Local, private, offline transcription on Mac
Oriloq runs speech-to-text locally by default with open-source models. Your audio is processed on-device and never sent to Oriloq servers; optional, explicitly selected cloud engines send it to the chosen provider. It keeps working without an internet connection.
How it works
Oriloq uses open-source transcription models (Parakeet, Canary) executed locally via MLX on Apple Silicon. Audio is captured and transcribed in memory on your Mac — by default, no upload, no network round trip; optional cloud engines, explicitly selected, send your audio to the chosen provider. You choose and manage your local models directly in the app.
After the initial model download, local transcription runs fully offline: on a plane, on a train, during an outage — it keeps working. The audio features are built for real time, with no server to reach and no queue.
Privacy
Your voice and text content is processed on your device by default and never sent to our servers — optional, explicitly selected cloud engines send it to the chosen provider. Oriloq never stores your content or uses it to train models. Details in our privacy policy.
Voice training datasets live in a folder you choose on your Mac. Nothing is uploaded, and local training runs on MLX with Apple Silicon unified memory.
Optional cloud engines exist for specific needs, clearly labelled in the app. Local remains the default engine, and any capture can be re-transcribed locally.
Local vs cloud
| Criterion | Oriloq | Cloud service |
|---|---|---|
| Where audio is processed |
On your Mac
|
On the provider's servers
|
| Internet needed to transcribe |
No, after model download
|
Yes, on every transcription
|
| Raw audio sent to a third party |
Never by default
|
Yes, by design
|
| Works fully offline |
Yes
|
No
|
| Usage cost over time |
Included — unlimited local transcription
|
Often billed per minute or per subscription
|
FAQ
Yes. Once your local model is downloaded, the entire speech-to-text pipeline runs on your Mac — capture, processing, and text output. No internet connection is needed to transcribe.
On your Mac, in memory, using open-source transcription models (Parakeet, Canary) running locally via MLX on Apple Silicon. Recordings are saved in the folder you choose, and nothing is sent to Oriloq servers.
Optional cloud engines are available and clearly labelled — if you select one, your audio goes to that provider. Local remains the default engine, and any capture can be re-transcribed locally.
Free, unlimited offline transcription — private by design, powered by Apple Silicon.
Want to compare several local transcription tools? See offline transcription compared and Mac dictation apps compared.