Relay vs Apple Dictation
Apple's built-in Dictation is free, on-device, and good enough for short, casual dictation, so try it first. Relay is for when you outgrow it: it adds smart formatting, an AI rewrite mode tuned to the app you're in, and cleaner output for long-form writing and code.
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If you only dictate the occasional sentence, macOS Dictation is free and already on your Mac, so there's no reason to install anything. Relay earns its place when you dictate a lot (long emails, documents, prompts) and want the result to come out clean instead of as an unpunctuated run-on.
Relay vs Apple Dictation at a glance
| Relay | Apple Dictation | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free during beta | Free (built into macOS) |
| Transcription | On-device, local Whisper | On-device on Apple Silicon |
| Setup | Install app | Already on your Mac |
| Smart formatting | Yes (Clean mode) | Basic punctuation only |
| AI rewrite tuned to app | Yes (⌘3) | No |
| Output modes | Yes (Raw / Clean / AI rewrite) | Limited |
| Custom vocabulary | From Relay 0.3 | No |
| History of recent dictations | Yes (copy or resend; no search yet) | No |
When to move from Apple Dictation to Relay
- You dictate long messages and hate cleaning up punctuation and filler afterward.
- You want different output for different apps: terse for Slack, polished for email, literal for code.
- You dictate prompts into AI tools and want them tightened automatically.
- You want a history panel of recent dictations you can copy or resend.
What Apple Dictation still does best: zero setup, zero cost, and it's baked into the OS. If that covers you, keep it.
Pick Apple Dictation if…
- You only dictate occasionally, in short bursts
- You want nothing to install and nothing to learn
- Basic punctuation is all the formatting you need
Pick Relay if…
- You dictate long-form and want clean output automatically
- You want per-app formatting and an AI rewrite mode
- You dictate AI prompts, code, or documents regularly
- You want a history of recent dictations to copy from again
Sources
- Apple Support: Dictate messages and documents on Mac (checked 2026-09-10)
- Apple Support: Use Voice Control on Mac (checked 2026-09-10)
- Relay release notes (GitHub) (checked 2026-09-10)
Frequently asked questions
Is Apple Dictation on-device?
On Apple Silicon Macs, yes: Apple's support guide says general text dictation is processed on the device in many languages with no internet connection required (dictation in search boxes still uses Apple's servers). Relay is also on-device (local Whisper). So both keep your voice on your Mac; the difference is formatting, modes, and output quality, not privacy.
Why pay for dictation when macOS includes it?
You may not need to. Apple Dictation is fine for short, casual dictation. Relay is worth it when you dictate a lot and want clean, formatted output, per-app tuning, an AI rewrite mode, and a history panel, which the built-in tool doesn't do. And Relay is free during beta.
Does Relay replace Apple Dictation?
It can. Relay works system-wide via its own hotkey, so you can use it everywhere you'd use Dictation, with better formatting. You can also keep both and use whichever fits the moment.
What about Apple Voice Control?
Voice Control is Apple's separate accessibility feature for hands-free Mac control plus dictation. It's powerful for navigation but isn't a polished productivity-dictation tool, and it can't run at the same time as standard Dictation. Relay focuses purely on fast, clean dictation.
Try Relay free
On-device voice typing for any Mac app. Free during the beta.
Download for MacFree during the beta · Apple Silicon (M1 or later) · Your voice never leaves your Mac
Get a license key and release notes by email (optional; the download does not require it)