Sayburst vs VoiceInk: two local, pay-once Mac dictation apps

VoiceInk and Sayburst are the two closest apps in this space: both transcribe on your Mac, both work offline, and both cost once instead of monthly. Pick VoiceInk if you want open-source code, an iPhone app, or the lowest price for one or two Macs. Pick Sayburst if you want AI cleanup that runs on the Mac out of the box and a dictation that's never lost.

We make Sayburst, so this is a vendor's comparison; we've tried to be straight about where VoiceInk wins. VoiceInk details come from tryvoiceink.com and its GitHub repository, checked October 31, 2026.

#Side by side

"Not documented" means we didn't find it on VoiceInk's site or README, not that it's definitely missing.

#Price

VoiceInk is cheaper for one Mac: $25 against $29. For two Macs, VoiceInk's Personal license costs $39. Our next step up from one Mac is the three-Mac license at $49. At three Macs they cost the same. Both include updates: VoiceInk says lifetime updates, Sayburst includes every 1.x update. Neither has a subscription.

If you're technical and don't need updates or support, VoiceInk's source is public under GPL-3.0, so you can build it yourself. Its README notes the project isn't accepting pull requests, but you're free to fork it.

#Cleanup and AI writing

Both apps remove fillers and repetition and format emails and lists. The difference is in the heavier rewriting.

VoiceInk's AI enhancement uses a provider you set up, and its site says cloud enhancement sends only the transcribed text, not audio.

Sayburst includes Sayburst Writer, an on-device model (Qwen3 4B on the Mac's GPU, a 2.5 GB download) that needs no account, key or internet. It resolves "Tuesday at 3, actually no, Wednesday" to "Wednesday at 3", gives emails a greeting and sign-off, and turns spoken lists into bullets. It works best with 16 GB of memory and runs slower on 8 GB. If a rewrite would change a number you said, Sayburst types the cleaned transcript instead. You can still plug in Ollama, LM Studio or your own cloud key if you prefer.

Here are action items dictated into Notion with the Notes mode:

"action items from today, bullet point Sam owns the vendor contract, bullet point, um, we push the offsite to May, no, June, bullet point I'll book the venue"

What lands:

Action items from today:

• Sam owns the vendor contract
• We push the offsite to June
• I'll book the venue

#Never losing a dictation

This is where Sayburst puts most of its care. If text can't be inserted because you switched apps, a password field had focus or Accessibility is off, Sayburst keeps the text and offers it back. ⌃⌥⌘V pastes your last dictation anywhere. If your microphone is unplugged mid-recording, it stops and keeps what you said. Your clipboard is restored after each paste. Models are downloaded in the app and checksum-verified. More on how that works.

#Privacy

Both apps are built around keeping your voice on the Mac. VoiceInk's README describes fully offline processing with local models, and its site says optional cloud enhancement sends text, not audio.

Sayburst recognizes speech on your Mac and never uploads audio; after a model is downloaded once, transcription and cleanup work with no internet. Context features (selected text, clipboard, current window) are each off by default. If you connect a cloud writing provider with your own key, Sayburst shows exactly what will be sent before you enable it, and only text goes. Recordings are deleted after transcription unless you choose to keep them.

In both cases, the app you dictate into still stores the text its own way: a Slack message is a Slack message however it was typed.

#Shortcuts and the overlay

Sayburst defaults to holding fn, with right Option, right Command, right Control, any recorded shortcut, or a middle or side mouse button as alternatives. Tap fn once for hands-free and again to finish; Esc cancels. The overlay shows your words as you speak with a level meter, and on notched MacBooks it grows out of the notch. VoiceInk also supports keyboard or mouse shortcuts and push-to-talk.

#Where VoiceInk is better

• Open source. You can read, audit and build the code. Sayburst is closed source.
• Cheaper for one or two Macs. $25 for one, $39 for two.
• An iPhone app. VoiceInk says it's now available on iOS. Sayburst is Mac-only.
• More engines. SenseVoice and other GGUF models alongside Whisper and Parakeet.
• Modes by website, not just app, and screen-aware context.

#Where Sayburst is better

• On-device AI writing included, with no provider to configure.
• Recovery when text can't be inserted, plus a paste-last-dictation shortcut.
• Number protection when the writer rewrites.
• Runs on macOS 14 Sonoma, if you haven't upgraded.

For speed figures on Sayburst's default model, see Parakeet vs Whisper on Apple silicon. Considering other options? VoiceInk alternatives and Mac dictation apps without a subscription cover them, and all our comparisons are on the compare page.

Our take

Both are good, private, pay-once choices, and you won't go wrong with either. Pick VoiceInk if open source, iPhone or the lowest price matters most. Pick Sayburst if you want polished writing from your speech with nothing to set up, and a dictation that's never lost.

Questions people ask

Is VoiceInk open source?

Yes. VoiceInk's code is on GitHub under GPL-3.0, so you can build it yourself. The paid version adds automatic updates and support. Sayburst is closed source.

How much do Sayburst and VoiceInk cost?

VoiceInk is $25 for one Mac, $39 for two and $49 for three, once, with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Sayburst is $29 for one Mac or $49 for up to three, once, after a 7-day free trial, with refunds within 14 days.

Which is better, Sayburst or VoiceInk?

They're close. Pick VoiceInk if open source, an iPhone app or the lowest price for one or two Macs matters most. Pick Sayburst if you want AI cleanup that runs on your Mac with no setup, and a dictation that's never lost.

What macOS version do they need?

Both need an Apple silicon Mac. Sayburst runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later. VoiceInk's website says macOS 14.4 or later, while its GitHub README lists macOS 15.