Handy
Focus: whisper and local ai. Shares speech to text and dictation with Blurt. A desktop app, not a Mac app. Adds Windows and Linux. Rated 4.7 (Blurt: 4.4).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
Mac App
Blurt
Open-source macOS dictation that turns speech into polished text in the app you are already using.
Rating
4.4 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Beginner
Works on
macOS
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Blurt?
Blurt is a free, open-source macOS dictation app from AssemblyAI. Speak and it types polished text into whichever app you are in, so you can draft emails, notes and documents without switching windows or fighting the system dictation panel.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what Blurt does well
- Dictates into the app you already have open
- Polished speech-to-text
- Free and open source
Cons: where it falls short
- macOS only
- Quality depends on speech recognition setup
Who Blurt is for
Mac users who want fast, polished dictation without leaving the app they are writing in.
Who can skip it
Windows or Linux users, or people happy with built-in system dictation.
Blurt alternatives
Not sold on Blurt? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
OpenWhispr
Focus: whisper. Shares dictation and speech to text with Blurt. A desktop app, not a Mac app. Adds Windows and Linux. Rated 4.5 (Blurt: 4.4).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.5Visit
Dayflow
Focus: time tracking, work journal and daily standup. Shares macos and open source with Blurt. Rated 4.5 (Blurt: 4.4).
Mac AppFreemacOS
4.5Visit
whisper.cpp
Focus: transcription and local ai. Shares speech to text and open source with Blurt. An AI tool, not a Mac app. Adds Windows, Linux and Offline. Rated 4.7 (Blurt: 4.4).
AI ToolFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
Vibe
Focus: transcription and local ai. Shares speech to text and open source with Blurt. An AI tool, not a Mac app. Adds Windows, Linux and Offline. Rated 4.6 (Blurt: 4.4).
AI ToolFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Stop Slop
Focus: writing, ai and editing. Shares open source with Blurt. An AI tool, not a Mac app. Rated 4.8 (Blurt: 4.4).
AI ToolFreeCross-Platform
4.8Visit
Free alternatives to Blurt
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
Prompt Master
Focus: prompt engineering, claude and skill. Shares open source with Blurt. An AI tool, not a Mac app. Adds Web. Rated 4.7 (Blurt: 4.4).
AI ToolFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.7Visit
Story Skills
Focus: writing, storytelling and ai agents. Shares open source with Blurt. An AI tool, not a Mac app. Rated 4.2 (Blurt: 4.4).
AI ToolFreeCross-Platform
4.2Visit
Ollama
Focus: local llm, ai models and privacy. Shares open source and github with Blurt. An AI tool, not a Mac app. Adds Windows and Linux. Rated 4.8 (Blurt: 4.4).
AI ToolFreeWindows, macOS
4.8Visit
Karabiner-Elements
Focus: keyboard remapping, shortcuts and hyper key. Shares macos and open source with Blurt. Rated 4.7 (Blurt: 4.4).
Mac AppFreemacOS
4.7Visit
MuseScore Studio
Focus: music notation, sheet music and composition. Shares open source and github with Blurt. A desktop app, not a Mac app. Adds Windows and Linux. Rated 4.7 (Blurt: 4.4).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
Reactive Resume
Focus: resume, cv builder and job search. Shares open source and github with Blurt. A web app, not a Mac app. Adds Web. Rated 4.7 (Blurt: 4.4).
Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.7Visit
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