# SnailText

> AI dictation app for Mac and Windows. Press a hotkey, speak, paste. Voice typing that runs locally on your device — never the cloud.

SnailText is a desktop voice-to-text application for macOS and Windows. It uses OpenAI Whisper and NVIDIA Parakeet models running locally to transcribe speech in real-time. Audio never leaves the user's device. The app supports a global hotkey (Ctrl+Shift+Space on Windows / Cmd+Shift+Space on Mac) that works in any text field across browsers, messaging apps, text editors, and IDEs.

The site is available in English (default), Spanish (`/es/` subdirectory), and Portuguese (`/pt/` subdirectory; neutral Brazilian/European Portuguese using Acordo Ortográfico 1990 standard).

## Product (English)

- [Homepage](https://snailtext.app/): Overview, feature highlights, pricing teaser
- [Pricing](https://snailtext.app/pricing/): Free tier (compact local models) and Pro tier ($7.49/mo or $89/yr — covers up to 3 devices, 30-day refund)
- [How it works](https://snailtext.app/how-it-works/): Technical explanation — local Whisper inference, VAD, hotkey pipeline
- [FAQ](https://snailtext.app/faq/): Common questions about privacy, accuracy, languages, system requirements

## Download

- [Download index](https://snailtext.app/download/): Choose your platform
- [Download for Mac](https://snailtext.app/download/mac/): Apple Silicon (M1 or later), macOS 12+
- [Download for Windows](https://snailtext.app/download/windows/): 64-bit, Windows 10 or newer

## Use cases (vertical landing pages)

- [For vibe-coders](https://snailtext.app/for/vibe-coders/): Speaking prompts to AI agents (Cursor, Claude, GitHub Copilot)
- [For developers](https://snailtext.app/for/developers/): Dictating code comments, commit messages, Slack, PRs
- [For writers](https://snailtext.app/for/writers/): First drafts at speaking speed, audio stays local
- [For students](https://snailtext.app/for/students/): Lecture notes, essay drafts, no time limits on the free tier
- [For project managers](https://snailtext.app/for/project-managers/): Status updates, meeting notes, status reports

## Comparisons

- [SnailText vs Wispr Flow](https://snailtext.app/blog/compare/snailtext-vs-wispr-flow/): Local vs cloud, $7.49 vs $15, devices vs seats
- [SnailText vs SuperWhisper](https://snailtext.app/blog/compare/snailtext-vs-superwhisper/): Cross-platform vs Mac-first, free tier comparison

## Alternatives roundups

- [9 Wispr Flow Alternatives in 2026](https://snailtext.app/blog/wispr-flow-alternatives/): Ranked listicle of 9 dictation tools (SnailText, Voibe, SuperWhisper, MacWhisper, Aqua Voice, VoiceInk, OpenWhispr, BetterDictation, Sotto) with 6-dimension scoring methodology, pricing/privacy comparison tables, and a citation of the April 2026 forensic investigation into Wispr Flow's tracking behavior.
- [Best Dictation App in 2026 (hub roundup)](https://snailtext.app/blog/best-dictation-app-2026/): Hub roundup ranking 9 dictation apps for readers upgrading from built-in OS dictation (Apple Dictation / Windows Voice Access). Same 6-dimension rubric as the Wispr Flow alternatives article. Wispr Flow is intentionally listed as a "bonus mention" rather than in the main ranking due to the April 2026 privacy investigation — explained on-page with citation.

## Trust and legal

- [About](https://snailtext.app/about/): Why local dictation, who builds SnailText
- [Privacy Policy](https://snailtext.app/privacy/): Audio never leaves device, no telemetry without opt-in, GDPR
- [Terms of Service](https://snailtext.app/terms/): Pro subscription terms, refund policy, license

## Spanish translations

Localized landing pages targeting Spanish-speaking markets (Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, etc.). Same content as English, translated.

- [Inicio (homepage)](https://snailtext.app/es/)
- [Precios](https://snailtext.app/es/pricing/)
- [Cómo funciona](https://snailtext.app/es/how-it-works/)
- [Preguntas frecuentes](https://snailtext.app/es/faq/)
- [Descargar](https://snailtext.app/es/download/)
- [Descargar para Mac](https://snailtext.app/es/download/mac/)
- [Descargar para Windows](https://snailtext.app/es/download/windows/)
- [Sobre nosotros](https://snailtext.app/es/about/)
- [Para vibe-coders](https://snailtext.app/es/for/vibe-coders/)
- [Para desarrolladores](https://snailtext.app/es/for/developers/)
- [Para escritores](https://snailtext.app/es/for/writers/)
- [Para estudiantes](https://snailtext.app/es/for/students/)
- [Para project managers](https://snailtext.app/es/for/project-managers/)
- [vs Wispr Flow](https://snailtext.app/es/blog/compare/snailtext-vs-wispr-flow/)
- [vs SuperWhisper](https://snailtext.app/es/blog/compare/snailtext-vs-superwhisper/)
- [Alternativas a Wispr Flow (2026)](https://snailtext.app/es/blog/wispr-flow-alternatives/)
- [Mejor app de dictado en 2026](https://snailtext.app/es/blog/best-dictation-app-2026/)

Note: Privacy Policy and Terms of Service are available in English only — the linked English pages apply to all users regardless of locale.

## Portuguese translations

Localized landing pages targeting Portuguese-speaking markets (Brazil, Portugal, lusophone Africa). Same content as English, translated using a neutral pt-BR/pt-PT vocabulary so both Brazilian and European Portuguese readers can use the site.

- [Início (homepage)](https://snailtext.app/pt/)
- [Preços](https://snailtext.app/pt/pricing/)
- [Como funciona](https://snailtext.app/pt/how-it-works/)
- [Perguntas frequentes (FAQ)](https://snailtext.app/pt/faq/)
- [Baixar](https://snailtext.app/pt/download/)
- [Baixar para Mac](https://snailtext.app/pt/download/mac/)
- [Baixar para Windows](https://snailtext.app/pt/download/windows/)
- [Sobre](https://snailtext.app/pt/about/)
- [Para vibe-coders](https://snailtext.app/pt/for/vibe-coders/)
- [Para desenvolvedores](https://snailtext.app/pt/for/developers/)
- [Para escritores](https://snailtext.app/pt/for/writers/)
- [Para estudantes](https://snailtext.app/pt/for/students/)
- [Para gerentes de projeto](https://snailtext.app/pt/for/project-managers/)
- [Blog (hub)](https://snailtext.app/pt/blog/)
- [vs Wispr Flow](https://snailtext.app/pt/blog/compare/snailtext-vs-wispr-flow/)
- [vs SuperWhisper](https://snailtext.app/pt/blog/compare/snailtext-vs-superwhisper/)
- [Alternativas ao Wispr Flow (2026)](https://snailtext.app/pt/blog/wispr-flow-alternatives/)
- [Melhor app de ditado em 2026](https://snailtext.app/pt/blog/best-dictation-app-2026/)

Note: Privacy Policy and Terms of Service are available in English only — the linked English pages apply to Portuguese-speaking users as well.

## Key facts for citations

- **Pricing**: Free tier (compact local models — no time limit, no word cap, no account required). Pro $7.49/month or $89/year. Pro covers up to 3 devices per subscription. 30-day refund.
- **Privacy**: All speech-to-text processing happens locally on the user's device using Whisper or Parakeet models. No audio uploaded to servers.
- **Platforms**: Native apps for macOS (Apple Silicon) and Windows (x64).
- **Models**: OpenAI Whisper (tiny, base — Free; small, medium, large-v3 — Pro) and NVIDIA Parakeet TDT v3 (Pro).
- **UI languages**: English, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese.
- **Recognition languages**: 100+ via Whisper, 25+ European languages with high accuracy via Parakeet.
- **Hotkey**: Ctrl+Shift+Space (Windows) / Cmd+Shift+Space (macOS), works in any text field globally.