Preview. These maps are our reading of public sources and haven't been checked with the projects' maintainers yet.
Vokalu
Windows and Mac dictation and meeting-notes app run by one maker, billed per minute of cloud speech, with a free on-device 'Private mode'.
vokalu.com/Active
Privacy policy effective 2026-10-10; Show HN 2026-10-06. (checked 2026-10-25)
In Voice dictation apps
Where it stands apart
- Can it run entirely on your own device or infrastructure, without the maker's servers? partly (some features need the maker's servers) (19% of 21 others)
- Do you need an account to use it? account required (16% of 19 others)
- Where does speech recognition happen by default? in the cloud by default, with an on-device option (5% of 20 others)
- If you use cloud speech or AI, how is it paid for? only through the maker's cloud (free tier, subscription, or credits) (14% of 21 others)
- Where does it run? several desktop systems (24% of 21 others)
What it shares with most of the community
- Is it actively maintained? active (100% of 21 others)
- Who is it for? non-developers (76% of 21 others)
Not documented
The public sources we read don't say:
- Which open speech models can it run on your device?
Nearest neighbors
- Willow 79% of 14 shared answers match
- Wispr Flow 64% of 14 shared answers match
- airtxt 62% of 13 shared answers match
Every answer
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Is it actively maintained? | active | source 2026-10-26 |
| How is the main thing licensed? | proprietary or closed source | source 2026-10-26 |
| How is it mainly sustained? | individual with revenue (paid app, tier, ads, or donations) Privacy policy names an individual operator (Dennis Kaczmarowski, Wisconsin). | source 2026-10-26 |
| Can it run entirely on your own device or infrastructure, without the maker's servers? | stands apart partly (some features need the maker's servers) | source 2026-10-26 |
| Do you need an account to use it? | stands apart account required Site says to sign in after downloading; policy describes account records. | source 2026-10-26 |
| Who is it for? | non-developers | source 2026-10-26 |
| Which shared standard or format does it mainly build on? | none of these (its own format or interface) Default is Deepgram cloud; on-device model unnamed. | source 2026-10-26 |
| Where does speech recognition happen by default? | stands apart in the cloud by default, with an on-device option | source 2026-10-26 |
| Which open speech models can it run on your device? | Not documented | source 2026-10-26 |
| Does it use an AI model to clean up or rewrite your dictated text, and where does that run? | AI rewrite in the cloud only Formatting text goes to Cerebras, falling back to OpenAI. | source 2026-10-26 |
| If you use cloud speech or AI, how is it paid for? | stands apart only through the maker's cloud (free tier, subscription, or credits) | source 2026-10-26 |
| What is the main way users pay the maker? | a subscription, credits, or usage fees Pay-as-you-go credit: 1.5-3 cents per minute, small weekly free credit. | source 2026-10-26 |
| Where does it run? | stands apart several desktop systems | source 2026-10-26 |
| Does it also record meetings or calls? | yes | source 2026-10-26 |
| Is 'your voice never leaves your device' the headline promise? | one of several selling points | source 2026-10-26 |
Sources
This page was derived from:
- Web page · vokalu.com/ · read 2026-10-25
- Web page · vokalu.com/privacy · collected 2026-10-26
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