Comparison
Local Whisper dictation, bought once
The short answer
Flit and EmberType are close cousins: both transcribe on your Mac, both run on Apple silicon with macOS 14 or later, both are bought once, and both clean up fillers and punctuation on the device. The difference is what each does beyond that. EmberType lets you plug in cloud engines like Groq, Deepgram or Gemini with your own API key. Flit has no cloud path at all, shows text while you are still speaking, repairs spoken code names against your open project, and resolves more than 60 commands by fixed rule. If you want the choice of a cloud provider, EmberType offers it. If you want dictation that cannot leave your Mac and does more of the job, Flit.
 Flit
| EmberType | |
|---|---|---|
| Where transcription happens | Your Mac, no cloud path | Your Mac, or cloud engines with your API key |
| Price | $49 once, up to 2 Macs | One-time purchase |
| Account required | No | Not for the trial |
| Mac support | macOS 14+, Apple silicon | macOS 14+, Apple silicon |
| Text appears as you speak | Yes | Not stated |
| Filler and punctuation cleanup | On your Mac | On your Mac |
| Languages | 99, all local | 99, via Whisper |
| Knows your codebase | Indexes it locally | Not stated |
| Per-app tone rules | Yes | Not stated |
| Exact times and commands | Fixed rules | Not documented |
Compared against EmberType’s own published information. “Not stated” means they do not publish that detail. Prices change, so confirm before you buy.
In fairness
Listed because they are true. EmberType is local by default, and its cloud engines are opt-in with your own key. Flit has no cloud engine to opt into, so there is no setting that can send your voice anywhere.
This is not the usual cloud-against-local comparison. Both apps process your speech on Apple silicon and both are one payment, so neither charges you monthly for your own voice. The question is how much dictation each one does once the audio is transcribed.
EmberType lets you bring an API key for a cloud engine, which is useful if one provider handles your vocabulary better. It also means your privacy depends on a setting. Flit ships without any cloud engine, so the claim that nothing leaves your Mac holds no matter what is switched on, and you can check it in a minute with wifi off.
Choose Flit if
you want live text, a codebase index and exact commands, with no cloud path at all.
Download for Mac7 days free · $19 once, up to 2 Macs · macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon
Choose EmberType if
you want the option to use a cloud engine with your own API key.
By default, yes. It runs Whisper and Parakeet models on your Mac, and offers cloud engines as an option with your own API key. Flit is local only, with no cloud option.
Both are bought once and yours to keep, so neither becomes a monthly bill. Flit is $49 for up to 2 Macs, with 12 months of updates.
Yes. Both require macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon.
Pricing
$19
was $49
once
One payment. No subscription, no account.
The price goes up when they are gone.
$59
was $99
once
Buy it once and never think about it again.
The price goes up when they are gone.
No card for the trial. macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon. 30-day refund, no questions.
$195
$39 per Mac, once. One key for everyone.
$34 per Mac from 10.
More than 100? Let us talk.
macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon
Questions? The pricing page answers the usual ones.
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