opennookorg / betterwispr

# BetterWispr
**Free, open-source voice dictation for macOS.** Hold **⌥ Space**, speak, release, and the text lands in whatever app you were typing in.
BetterWispr is a private, offline speech-to-text app and an open-source alternative to Wispr Flow. It transcribes on your Mac with Whisper, NVIDIA Parakeet or Apple's on-device speech recognition, so your voice never leaves your computer unless you explicitly select an API connection or Codex subscription transcription.
Download the latest release · Website · Changelog
## Features
- **Dictate anywhere**: hold-to-talk or press-to-toggle, with a shortcut you choose.
- **On-device models**: Apple speech, Parakeet v3 (25 European languages), Parakeet v2 (English) and Whisper large-v3 turbo.
- **Vocabulary**: spelling hints and phrase replacements for names and jargon.
- **Learns your corrections**: fix a misheard word once (in History, or right after it's pasted) and it's spelled right next time.
- **Voice commands**: say "comma", "new line", "scratch that" or "sorry, remove that", and "at the rate KV" for "@KV".
- **Meetings**: live transcript of you and the other side, plus on-device titles, summaries and action items with Apple Intelligence or a local Ollama model.
- **Transcribe files and links**: drop in an audio or video file or paste a video link and get a timestamped transcript with the model you choose, to copy or export as text or Markdown. Links use yt-dlp, which BetterWispr installs only when you click Install.
- **Connected apps**: let Claude, Cursor and other apps that support MCP list, search and read your meeting notes and transcripts. Off by default and read-only.
- **History**: raw and corrected transcripts, stored locally (can be turned off).
- **Bring your own model**: optional Sarvam AI, Smallest AI or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
## Requirements
- macOS 14 or later
- Apple Silicon recommended
## Getting started
1. Download the DMG from Releases and drag BetterWispr to Applications.
2. Open it and follow the welcome guide.
3. Pick a model in **Models**. Apple on-device needs no download; Parakeet and Whisper download once, then work offline.
4. Grant **Microphone** access, and **Accessibility** access so BetterWispr can paste for you.
5. Click into a text field in any app, hold **⌥ Space**, speak, and release.
If paste can't safely reach the previous app, the text is copied to your
clipboard instead, so you never lose a dictation. Recordings stop automatically
after ten minutes, with a countdown in the last 30 seconds.
## Bring your own model
**Models → Bring your own model → Add connection.** Choose a provider, enter the
model ID and API key, save, then click **Use**.
| Provider | Default model | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sarvam AI | `saaras:v4` | Long recordings are sent in 25-second chunks |
| Smallest AI | `pulse` | Set an explicit spoken language in Settings |
| OpenAI-compatible | any | Full URL, e.g. `http://localhost:8000/v1/audio/transcriptions`. HTTPS required exc