MacParakeet

Free, open-source Mac app for local dictation, file transcription and meeting recording.

Open sourceAI meeting assistants and transcription tools

Verified facts: 5 of 5
Alternatives ranked: 6
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About MacParakeet

MacParakeet is a voice app for Apple Silicon Macs that does three jobs: system-wide dictation into any text field with a hotkey, transcription of audio and video files or links (YouTube, Vimeo, Loom, podcasts), and recording of meetings by capturing system audio and your microphone together. Speech recognition runs on the Mac itself, using the Parakeet model on the Neural Engine plus WhisperKit for wider language coverage, so audio isn't sent to a cloud transcription service. It adds speaker labels, live notes during calls and exports to formats such as SRT, Markdown and DOCX; optional AI summaries can use a local model or a cloud provider you connect. It is free and open source under GPL-3.0, with no account or subscription, but it needs macOS 14.2 or later on an M-series Mac.

Best for: Mac users who want free, private dictation and meeting transcripts without a subscription.

What works

Free and open source, with no word limits or account
Transcription runs locally, so audio stays on the Mac
Combines dictation, file and URL transcription, and meeting recording in one app

Why people leave

Apple Silicon Macs only; Intel Macs and other platforms aren't supported
Requires macOS 14.2 or later
Young project still on 0.x releases

Top MacParakeet alternatives

See all 6

1
MacWhisper
Polished local file transcription for Mac with a one-time paid Pro upgrade and Intel support.
68.8
2
Superwhisper
Paid dictation app with AI modes for rewriting text, if dictation is the main job.
64.8
3
VoiceInk
Another local, open-source Mac dictation app with a low one-time price for prebuilt copies.
61.8
4
Handy
Free open-source dictation that also runs on Windows and Linux.
59.4
5
Meetily
Open-source local meeting notetaker focused on calls rather than dictation.
57.5

Why people left MacParakeet

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MacParakeet: common questions

Is MacParakeet free?

Yes. MacParakeet is free, open-source software.

Is MacParakeet open source?

No, MacParakeet is not open source. Open-source alternatives include VoiceInk, Handy and Meetily.

What platforms does MacParakeet run on?

MacParakeet is available for macOS.

What are the best alternatives to MacParakeet?

The highest-ranked MacParakeet alternatives right now are MacWhisper, Superwhisper and VoiceInk. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 6 MacParakeet alternatives

MacParakeet facts

5 of 5 verified

License: GPL-3.0; Checked Oct 30, 2026macparakeet.com(opens source in a new tab); “MacParakeet is free and open-source under the GPL-3.0 license.”
Price: Free; Checked Oct 30, 2026macparakeet.com(opens source in a new tab); “No account. No subscription. No catch.”
System requirements: macOS 14.2+, Apple Silicon; Checked Oct 30, 2026macparakeet.com(opens source in a new tab); “macOS 14.2 or later with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, or M4).”
Local processing: Yes; Checked Oct 30, 2026macparakeet.com(opens source in a new tab); “All transcription and dictation runs locally on your Mac's Apple Silicon. Your audio never leaves your device.”
Export formats: 8 incl. SRT, VTT, DOCX; Checked Oct 30, 2026macparakeet.com(opens source in a new tab); “8 Export Formats TXT, Markdown, SRT, VTT, DOCX”