Comment by kartik017

Hey HN,

I’m building BetterWispr, a free and open-source voice dictation app for macOS.

I wanted to make voice typing more accessible without requiring a monthly subscription or sending every recording to a cloud server.

You can hold Option + Space, speak naturally, and have the transcription inserted directly into whatever app you’re using.

A few things I’ve been working on:

- Local speech recognition using Whisper, Parakeet, or Apple Speech - Automatic cleanup of filler words and repeated phrases - Custom vocabulary for names and technical terms - Different writing styles depending on the app - Optional meeting transcription and summaries

The project is open source under Apache 2.0.

I’m still improving the experience, especially around transcription accuracy, speed, and reliability across different Macs.

I’d love feedback from people who regularly use voice dictation.

What would make you switch from your current dictation tool to an open-source alternative?

Website: https://betterwispr.com/