Walkie vs Apple Dictation
Apple Dictation is convenient. Walkie gives you more control, more languages, and smarter text cleanup.
| Feature | Walkie | Apple Dictation |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free Local Mode + 2,000 Fast words/week | Free (built-in) |
| Languages | 100+ languages | ~60 languages |
| Filler Word Removal | Yes (automatic) | No |
| Grammar Fixing | Yes (Fast Mode) | No |
| Custom Dictionary | Yes — names, terms, spelling | Text Replacements only |
| AI Models | 7+ models to choose from | Apple Neural Engine (1 model) |
| Offline | Local Mode works offline | Partial (some features need internet) |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android (Coming Soon) | macOS and iOS only |
| Works In Any App | Yes — system-wide | Yes — system-wide |
| Privacy | Fast or Local | On-device (Apple) |
| Keyboard Shortcut | Customizable global hotkey | Double-tap Fn / Globe key |
| Post-Processing | AI cleanup, formatting, punctuation | Auto-punctuation only |
| Snippets | Yes | No |
| Auto-learn Dictionary | Yes | No |
| Read Aloud (Text-to-Speech) | Yes — 50+ natural voices, word-by-word highlighting | Not in Dictation (separate Spoken Content setting, system voices) |
| MCP Connections | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Translate to English | Coming soon | No |
| Voice Assistant | Coming soon | No |
Why choose Walkie over Apple Dictation?
AI post-processing. Fast Mode automatically removes filler words like "um" and "uh", fixes grammar, and formats your text. Apple Dictation only adds punctuation.
100+ languages. Walkie supports over 100 languages through multiple AI models. Apple Dictation supports roughly 60.
Custom dictionary. Teach Walkie your names, technical terms, and brand-specific spelling. Apple only offers basic Text Replacements.
Cross-platform. Walkie works on macOS and Windows. Apple Dictation is locked to Apple devices.
Choose your model. Pick from 7+ speech recognition models — trade off between speed and accuracy based on your needs. Apple gives you one model with no choice.
Read Aloud built in. Walkie also works in the other direction: highlight any text and press ⌥⌘L (or right-click and choose Read Aloud with Walkie) to hear it in 50+ natural voices with word-by-word highlighting. macOS has a Spoken Content accessibility setting, but it's buried in System Settings and limited to system voices.
When Apple Dictation might be enough
If you only need basic dictation on Apple devices and don't care about filler word removal or grammar fixing, Apple Dictation is already on your Mac. No download needed, and it integrates with Siri.
The bottom line
Walkie goes beyond Apple Dictation with Fast and Local modes, filler word removal, 100+ languages, and cross-platform support. Apple keeps everything on-device by default; Walkie gives you the choice between a local workflow and a faster cloud workflow.