Better than built-in

An Apple Dictation alternative for Mac.

Apple Dictation is a fine start. Celesa is what comes next: it keeps listening while you think, removes the ums, applies your corrections and writes in a tone that suits the app you are in.

Download for Mac

What Apple Dictation does well

It’s free, built into every Mac, and on Apple silicon it processes supported languages on your device¹. For a quick search or a short message, it’s often enough.

Where it falls short

It stops listening after 30 seconds of silence¹, so pausing to think ends your dictation.
It types exactly what you said, including “um”, “uh” and the sentence you started twice.
It writes the same way everywhere, whether you are in a chat or a formal email.
It has no snippets, no edit by voice and no personal dictionary for names.

What Celesa adds

Clean text. Fillers go, corrections like “two, actually three” keep the right one, and “scratch that” deletes the last sentence.
Your tone, per app. Casual in Messages, polite and complete in Mail, structured in Notes and Notion, terse in code.
Hold to talk. It listens while you hold the key, and pauses don’t cut you off.
Your words. A dictionary for names and terms, and snippets for links and sign-offs.

If Mac dictation isn’t working

Check three things in System Settings: Keyboard, Dictation is turned on; your microphone is selected; and Privacy and Security, Microphone allows the app you’re using. Celesa works independently of the built-in feature, so you can use it either way.

Source

Apple Mac User Guide, "Dictate messages and documents"

Compare

How Celesa compares.
Side by side, with sources.

Celesa is the only one of these that does both steps, hearing you and tidying your words, on your Mac and for free.

Swipe the table sideways to see all four apps.

Celesa compared with Wispr Flow, Superwhisper and Apple Dictation
Feature	Celesa	Wispr Flow	Superwhisper	Apple Dictation
Price	Free	$15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly¹	$8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once³	Free, built in⁴
Free limits	None	2,000 words a week on desktop¹	Local models only, no AI modes³	Stops after 30 seconds of silence⁴
Where your voice is processed	On your Mac	Sent over the internet to Wispr²	On your Mac, or in the cloud with cloud models³	On your Mac (Apple silicon, supported languages)⁴
Writes in your tone, removes fillers	Yes, on your Mac	Yes, in the cloud⁶	With AI modes in Pro³	No
Works with Wi-Fi off	Yes	No, cloud only⁵	With local models	On Apple silicon⁴

Prices and features as published, checked 31 October 2026.

Questions

Coming from Apple Dictation

Can I use Celesa and Apple Dictation together?

Yes. They use different shortcuts. Apple Dictation keeps its own shortcut, and Celesa listens to Right Option by default, which you can change in Settings.

Does Celesa stop when I pause?

No. Celesa listens for as long as you hold the key, so you can pause to think without losing your place.

Is Celesa as private as Apple Dictation?

Yes. On Apple silicon, Apple Dictation processes supported languages on your Mac, and Celesa does all of its work on your Mac too, including the writing step.

Mac dictation is not working. Can Celesa help?

Celesa is separate from Apple Dictation, so it works even when the built-in feature does not. If neither works, check that your microphone is allowed in System Settings, Privacy and Security, Microphone.

Keep the shortcut.
Lose the ums.