Blurt vs Spokenly · checked Sept 2026
Blurt vs Spokenly: free local dictation, or local everything.
Spokenly runs the same two engines as Blurt, Whisper and Parakeet, on your device for nothing, on Mac, Windows, Linux and iPhone. If plain local transcription is all you want, that is hard to beat. Blurt earns its price when you want AI cleanup, formatting and learning that also stay on the Mac.
By Jahanzaib Akhter · Updated
Spokenly is a free, local-first dictation app for macOS, Windows, Linux and iPhone that runs Whisper or Parakeet on your device, with cloud models as an option. Blurt, for Apple Silicon Macs, runs the same engines but has no cloud path, and its AI cleanup and formatting also run locally with no API key. Blurt costs $3.99 a month, $29 a year or $99 once.
Where each one is ahead.
Spokenly is free for local dictation
Its Local Models plan is $0 with no usage limits, and includes both Whisper and Parakeet. Blurt has a 14-day trial and then 20 dictations a day unless you pay. For transcription alone, Spokenly costs less than Blurt, and that is not close.
Spokenly runs on more devices
Spokenly lists macOS, Windows, Linux and iPhone. Blurt is Apple Silicon Macs only. It also has agentic actions for controlling the Mac by voice and MCP voice input that Claude Code, Codex and Cursor can call. Blurt has neither.
Blurt keeps the AI layer local
Spokenly's AI cleanup, polish and AI Instructions run on Pro or with your own OpenAI, Claude or Gemini key. Blurt removes filler with rules and formats with a local Qwen model, so the cleaned-up text never leaves the Mac and there is no key and no token bill.
Blurt has one mode, not a setting
Cloud models are part of Spokenly's pitch, and its Local Only Mode restricts network access when you want it to. Blurt has no cloud model to switch off, and no account to sign in to. Your custom vocabulary also biases recognition on Whisper and learns from your corrections.
Side by side
Competitor details and prices checked Sept 2026| Feature | Blurt | Spokenly |
|---|---|---|
| Where speech is processed | On your Mac. No cloud path | On device with local models, or cloud models on Pro or your own key |
| Local engines | Whisper large-v3-turbo and Parakeet v3 | Whisper and Parakeet |
| AI cleanup and formatting | Local model, no key, included | Pro, or your own OpenAI, Claude or Gemini key |
| Platforms | Apple Silicon Macs only | macOS, Windows, Linux, iPhone |
| Account | None. Licence key only | None for local use. Pro may need sign-in |
| Meetings | Mic plus system audio, no bot, transcribed locally | Mic plus system audio on Mac, no bot |
| Price (30 Sept 2026) | $3.99 a month, $29 a year, $99 once | Local free. Pro $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year |
| Refunds | 30 days, including Lifetime | 14 days on Pro bought from its site |
Where speech is processed
Local engines
AI cleanup and formatting
Platforms
Account
Meetings
Price (30 Sept 2026)
Refunds
Questions people ask about switching
Is Spokenly free?
Its local plan is. Spokenly's Local Models plan costs $0 with no usage limits and runs Whisper and Parakeet on your device. Cloud models, sync and AI cleanup are on Pro at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, or with your own API keys.
Why pay for Blurt when Spokenly's local mode is free?
If you only want speech turned into text, you probably should not. Blurt is worth paying for if you want filler removal, paragraph and list formatting and Polish to run on the Mac too, with no key and no cloud plan, or a vocabulary that learns from your corrections.
Does Spokenly work offline?
Yes, with its local models, and its Local Only Mode can restrict network access. Its AI cleanup features use cloud models, so they need a connection.
Are these prices current?
Read off spokenly.app and its pricing page on 30 September 2026. The website quotes Pro at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year; students get half off. Prices bought through an app store may differ.
Keep reading
Try both engines, and the layer on top.
14 days unrestricted, no card, no account. Compare it against Spokenly's free plan on your own work.