Your own, private voice-to-text
Stop typing.
Start speaking.
Press a hotkey, speak naturally, and your words appear as text — anywhere. Runs entirely on your device. Nothing leaves your machine.
Requires macOS 12+ (Apple Silicon) or Windows 10+
Three seconds from
voice to text
No loading screens. No sign-in flows. Just hold, speak, release.
Hold your hotkey
Press and hold your configured shortcut from any application.
Speak naturally
Talk at your normal pace. The local AI model processes your speech in real-time.
Text appears
Release the hotkey. Your words are typed into the active text field instantly.
Instant
Global hotkey triggers recording. Release and text appears. No app switching, no friction.
100% local
AI model runs on your hardware. Your voice never touches a server. Zero internet required after setup.
Auto-paste
Transcribed text is automatically pasted into whichever app you're working in. Just speak and continue.
100+ languages
Whisper models support over 100 languages with optional translate-to-English. Choose the model that fits your needs.
History
Searchable transcription history with app context and audio recordings. Everything saved locally to your Documents folder.
Customizable
Four overlay themes, accent colors, position control, and start sounds. Make it yours.
Your voice stays yours
No accounts. No telemetry. No cloud. The AI model downloads once and runs entirely on your machine. Your audio is processed locally and never stored.
Why AudioShift
| AudioShift | Paid alternatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | $8–15 / month |
| Usage limits | Unlimited | Word or minute caps |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Data sent to cloud | Never | Often |
| Open source | MIT license | Closed source |
| Languages | 100+ | Varies |
| AI models | 5 models, your choice | No choice |
| Works offline | Yes | Varies |
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the transcription?
AudioShift ships with five AI models to choose from — Parakeet for fast English-only transcription and four Whisper variants for multilingual support. Accuracy is comparable to cloud-based services, and improves with clear speech and a decent microphone.
Is my voice data sent anywhere?
No. Everything runs locally on your machine. Your audio is never recorded, stored, or transmitted. There are no analytics on your speech, no accounts, and no telemetry.
Does it work without an internet connection?
Yes. After the initial download the AI model runs entirely on your hardware. No internet connection is needed.
Which languages are supported?
The Whisper models support over 100 languages including Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, and many more. There's also a translate-to-English option for any supported language. The Parakeet model is optimized for English-only transcription with faster speed.
Is it really free? What's the catch?
No catch. AudioShift is free and open source under the MIT license. No subscriptions, no word limits, no premium tiers. The full source code is on GitHub.
What are the system requirements?
macOS 12+ with Apple Silicon, or Windows 10+ with a modern CPU. On Windows, AudioShift automatically uses GPU acceleration via DirectML when available, and falls back to CPU if not — no setup needed.
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