Inkbie
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Inkbie

Demo: a Mac screen with an email being written. Inkbie, a small ink drop, lives in the bottom-right corner. Hold fn and talk, and your words appear beside it; let go, and they are typed into the email. Your circle of friends sits in the bottom-left corner.

Free voice typing for MacSpeak your mind.

Hold fn and talk. Inkbie floats out of the corner of your screen and types your words wherever you're typing. It's free, works offline and runs on your Mac.

Download for MacFree · Runs on your Mac · Apple silicon and Intel Macs, macOS 14 or laterNew in 1.0: say a friend's name and it's a drop →
HOW IT WORKS
  1. fn
    01Hold fnInkbie floats out of the corner of your screen and listens.
  2. can we movethe standup
    02TalkYour words build beside it as you say them.
  3. Typed into Mail…to Thursday?
    03Let goIt flicks them to wherever your cursor is.
  4. To Samship it
    04Or start with a nameIt runs as ink to that friend's corner instead.
THE TOUR

Quiet until you need it.

Inkbie's Settings, Words tab: custom words and the clean-up switches
Your words

Add the names, brands and jargon you use. Inkbie spells them your way, capitals included. Um, uh and er are left out, and nothing else you say is changed.

COMPARE

Why not Dictation?

Your Mac already has Dictation, and it's decent. Both can run entirely on your Mac. Here's where Inkbie is different.

Feature
Inkbie
Mac Dictation
How you talk
Hold fn, let go and it typesPress to start, press again to stop
Pausing to think
Waits as long as you hold the keyStops after 30 seconds of silence
Names and jargon
Teach it your own wordsNo word list of its own (Voice Control has one)
Where it runs
On your Mac, alwaysOn your Mac or Apple's servers, depending on settings
Price
Free, for goodFree

Mac Dictation as of macOS 27, from Apple's Dictation guide. The full comparison. Using Wispr Flow? Here's how Inkbie compares.

AT A GLANCE

Inkbie, in plain words.

Inkbie is a free voice typing app for Mac. Hold fn, talk, and your words are typed into whatever app you're using.

Free for good
No trial, no account, no card.
Works offline
Runs on your Mac after one download, about 600 MB.
Private
What you say becomes text on your Mac, and the recording is thrown away.
Any app
Anywhere you can type. No text field? Your words go to the clipboard.
25 European languages
English included. It hears which one you're speaking.
Your key
Hold fn, Right ⌥, Right ⌘ or your own shortcut. Double-tap for hands-free.
Your words
Names and jargon, spelled your way. Say “new line” or “new paragraph”.
Needs
Apple silicon and Intel Macs, macOS 14 or later.
Who makes it
Peter, on his own, as petersindex. Questions go straight to him at support@inkbie.com.
DROPS

Drop Sam a line.

Say a name first and Inkbie sends the rest along the bottom of your screen to that friend instead of typing it. Voice notes without the app, the inbox or the ping. Start a circle with up to five friends and it's yours.

To Samare we still on for six?
  1. 1Hold fnSame key as voice typing. Your circle sits in the bottom-left corner, each friend in their own ink.
  2. 2Start with a name“Sam, are we still on for six?” A name first makes it a drop. Sam floats up out of his corner and a To Sam badge shows.
  3. 3Let goThe drop dives into your corner and runs as ink along the bottom of the screen to Sam. Nothing is typed, and there's no send button.
  4. 4It waitsSam's on a call, so it waits. No sound, no banner, no badge.
  5. 5It landsWhen Sam's free, your Inkbie floats up out of his circle's corner with your words. He hears it in your voice, or holds fn to answer.
See who's around

Your friends sit in your circle's corner, up to six, each in their own ink. Eyes open: around. Looking away: on a call. Eyes shut: in Focus. It works itself out, or set Busy or Away from Inkbie's menu.

Sam:on my way, 10 minutesHear
Hear it, not just read it

A friend's drop runs as ink along the bottom of your screen into your corner, and their Inkbie pops up out of your circle's corner with their words. Hear it in their voice, or hold fn to answer. Busy? It waits, perched in its dip.

SamJoMia
Knock, or throw it

“Got a sec?” A knock only gets through when they're free. Drag a file, a link or a screenshot to the bottom-left corner and your circle rises to catch it; let go on a friend and it's on their screen with an Open button.

INKS

Everyone in their own ink.

Same drop, your own ink, so your circle can tell you apart at a glance in their corner. Sumi is the original black, and eight more are free. Tap one to try it on your Inkbie.

  • SumiWearing
  • VermilionFree
  • CadmiumFree
  • GambogeFree
  • ViridianFree
  • PrussianFree
  • IndigoFree
  • TyrianFree
  • GraphiteFree
LOOKS

A finish your circle sees all day.

Five finishes no free ink has: metal, sparkle, aurora, ember and marble. Try one on before you buy, and it's yours for good, wherever your friends see you.

  • GiltMetal
  • NebulaSparkle
  • AuroraBands of light
  • EmberGlows from inside
  • MarbleRings of ink
MAKE IT YOURS

Make it yours.

A hat, something to wear and a pair of eyes, all at once, each in its own colour or one of eight colourways. Your circle sees the whole outfit. $3 each, $10 for six of a kind, or $30 for the whole wardrobe with every look. Colourways are free.

HAT · $3 EACH, $10 FOR ALL SIX
TO WEAR · $3 EACH, $10 FOR ALL SIX
EYES · CLASSIC IS FREE, THE REST $3 EACH, $10 FOR ALL SIX
COLOUR · FREE · FOR THE HAT
Inkbie smiles at a new hat or outfit.

Your circle sees the whole outfit.

The free classic eyes stay white. Everything else you own comes in its own colour or eight more, free to switch.

PRICING

Free to type. Buy once for your circle.

Voice typing is free for good: no trial, no account. Buy Inkbie once to start a circle of your own and bring five friends in free. Prices in US dollars.

AVAILABLE NOWVoice typingFreeFor good. No trial, no account, no card.
  • Voice typing into any app on your Mac
  • Inkbie in the corner of your screen
  • Hands-free, your own words, paste your last take
Download for MacRuns on your Mac. Nothing to sign up for.
BUY ONCEYour circle$24 once

Buy Inkbie once, on two Macs. Start your circle and invite up to five friends: drops, knocks, files and status between you.

The people you invite join free. To start a circle of their own, they buy Inkbie.

Buy it inside Inkbie: Settings, then Licence. You sign in with Apple, then pay through Link.

Not for you? Full refund within 14 days.

$4 EACH, OR $15 FOR ALL FIVELooksMetal, sparkle, aurora, ember or marble, and they move. Try one on first, keep it for good.
$3 EACH, OR $10 FOR SIX OF A KINDHats, clothes and eyesSix of each, worn all at once. Every piece comes in its own colour or eight colourways, free.
$30 FOR EVERYTHINGThe wardrobeAll five looks, every hat, every piece of clothing and every pair of eyes.
NEXTCallsVoice and screen sharing with your circle, as an add-on. On the roadmap.
FAQ

Fair questions.

Does Inkbie work on Intel Macs?
Yes, on Intel Macs with macOS 14 or later. Apple silicon Macs turn your voice into text much faster, because they have a chip built for it.
Is Inkbie a free speech to text app for Mac?
Yes. It's voice typing, what some call dictation or speech to text: hold fn, talk, and your words are typed into any app. It's free for good, runs on your Mac and works offline after one download.
Does it work in every app?
Anywhere you can type. If there's no text field in front of you, your words go to the clipboard instead.
Which languages?
25 European languages, English included. Inkbie hears which one you're speaking and switches by itself.
How big is the download?
The voice model is about 600 MB. Add your own words and a small helper of about 100 MB comes down with the first one.
Is my voice sent anywhere?
Not when you type by voice. That happens on your Mac, needs no account, and Inkbie never saves the recording. A drop goes only to the person you name.
Does it work offline?
Yes. After the first download, Inkbie needs no connection at all. On a plane, in a basement, Wi-Fi off.
How do I drop someone a line?
Start your circle in the app (Inkbie, $24 once) and invite up to five friends; they join free. Then hold fn and say a friend's name first, and the rest goes to their Mac instead of being typed. To keep it friendly there are sending limits: 20 drops a minute, 500 a day, and 50 files (250 MB) a day.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. Voice typing is free for good: no trial, no account, no card. Circles come with buying Inkbie, $24 once, and the people you invite join free.
What if Inkbie isn't for me?
Full refund within 14 days of buying: ask on the support page or email support@inkbie.com. If you take the refund, your circle pauses until you have Inkbie again.
Where do I buy Inkbie?
In the app. Download it, open Settings, then Licence. You sign in with Apple, then pay through Link, Stripe's checkout. Looks, hats, clothes and eyes are in Settings too.
What do hats, clothes and eyes cost?
$3 each, $10 for six of a kind, or $30 for the wardrobe: all five looks plus every hat, piece of clothing and pair of eyes. The colourways are free with anything you own.
Do the people I invite have to pay?
No. Your purchase covers your circle: the people you invite drop, answer, knock and send files in it free. To start a circle of their own, they buy Inkbie.
Is there a Windows version?
Not yet. Inkbie is Mac first, and Windows comes after.

Hold fn. Say hi.

Download for MacFree for good. No account, no card.