Comparison
Verba vs Apple Dictation
Free and built in, but there's no AI cleanup at all.
| Verba | Apple Dictation | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99/mo | Free |
| Platforms | macOS (Apple Silicon) | macOS, iOS (built-in) |
| On-device | Yes, default | Yes |
| Transcription | On-device Whisper / Parakeet (or cloud, optional) | On-device (Apple Silicon) for many languages |
| AI editing | Claude restructuring, per-mode models, intent mode, voice commands | None (basic punctuation only) |
| Privacy | Local-first: audio never leaves your Mac, nothing saved to disk, keys in Keychain | On-device by default on modern hardware, but no HIPAA/BAA and some scenarios use Apple servers. |
Why people switch to Verba
- ✓Verba turns rambling speech into clean, structured, ready-to-send text, Apple Dictation just transcribes.
- ✓Modes, intent, voice-command formatting and per-app routing.
- ✓Still on-device and private, with the AI layer Apple doesn't offer.
Where Apple Dictation still has an edge
- •Free and pre-installed.
- •Deep OS integration across Apple devices.
We'd rather tell you the truth than oversell. If you need mobile or Windows today, those tools win, Verba is the best native macOS, privacy-first option.
Try Verba free
10,000 words/month free · Pro $9.99/mo · 7-day trial