Hex Transcription

Hex Transcription (HEX) is a free, local-first voice dictation app for Apple silicon Macs that transcribes on device and pastes into any app.

HEX is a voice dictation app by Kit Langton for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 15 or newer, rebuilt in Rust. The user holds a shortcut, speaks and releases, and HEX transcribes on the Mac and pastes the text into whatever app is in front. Speech recognition runs on a local model downloaded during setup, so ordinary dictation needs no cloud service. Users choose the shortcut, language and model, Modes add corrections, app-specific behavior and optional text processing, and optional voice actions and commands can be turned on when needed. HEX installs with Homebrew or a signed DMG, has a Linux beta and a TypeScript SDK, and its source is on GitHub.

Hex Transcription at a glance

Best for: Writer
Runs on: macOS, Linux, open source
Pricing: Free and open source
Released: January 2025
Category: AI audio tool
Website: hex.kitlangton.com

Key features

Hold-to-talk dictation into any app
On-device speech recognition
Choice of shortcut, language and model
Modes for corrections and app-specific behavior
Optional voice actions and commands
Homebrew install, Linux beta and TypeScript SDK

Use it for

Dictate emails and messages privately on a Mac
Speak prompts to coding agents
Write notes hands-free without a cloud service

Alternatives to Hex Transcription

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Blurt — Fast, native open-source dictation with server-side LLM cleanup and no subscription.
Voicera — Dictate anywhere on your Mac four times faster than typing.
Scriber Pro 2.0 — Transcribes 4.5 hours of audio in 3.5 minutes completely offline.
Superwhisper — Transcribes speech offline and online with custom AI modes and templates.
Voicebox — Perform voice cloning and generation entirely on local hardware.
OpenWhispr — Run local speech-to-text models or use cloud processing with complete data privacy.
OpenLess — Keeps data local and allows the use of your own preferred ASR and LLM providers.
talkflow — Transcribes speech entirely on your device with no word limits or cloud accounts

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