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The Bottom Line

Price
Paid plans only, free trial. Compare plans

Key facts

  • Dictate into any Mac app with a hotkey and get polished, formatted text instantly.
  • Runs fully on-device in Local Mode for complete privacy and offline use.
  • Adapts tone to each app and supports a wide range of languages with code-switching.

Pros

  • Works in any Mac app with a simple hotkey, no app switching needed
  • Local Mode keeps all audio and text on-device for maximum privacy
  • Cleans up natural speech into polished, formatted text automatically

Cons

  • Local Mode only supports a selection of European languages (Cloud mode covers more)
  • Requires Apple Silicon (M-series) Mac for Local Mode

What is Epilude?

Epilude is a voice productivity suite for Mac that turns natural speech into polished, formatted text in any application. Users press a hotkey, speak naturally, and Epilude instantly transcribes and cleans up the audio, removing filler words, fixing grammar, and adding punctuation, before dropping the result wherever the cursor is. It works across email, messaging, documents, code editors, and more, adapting tone to match the app (professional for email, casual for Slack). Epilude offers two modes: Cloud mode for fast transcription in a wide range of languages, and Local mode that runs entirely on the user's Mac using an on-device model, keeping audio and text private and working offline. It learns custom vocabulary, supports voice shortcuts for inserting saved text, and allows code-switching between languages mid-dictation. The tool is designed for professionals across roles, leaders, lawyers, developers, sales, students, and customer support, who want to write faster and more naturally.

Key Features

  • Global hotkey dictation in any Mac app
  • AI Smart Edits that remove filler words, fix grammar, and add punctuation
  • Tone Match that adjusts wording to the app and context
  • Local Mode for fully on-device, offline dictation
  • Custom Vocabulary that learns names, terms, and spellings
  • Voice Shortcuts to insert saved text or repeated phrases
  • Support for 30+ languages with automatic detection and code-switching
  • Zero data retention in Cloud mode and no training on user data

Pricing Plans

Free Trial

Pricing checked Oct 29, 2026. Source: epilude.com/pricing, read Oct 29, 2026

Epilude plans and prices, checked October 2026
Plan Price Details
Pay Once

$59 one-time

  • Unlimited use of our local models
  • Dictate without a word limit, entirely on your Mac
  • AI Smart Edits, Vocabulary, Shortcuts, and Tone Match
+3 more
  • Unlimited meetings, recorded, transcribed, and summarized on your Mac
  • Your audio and your text never leave your Mac
  • One year of app and on-device model updates
Pro

$12 / month

  • Everything in Pay Once
  • Cloud mode: our fastest and most accurate dictation
  • Actions: select any text and speak a command
+3 more
  • Meeting summaries from our most capable cloud model
  • 30+ languages, switchable mid-sentence
  • Works on every Mac, including Intel

Is Epilude worth the price?

Good value

The Pay Once tier at $59 is a fair deal for privacy-focused users who want offline dictation and transcription, though the one-year update limit is a catch.

The Pro tier at $12/month is reasonably priced for cloud accuracy and multi-language support, but it's not cheap compared to some bundled productivity suites. Best for Mac users who dictate heavily and value on-device privacy or need multilingual meeting summaries.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Pro requires $12/month recurring payment

Full Epilude pricing: every plan, hidden costs and alternatives

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Epilude by the numbers

Epilude compared with 177 Transcription tools on Toolradar, as of Oct 2026
Metric Epilude Peer median Position (1 is best)
Free plan No 69% have one n/a
Listed as an alternative to 3 tools 1 #59 of 177 (joint)

Listed as an alternative to: #53 on 2026-10-16 to #59 on 2026-10-31 (rank among 177 tools, 1 is best).

Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. All Transcription data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position.

Cite this: Toolradar, “Epilude by the numbers”, Oct 2026.

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Epilude FAQ

How does Tone Match work across different apps?

Epilude reads the context of the app you're dictating into and automatically adjusts the tone of your text. For example, dictating in Gmail produces professional, formal language, while dictating in Slack or iMessage results in a casual, conversational tone, all without you having to manually switch settings.

Can I use Epilude offline?

Yes. By turning on Local Mode, dictation runs entirely on your Mac using Epilude Model 4, which works with no internet connection. This mode is available on Apple Silicon Macs and supports 25 European languages.

Does Epilude support dictation in code editors?

Epilude works in any text field on your Mac, including code editors like Cursor. Code-Aware Dictation is listed as 'coming soon' for all plans, designed to handle coding contexts and workflows in supported editors and tools.

What happens to my audio and text in Cloud mode?

In Cloud mode, Epilude processes your audio and text in real-time without retaining it after the result is returned. The company states it has zero data retention and never uses your voice or text to train models.

Can I switch between Cloud and Local mode mid-session?

Yes. You can toggle between Cloud and Local mode at any time in Epilude Settings. There is no lock-in, you can use Local mode for sensitive drafts and switch to Cloud mode when you want faster transcription or more language support.

What languages does Epilude support?

Cloud mode supports 35+ languages with automatic detection and code-switching (switching languages mid-dictation). Local mode supports 25 European languages.

How do voice Shortcuts work?

You can create custom voice Shortcuts that insert saved text or repeated phrases with a short voice command. For example, saying 'signature' could insert your full email signature, or 'standup' could paste a daily standup template.

Is Epilude available for Windows or other platforms?

Epilude is currently a Mac-only application. The website only references the Mac app and Apple Silicon requirements for Local Mode, with no mention of Windows or other operating systems.

Source: epilude.com

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