macOS Dictation works. It's also limited — no real custom dictionary, no per-app behaviour, no AI cleanup, awkward hotkey, no live transcript. Neuron Flame is what Dictation would be if Apple gave it the attention it deserves.
Free · Open source · GPL-3.0 · 100% on-device by default
| Neuron Flame | Alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free (built into macOS) |
| On-device | Yes (Whisper or Parakeet V2) | Yes (Apple's Siri model) |
| Hotkey customisation | Any combination, push-to-talk | Limited (fn fn or globe globe) |
| Custom dictionary | Full — patterns, replacements | Limited contact-name learning |
| Per-app behaviour | Power Mode profiles | None |
| AI grammar/cleanup | Multi-provider AI enhancement | None (Apple Intelligence in some apps only) |
| Live transcript | Yes | Yes (in some apps) |
| Languages | 100+ via Whisper, English via Parakeet | Many (Apple's set) |
| Open source | Yes — GPL-3 | No (closed) |
| Macros / advanced | Power Mode + custom prompts | Voice Control (separate, complex) |
For short bursts of dictation in a few specific apps, Apple Dictation is genuinely fine. It's built in, you don't need to install anything, your microphone is already wired up. If you dictate one Slack message a day, save your install.
Push-to-talk feels right. Apple Dictation is toggled on, then it listens until silence ends the session. Neuron Flame is hold-the-key, speak, release — a different rhythm, much more like talking to someone. People who try push-to-talk rarely go back.
Custom dictionary that actually works. Apple's "personal dictionary" picks up names from Contacts but is otherwise opaque. Neuron Flame's dictionary is a list of patterns and replacements you control. Type "Kubernetes" the way you spell it, every time.
Per-app modes. Casual tone in Slack. Professional in Mail. Verbatim in Cursor. Apple Dictation has one mode for everything; Neuron Flame's Power Mode swaps settings automatically based on the frontmost app.
AI cleanup the way you want. Apple Intelligence does a small amount of light cleanup in supported apps. Neuron Flame lets you specify exactly what cleanup looks like via a prompt — "format as a professional email", "make this casual", "preserve my voice but fix typos" — and run it through the LLM you choose.
You don't have to pick. Apple Dictation stays available on the system shortcut; Neuron Flame uses its own. Many users keep Apple's around for the rare moments when it's faster than launching the app.
Free, on-device, with the controls Apple left out.
Download Neuron FlameNo — they use different hotkeys (Apple Dictation defaults to globe/globe or fn/fn; Neuron Flame uses whatever you set, typically Right Option). They can coexist.
No — completely independent. Neuron Flame uses Whisper.cpp + FluidAudio (Parakeet V2) for transcription. Apple's API has too many limitations for the experience we wanted.
For most clear speech in English, yes — Whisper Large v3 and Parakeet V2 are state-of-the-art models. Apple's model is good but optimises for low-power on-device use; Whisper trades a bit more compute for measurably better word-error-rate.
Voice Control is for full hands-free Mac operation — clicking buttons, opening apps, etc. Neuron Flame is for dictating text. They complement each other; some users run both.