OpenLess

OpenLess is a cross-platform, open-source voice-input application that records speech, polishes the text using AI, and streams it directly to the user's cursor.

OpenLess is a cross-platform voice-input tool for macOS, Windows, and Linux that converts spoken audio into polished text at the current cursor position. Users hold a global hotkey to speak, and the application transcribes, polishes, and inserts the result into text fields like chat boxes or code editors. It includes a specific mode to reshape speech into structured, context-rich prompts suitable for tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor. The software is open-source and local-first, ensuring that audio data and user dictionaries remain on the local machine. Unlike subscription-based dictation services, it allows users to connect their own ASR and LLM endpoints, supporting various providers including Volcengine, iFlytek, Alibaba Cloud Bailian, and OpenAI-compatible models. By using style packs, users can tailor the output tone and formatting to specific tasks like drafting emails or writing code comments.

OpenLess at a glance

Best for: Writer, Software engineer, Founder
Runs on: macOS, Windows, Linux
Pricing: Open source; free to use; sustained by sponsors.
Released: April 2026
Category: AI audio tool
Website: github.com/Open-Less/openless

Key features

Voice-to-text transcription
AI-powered text polishing
Customizable style packs for output tone
Integration with ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor
Global hotkey for trigger
Streaming text insertion
Local-first dictionary learning
Clipboard fallback for insertion errors

Use it for

Drafting emails and long messages
Generating structured prompts for AI models
Writing code comments and commit messages
Capturing thoughts without manual typing

Alternatives to OpenLess

talkflow — Transcribes speech entirely on your device with no word limits or cloud accounts
Openbroca — AI cleanup and translation turn messy speech into ready-to-send text directly in your apps.
OpenWhispr — Run local speech-to-text models or use cloud processing with complete data privacy.
Free ASR — Zero-dependency real-time streaming speech-to-text with no account login required.
OpenSuperWhisper — Provides real-time transcription using customizable keyboard shortcuts and multiple engines.
Speech-to-Speech — Fully modular, swappable components with local or hosted execution options.
SpeakoFlow — Free and open source voice dictation and AI assistant that runs locally.
Openclicky — Offline dictation by default with a local recogniser, plus on-screen visual assistance and agent tasks.
Voicebox — Perform voice cloning and generation entirely on local hardware.
WhisperLive — It provides real-time speech-to-text using multiple backends like Faster Whisper and TensorRT.
AnythingLLM — Runs fully on-device with no accounts, API keys, or token limits required.
Lavoi — Free on-device transcription that works locally without a word limit.

All OpenLess alternatives