Use Google's voice typing when you are writing in Google Docs and want to edit by voice: it understands English commands such as "select paragraph" and "bold". Use Apple Dictation for everything else, because it is built into macOS and Apple says you can "speak to enter text anywhere you can type it", including a Google Doc. Both are free. The real difference is scope: Google's voice typing is a feature of one web app, while Apple's speech to text works across the whole Mac.
Publisher note: SuprFlow publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Competitor details come from each company's own pages, checked on 1 October 2026. Prices and features change; confirm before you buy.
How do they compare?
As of 1 October 2026. Google details are from its Type & edit with your voice help page and Docs keyboard shortcuts. Apple details are from the macOS 27 edition of its Dictation guide and its Siri, Dictation & Privacy notice.
| Google voice typing | Apple Dictation | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free with Google Docs | Free with macOS |
| Where it works | Google Docs, plus speaker notes and captions in Google Slides | "anywhere you can type it" |
| Browsers | "The latest versions of: Chrome, Edge, Safari" | Any app or browser |
| How to start | Tools > Voice typing, then click the microphone; ⌘ + Shift + S in Chrome | Microphone key or your Dictation shortcut |
| How to stop | Click the microphone, or say "stop listening" | Press Escape or the shortcut; it also stops after 30 seconds without speech |
| Spoken punctuation | Yes, such as "period", "comma", "new paragraph" | Yes, such as "exclamation mark", "new line", "new paragraph" |
| Editing and formatting by voice | Yes, in English: "select paragraph", "bold", "italicize", "delete last word" | Not in Dictation; Apple's separate Voice Control feature handles commands |
| Languages | Many languages for typing; commands only when account and document language are both English | Many languages; a shorter list supports on-device processing |
| Where speech is processed | "Your web browser controls the speech-to-text service" | On the Mac or on Apple's servers; Keyboard settings tell you which |
Where does each one work?
Google voice typing lives inside Google Docs. Google's help page says it works "with Google Docs and your speaker notes and captions in Google Slides". It does not mention Gmail, Sheets or other websites, so for those you need something else. If it is missing from the Tools menu on a work or school account, Google says "it may have been turned off by your administrator."
Apple Dictation is system-wide. Turn it on once in System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation, click into any text field, and press the Microphone key or your shortcut. That covers mail, messages, notes and documents, including a Google Doc open in any browser. On older macOS versions, look for Dictation in the Keyboard settings; Apple's guide is written for macOS 27. How to use voice to text on a Mac walks through setup.
If you dictate into several apps a day, that usually decides it.
Which one has better commands?
Google's, if you write in Docs in English. Its page lists editing and formatting commands such as "select paragraph", "bold", "italicize", "delete last word", "go to end of paragraph", "stop listening" and "resume". Google notes that "Voice commands are available only in English. The account language and document language must both be English."
Apple Dictation handles text, not editing. Its guide lists spoken punctuation, emoji names (for example "heart emoji") and formatting such as "new line" and "new paragraph". On a Mac with Apple silicon, Apple says "you can still use the keyboard while you speak", which makes fixing a word easy. For full voice control of editing, selection and apps, Apple offers Voice Control, a separate accessibility feature; Apple's guide notes Dictation is not available while Voice Control is on. See Mac Voice Control vs Dictation and Mac dictation commands.
What do Google and Apple say about privacy?
Google. Its voice typing help page says: "When you turn on voice typing or captions, your web browser controls the speech-to-text service. It determines how your speech is processed and then sends the text to Google Docs or Google Slides." The page does not say whether your audio leaves the computer, where it is processed or how long it is kept, and we do not guess. If that matters, check the privacy documentation for the browser you use. Whatever route you dictate by, the resulting text is saved in your Google Doc like anything you type.
Apple. Apple's notice, dated 14 September 2026, says: "When you use Dictation, your device will indicate in Keyboard Settings if your audio and transcripts are processed on your device and not sent to Apple servers. Otherwise, the things you dictate are sent to and processed on the server, but will not be stored unless you opt in to Improve Siri and Dictation." The same notice says request history is tied to "a random, device-generated identifier that rotates multiple times per hour", and that Apple may keep it "for up to two years". On-device dictation is available only for languages on Apple's on-device list, which "Requires download of speech models."
To check your Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, turn on Dictation and read the text below it. Is Mac Dictation private? explains every case, including search boxes.
In short, Apple tells you on your own screen whether dictation stays on the Mac; Google's page leaves it to your browser.
Which should you choose?
- You draft long documents in Google Docs, in English: Google voice typing, for its editing commands.
- You use Firefox: Apple Dictation. Google lists Chrome, Edge and Safari only.
- You dictate email, chat or notes as well as documents: Apple Dictation, because it works in every app.
- You want to confirm speech is processed on your Mac: Apple Dictation, after checking Keyboard settings.
- Your administrator has turned off Google voice typing: Apple Dictation, if your Mac's management allows it.
You can use both. Just run one at a time: turn off Google's microphone before starting Apple Dictation in the same document. How to dictate in Google Docs on a Mac covers both routes step by step.
When is a dedicated push-to-talk app worth it?
Mostly it is not: Apple Dictation already covers system-wide speech to text for free. A dedicated app earns its place if you dictate for long stretches every day and want one hold-to-talk key everywhere, a speech model you choose running on the Mac, or a personal dictionary for names and jargon.
SuprFlow is one example. You hold the Fn key, speak and release, and it pastes the text into whichever field has focus, including a Google Doc. Speech recognition runs on the Mac with a downloaded WhisperKit model, and Default formatting is local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. It costs $125 once with no free tier or trial, needs an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later, and has no voice commands for editing, so Google's "bold" and "select paragraph" have no equivalent. We have not run a controlled accuracy benchmark against Google or Apple. If Docs is where you write, Google's free voice typing may serve you better. SuprFlow vs Apple Dictation sets out when the free option wins.
Questions people ask
Is Google voice typing better than Apple Dictation?
Inside Google Docs, in English, Google's voice typing does more because of its editing commands. Everywhere else, Apple Dictation is the only one of the two that works.
Can I use Google voice typing outside Google Docs on a Mac?
Google's help page says it works in Google Docs and in speaker notes and captions in Google Slides. It does not list other apps or sites.
Does Google voice typing work in Safari?
Yes. Google lists the latest versions of Chrome, Edge and Safari. The ⌘ + Shift + S shortcut is marked as available in Chrome browsers.
Does Apple Dictation work in Google Docs?
Yes. Apple says Dictation works anywhere you can type. Click in the document, press your Dictation shortcut and speak.
Related guides
- How to dictate in Google Docs on a Mac
- Is Mac Dictation private?
- How to use voice to text on a Mac
- Mac Voice Control vs Dictation
- Voice typing in Gmail on a Mac
- SuprFlow vs Apple Dictation