Feature
Dictation and read-aloud
Last reviewed 17 October 2026
SuperCmd includes hold-to-talk dictation that types into whatever app is in front, with a choice of engines. On-device engines, Whisper, NVIDIA Parakeet and Apple's SpeechAnalyzer, keep audio on the Mac and work offline. Cloud engines from OpenAI, Mistral, ElevenLabs and OpenRouter trade privacy for accuracy in more languages. It replaces a separate dictation subscription such as Wispr Flow, and a Read Aloud command turns selected text into speech.
Engines
| Engine | Runs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple SpeechAnalyzer | On device | Apple's macOS 26 speech framework; many languages; no download |
| Whisper (whisper.cpp) | On device | OpenAI's open model; choose a size to trade speed for accuracy |
| Parakeet | On device | NVIDIA's fast English model via FluidAudio |
| OpenAI | Cloud | Whisper and GPT transcription models with your API key |
| Mistral Voxtral | Cloud | With your Mistral API key |
| ElevenLabs Scribe | Cloud | With your ElevenLabs API key |
| OpenRouter | Cloud | Any speech-to-text model it offers |
How to dictate
- 01Pick an engine in Settings → Dictation. On-device models download once.
- 02Hold the dictation key (a modifier such as Right Option, or a Hyper-key chord) and speak.
- 03Release the key. The transcript is typed into the frontmost text field, with live typing while you speak on supported engines.
Read aloud
Select text in any app and run Read Aloud to hear it spoken, with a choice of system voices or ElevenLabs voices. It covers the use case of apps such as Speechify for reading articles and documents.
Frequently asked questions
Does SuperCmd dictation work offline?
Yes. The Whisper, Parakeet and Apple SpeechAnalyzer engines run entirely on the Mac and work without an internet connection.
Is SuperCmd a Wispr Flow alternative?
Yes. SuperCmd's hold-to-talk dictation types into any app and is included in the one-time licence, where Wispr Flow is a monthly subscription.
Which languages does SuperCmd dictation support?
It depends on the engine. Apple SpeechAnalyzer and Whisper cover dozens of languages; Parakeet is English-focused; cloud engines support the languages their providers list.