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Kekoso vs Roundhand
Short answer: Pick Kekoso if you want local, no-cloud dictation and transcription; pick Roundhand if you want offline, app-aware voice dictation. Kekoso is paid, with a free trial; Roundhand has a free plan, paid from $3/month.
KekosoOn-device dictation and transcription for your Mac
RoundhandMac dictation that writes for the app you're inWhich to pick
Pick Kekoso if you want…
- Local, no-cloud dictation and transcription
- On-device Mac transcription
- Integrations with Claude Code or Claude Desktop (on Kekoso's list, not Roundhand's)
Pick Roundhand if you want…
- Offline, app-aware voice dictation
- A free plan to start with
- Integrations with macOS, Slack or Mail (on Roundhand's list, not Kekoso's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Kekoso:Kekoso provides on-device dictation, audio/video transcription and call recording for macOS, running locally on the Neural Engine.
- Roundhand:Roundhand is an offline, on-device dictation app for macOS that formats text to match the current app.
- Best for
- Kekoso:Local, no-cloud dictation and transcription
- Roundhand:Offline, app-aware voice dictation
- Who it’s for
- Kekoso:Mac users who need private, offline speech-to-text for apps, files, calls and AI agents.
- Roundhand:Mac users who want private, offline voice typing across any app.
- Pricing
- Kekoso:Paid
- Roundhand:Freemium
- Starting price
- Kekoso:—
- Roundhand:$3/month (Power)
- Free plan or trial
- Kekoso:Free trial
- Roundhand:Free plan (Free) · Free trial
- Plans
- Kekoso:—
- Roundhand:Free $0 · Pro $5.00 per month · Power $3.00 per month
- Works with
- Kekoso:Claude Code, Claude Desktop
- Roundhand:macOS, Slack, Mail, Notes, Chrome, Terminal
Kekoso features
- Hotkey dictation. Press a shortcut to dictate into any active app; text appears where the cursor is.
- File & YouTube transcription. Drop audio/video files or paste YouTube links to get local transcripts with timestamps.
- Call recording with speaker separation. Record calls locally, split your microphone and the other side, and export labeled transcripts.
- Local MCP transcription server. Runs a socket server so Claude, Codex and other agents can transcribe without API keys.
- Custom vocabulary. Add or import word lists to enforce your terminology across all transcriptions.
- Multiple model families. Choose between Parakeet, Whisper and SenseVoice models for speed, language coverage or CJK support.
Roundhand features
- On-device speech recognition. All audio is processed locally on the Mac, never uploaded or saved.
- App-aware formatting. Text is automatically shaped for the active app (short chat, full email, code commands, etc.).
- Built-in cleanup. Removes filler words, fixes casing and punctuation offline.
- Customizable dictation key. Choose any key (default Fn) to hold while speaking.
- Cloud cleanup optional. Paid plans send only text to the cloud for enhanced punctuation and wording.
- Cross-app insertion. Inserts the cleaned text at the cursor in any window, including terminals.
Kekoso vs Roundhand FAQ
What is the difference between Kekoso and Roundhand?+
Kekoso also offers on-device dictation for Mac but focuses on transcription rather than app-aware formatting.
Should I use Kekoso or Roundhand?+
Pick Kekoso if you want local, no-cloud dictation and transcription, on-device Mac transcription or integrations with Claude Code or Claude Desktop (on Kekoso's list, not Roundhand's). Pick Roundhand if you want offline, app-aware voice dictation, a free plan to start with or integrations with macOS, Slack or Mail (on Roundhand's list, not Kekoso's).
Is Kekoso or Roundhand free?+
Kekoso is paid, with a free trial. Roundhand has a free plan; paid plans start at $3/month (Power).
Do Kekoso and Roundhand integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Kekoso lists Claude Code and Claude Desktop; Roundhand lists macOS, Slack, Mail, Notes and 2 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.