If you want a free, simple hold-to-speak app, Dictly is worth testing before buying SuprFlow. Dictly's current repository describes local WhisperKit speech recognition, a bundled multilingual base model, no account, no telemetry, and a signed/notarized release for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 15+. SuprFlow also uses local WhisperKit recognition, and its current site lists macOS 14+. It adds dictionary, snippets, local cleanup, optional AI formatting, and history, but also has data flows and retention that need review.
Dictly's current README distinguishes builds that place text on the clipboard from builds that auto-paste into the focused app. Accessibility permission is needed for auto-paste; otherwise the user can press Command-V. The exact release matters. SuprFlow's ordinary final insertion also temporarily uses the Mac clipboard and simulates paste, then attempts to restore the previous string. A buyer who cares about clipboard exposure must test both products with the same third-party clipboard manager.
| Decision | SuprFlow | Dictly |
|---|---|---|
| First model setup | Downloads a selected WhisperKit model if it is not cached. | Repository says a multilingual Whisper base model is bundled for offline first launch; larger variants can be downloaded. |
| Mac requirement | Current official site: Apple Silicon and macOS 14+. | Current README: Apple Silicon and macOS 15+. |
| Text controls | Dictionary, voice snippets, local default cleanup, optional Ollama or hosted formatting, and recent transcript history. | Repository emphasizes a simple local dictation loop. It lists a post-processing hook but does not claim SuprFlow-equivalent snippets or hosted editing in the current README. Check the installed build. |
| Data path | Local speech recognition; optional hosted text formatting, account/license traffic, release telemetry, and local history. | README says no cloud API, account, or telemetry. Audio recognition stays local; clipboard/auto-paste is the documented output path. Confirm the signed release. |
| Source and cost | Private, all-rights-reserved source; current commercial one-time offer. | Public MIT source; free signed/notarized download according to its repository. |
The comparison is especially simple on macOS 14: Dictly's current listed minimum is macOS 15, while SuprFlow currently advertises Sonoma support. On a supported macOS 15+ Mac, the question is whether the extra writing controls in SuprFlow justify its price and governance work for your use. If Dictly gives you correct text in the right field and you do not need rewriting or snippets, keep the simpler workflow.
A five-minute test that answers more than a feature list
Use a fictional passage in a blank local note: “Casey Vale did not approve the $12,400 request. Send the draft on Thursday.” Use the same microphone and room. In each product, record the installed version, speech model, language, hotkey, and insertion setting. Check the final text for the name, negation, amount, punctuation, and correct field. Repeat in the browser form or work app you use most often.
Then test one task that Dictly's simple loop may not address: teach SuprFlow an uncommon name using its dictionary or insert a deliberate snippet. Count the real corrections saved over several attempts. Do not compare an enhanced SuprFlow paragraph with raw Dictly text and call it a speech-model accuracy result; separate transcription from post-processing. If the built-in Mac Dictation already passes the same task, include it as the free baseline in the Apple Dictation comparison.
For privacy, inspect the destination and clipboard manager after the test. Dictly's documented manual-paste mode intentionally leaves the text available for Command-V; its auto-paste path also uses the clipboard. SuprFlow attempts to restore the prior clipboard string after ordinary insertion, but another app may observe the temporary text. Neither product controls a synced email, CRM, or document after insertion. See SuprFlow's clipboard path before using confidential work.
Questions people ask
Can Dictly run offline on first launch?
Its current README says the multilingual Whisper base model is bundled. Larger models are optional downloads. Verify the model in the signed build you install and account separately for update checks or download traffic.
Does Dictly need Accessibility permission?
Its README says Microphone access is required. Accessibility is needed for automatic paste into another app; without it, Dictly can leave the text on the clipboard for manual Command-V. Check the exact build and target app.
Is SuprFlow more private because it restores the clipboard?
That has not been established. SuprFlow's restore is best effort and applies to the previous string, while other clipboard readers may capture temporary content. Its optional hosted formatting and release telemetry also require review. Compare the entire installed configuration, not one clipboard behavior.
Related guides
- Compare open-source Mac dictation apps
- SuprFlow vs VocaMac
- SuprFlow vs Apple Dictation
- Does SuprFlow use the clipboard?
- Set up SuprFlow on Mac