A private, offline alternative to ChatGPT voice dictation
Updated June 2026 · macOS 13+
Vlow is a private, on-device alternative to ChatGPT's voice for one specific job: turning your speech into text on your Mac. ChatGPT voice processes audio in the cloud; Vlow runs recognition locally, so your audio never leaves the device. Press a hotkey, speak, and clean text lands at your cursor in any app — including prompts for Cursor or Claude, so you can talk to AI without sending your voice to anyone's servers.
Vlow vs ChatGPT voice (for dictation)
| Capability | Vlow | ChatGPT voice |
|---|---|---|
| Where audio is processed | On your Mac | Cloud |
| Audio leaves your device | Never | Yes |
| Types into any app at your cursor | ✓ | Inside the chat only |
| Works offline | ✓ | ✗ |
| Structured output (prompt / commit / doc) | ✓ | Conversational text |
| Pricing | One-time, from $39 | Subscription (ChatGPT Plus) |
Comparison based on publicly available information as of June 2026; features may change. Vlow is a dictation tool, not a chatbot.
Talk to AI without sending your voice to the cloud
A lot of people use ChatGPT's voice just to avoid typing. If that's you, Vlow does the dictation part privately and everywhere: your speech becomes a clean, structured prompt right inside Cursor, VS Code, the terminal or any editor — and the audio is recognized on your Mac, not uploaded.
What Vlow is (and isn't)
Vlow is a dictation and note tool, not a chatbot. It turns speech into text and structured output and auto-writes weekly reports. If you want a private way to input speech anywhere on your Mac, Vlow is the alternative; if you specifically want a conversational AI assistant, that's a different category.
FAQ
Does ChatGPT voice send my audio to the cloud?
Yes. Vlow is an on-device dictation alternative — recognition runs on your Mac and audio never leaves the device.
Can I dictate prompts for Cursor or Claude?
Yes — speak and a clean, structured prompt lands at your cursor in any editor, without uploading your voice.
Is Vlow a chatbot?
No — it's a dictation and note tool. It turns speech into text, not a conversation.
Is it a subscription?
No, a one-time purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Speak to type — privately, anywhere
macOS 13+ or Windows 10/11 · 30-day money-back
Download Vlow for Mac