todoist, and more — all by voice.
Download for your OSFree plan · macOS 12+ · No credit card
More than just voice to text
System-wide dictation
Activate with a hotkey from any app — email, documents, Slack, code editors. No window-switching required.
AI text formatting
Converts speech into clean, natural prose. Removes filler words, fixes punctuation, and adapts to context automatically.
Agent Mode
Go beyond typing — say 'send an email to Alex' or 'add a task to Todoist' and NovaVoice executes the action.
Built-in AI assistant
Ask questions, get summaries, or draft content — all by voice, without switching apps.
NovaVoice vs built-in Mac dictation vs Dragon
How the main Mac voice to text options compare.
| Feature | NovaVoice | macOS Dictation | Dragon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works in any app | |||
| AI text formatting | — | Basic | |
| Agent Mode (app control) | — | — | |
| Built-in AI assistant | — | — | |
| Offline mode | — | ||
| Price | Free — from $10/mo | Free | $699 one-time |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best voice to text app for Mac?
NovaVoice is the most capable voice to text app for Mac in 2026 — it works system-wide in any application, uses AI to format your dictated speech into clean prose, and includes Agent Mode for controlling apps like Gmail, Todoist, and Telegram by voice. SuperWhisper and MacWhisper are strong offline alternatives. macOS has a built-in dictation feature that works for basic use.
Does Mac have built-in voice to text?
Yes. macOS includes a built-in dictation feature (System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation). It's free and requires no installation, but it offers basic transcription only — no AI formatting, no agent mode, and lower accuracy than dedicated tools. It's fine for occasional use but not for daily heavy dictation.
How do I enable voice to text on Mac?
To use macOS built-in dictation: open System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation, enable it, and set a shortcut (usually double-press Fn). For more powerful voice to text with AI formatting, download NovaVoice — it activates with a customizable hotkey from any app.
Can voice to text work in any app on Mac?
NovaVoice works system-wide — it inserts dictated text into any focused text field on your Mac, including browsers, document editors, email clients, Slack, and IDEs. The macOS built-in dictation also works system-wide but with lower accuracy and no AI formatting.
Does NovaVoice work offline on Mac?
NovaVoice uses cloud transcription for best accuracy and requires an internet connection. For offline voice to text on Mac, SuperWhisper and MacWhisper offer local Whisper model processing — good accuracy without sending audio to the cloud.
Start free on your Mac
Download in 30 seconds. No credit card, no setup wizard.
Free
Start at no cost. Explore first, decide later.
- Limited AI-powered voice dictation
- Limited formatting and personalization
- Limited connectors & actions execution in apps
- Terms dictionary
- Limited AI voice assistant
Standard
Best value for personal use. $10/month locked for life for the first 5,000 paying users.
- Unlimited AI-powered voice dictation
- Unlimited formatting
- Unlimited connectors & actions execution in apps
- Terms dictionary
- Unlimited AI voice assistant
Team
Built for power teams to make everyone even faster and more productive.
- Shared formatting styles and preferences
- Shared team dictionary
- Priority support
- Centralized billing and cheaper per seat than Standard.