Offline transcription with local processing on Mac
These records separately document transcription, offline use and local processing on macOS. Their sources and feature restrictions are linked on each product page.
Conditions checked
- macOS
- Transcription
- Works offline
- Local processing
Before you choose
Local transcription is not a promise that the entire app makes no network requests. Check optional cloud features, model downloads, hardware and language requirements.
Products with evidence for these conditions
Listed alphabetically, with no paid placement. Inclusion establishes these documented conditions, not a hands-on endorsement or a guarantee of fit.
Anarlog
macOS · Windows
Anarlog: Transcription, Record audio, meetings, and calls, Speaker labels. Documented platforms: macOS, Windows. See platform, paid-feature and source notes.
- Recording and note-taking work without a network connection on any supported platform; fully offline transcription, summaries, and chat require local models and are only documented for a supported Apple Silicon Mac (or macOS 26 for Apple Speech).
- On-device transcription (Soniqo or a local whisper.cpp model) needs a supported Apple Silicon Mac, or Apple Speech on macOS 26; on Windows, transcription uses Anarlog Cloud or a provider you configure.
Audacity
macOS · Windows
Audacity: Transcription, Subtitles, Record audio, meetings, and calls. Documented platforms: macOS, Windows. See platform, paid-feature and source notes.
- Requires separately installing the free OpenVINO AI plugin, which uses OpenAI's Whisper model locally; as of verification the plugin isn't yet compatible with the latest Audacity release and needs Audacity 3.7.4.
- This statement is about the optional OpenVINO AI effects (including Whisper transcription), not a general claim about core editing: they run on the machine with no internet connection required.
Meetily
macOS · Windows
Meetily: Transcription, Record audio, meetings, and calls, Speaker labels. Documented platforms: macOS, Windows. See platform, paid-feature and source notes.
- Transcription and recordings are processed locally by default; if you choose your own API key for AI summaries, only the transcript text is sent to that provider, never the audio.
Vibe
macOS · Windows
Vibe: Transcription, Subtitles, Speaker labels. Documented platforms: macOS, Windows. See platform, paid-feature and source notes.