AiType vs Apple Dictation

What is Apple Dictation?

Apple Dictation is built into macOS and iOS. On supported devices and languages, Apple says some dictation can run on-device. Availability, network needs, and behavior vary by device, language, settings, and app.

It focuses on speech-to-text rather than AiType-style generative cleanup, so the result may still need review or editing.

What does AiType add?

AiType is a cross-platform voice dictation tool that adds an AI cleanup pass on top of fast transcription. Transcription and cleanup typically complete in about 250 ms, turning natural speech into cleaned text you can review before pasting or sending. Actual timing varies by device, connection, and text length.

It also works on Windows and Android, which Apple Dictation does not, and it adds features like a saved clipboard, voice history, one-tap Reply, swipe typing, and GIF search on mobile.

Side-by-side comparison

Feature	AiType	Apple Dictation
Transcription and cleanup timing	Typically about 250 ms; varies by device, connection, and text length	Managed by Apple; on-device availability varies
AI cleanup pass	✓ Can improve filler words, punctuation, capitalisation, and wording	Not an AiType-style generative cleanup pass
macOS	✓	✓
Windows	✓	✗
iPhone / iPad	✓ Full keyboard	✓ Built-in key
Android	✓ Full keyboard	✗
Works offline	✗ Needs internet	May be on-device for supported configurations
Voice history / saved clips	Available on supported AiType platforms	Depends on the Apple or app workflow
Mobile keyboard	✓ Full AiType keyboard	✓ Built into Apple's keyboard
Reply / AI rewrite	Available on supported AiType platforms	Not part of Apple Dictation itself
Cost	Free tier + paid plans from $4.99/mo	Free (built-in)

When Apple Dictation is the right choice

• You're entirely in the Apple ecosystem (no Windows, no Android).
• Your workflow requires device-local processing and Apple confirms it is available for your device, language, and settings.
• You're happy editing the transcript yourself and don't want another app.
• You dictate in a language or dialect where AI cleanup might over-correct.

When AiType is the right choice

• You write a lot and a cleaner first draft matters. The AI cleanup pass can reduce editing on longer dictations.
• You work across Windows and Apple devices. AiType offers a similar voice-drafting workflow across supported devices, with platform-specific controls.
• You prefer voice input or want less manual editing. AiType can turn a transcript into a more polished draft, but important text should still be reviewed.
• You use Android. Apple Dictation doesn't exist there; AiType's keyboard does.
• You want AiType's history or saved clipboard features. Check feature availability on the device you plan to use.

Privacy: where does the audio go?

Apple says Dictation may process speech on-device for supported configurations; check Apple's current documentation for your device, language, and settings. AiType sends audio to cloud providers for transcription and cleanup. AiType's policy says it does not persist audio on its servers after processing, while third-party provider policies still apply. See the privacy policy and data controls for specifics.

If your workflow requires device-local processing, confirm that Apple Dictation supports it in your configuration. If you accept cloud processing and want an AI cleanup step, AiType may fit your workflow.