Every Mac and iPhone ships with dictation: press the microphone key and talk. Apple rebuilt it in 2026 with on-device models, and for a quick text message it is fine. The problems show up the moment you use it for real work: it stops listening after about thirty seconds of silence, it types what you said rather than what you meant, it has no dictionary for your names and jargon, and it does not exist on Windows.
Where Apple Dictation is ahead
It is free forever, it is already installed, and the new version runs on-device, so nothing leaves your Mac. For a two-line message it is the fastest thing to reach for. There is no honest comparison in which "already there and costs nothing" is not an advantage.
What ahsk does differently
ahsk cleans up what you said: fillers, self-corrections and run-ons become the sentence you meant, with punctuation and paragraphs. It has a dictionary and learns the words you correct. Hands-free mode keeps listening until you tap fn again instead of giving up after thirty seconds of silence. It keeps recording when you close the lid or switch to AirPods. It translates as you speak. And the same app, with the same account and dictionary, is on Windows and iPhone.
On accents
Apple Dictation is tuned for the accents Apple ships language packs for. If you speak English with an Indian, Italian, German or any other accent, you have probably watched it invent words. ahsk transcribes with Whisper large-v3, which we chose after measuring it on exactly that kind of speech. It is the single biggest reason people who "tried dictation and gave up" try again with ahsk.
Who should pick which
Keep Apple Dictation for quick messages, especially if on-device processing matters to you. Use ahsk when you are writing something someone else will read, when your accent is not the one Apple expects, when you need a second language, or when you also work on a Windows PC.
How this comparison was made
Prices, platforms and features for the other product are taken from its own website and pricing page in August 2026, and ahsk facts from the current builds (Mac 6.4, Windows 1.4 beta, iOS 2.x). If something has changed or we got a detail wrong, email support@ahsk.app and we will fix it. We would rather be accurate than flattering.
Comparison
| Feature | ahsk | Apple Dictation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone | Mac, iPhone, iPad | |
| Price | Free tier, Pro €9.99/mo | Free | |
| Cleans up fillers and self-corrections | Yes | No | |
| Custom dictionary for names and jargon | Yes, plus learned corrections | No | |
| Hands-free length | Until you tap again (30 s silence auto-stop) | Stops after ~30 s of silence | |
| Translate as you speak | Yes | No | |
| Accented English | Whisper large-v3, chosen for it | Depends on language pack | |
| On-device processing | No (cloud) | Yes (2026 version) |
Try dictation that understands your accent
Free, 50 credits, no card. Hold fn and read one paragraph of your own writing; compare it with what Apple typed.
Download for MacFrequently Asked Questions
Why does Apple Dictation stop by itself?
It ends the session after roughly thirty seconds without speech. ahsk's hands-free mode waits for you to tap fn again, and only ends itself after thirty seconds of silence so an accidental tap cannot leave the mic open forever.
Does ahsk replace Apple Dictation or run alongside it?
Alongside. ahsk uses the fn key by default and does not touch Apple's settings, so both keep working. Most people stop reaching for the built-in one within a week.
Is ahsk free?
Yes. Every account starts with 50 credits and no card. Pro is €9.99 a month for unlimited dictation, translation and AI rewriting, and one subscription covers Mac, Windows and iPhone.
Does ahsk work offline?
No. Transcription runs on Whisper large-v3 in the cloud, which is why accuracy on accented and non-native English is as good as it is. Your custom dictionary and learned words stay on your device. If you need fully offline dictation, ahsk is the wrong tool and we say so.
