New tool2026-11-05via Product HuntVoice & Text-to-Speech

Kivo

Name: Kivo
Author: Not named on the site

Kivo is a free Mac menu-bar dictation app: hold Option, speak, and cleaned-up text appears at your cursor in any app, using an on-device speech model.

Visit Kivo ↗

FreeProprietary (no license published on the page) (unverified)Native Mac app (Core ML speech model)by Not named on the site (unverified)

Why it matters

For Mac users who'd rather speak than type and don't want audio uploaded; also usable for dictating to AI agents and editors.

Highlights

Hold a key to talk and release to insert text as a single undoable edit; filler words and repeats are removed.
The speech model (about 460 MB, checked against a pinned SHA-256 hash) runs on your Mac through Core ML and works offline after download.
The site says no audio or transcripts are uploaded or saved, with no telemetry or account (stated promises, not independently verified).unverified
Custom word list corrects names and jargon; English only.

Taken from the project's own README, docs or launch page. Claims about speed or accuracy are the maker's unless stated otherwise.

Try it if: You want private, offline dictation on a Mac and can tolerate a preview build.

Worth knowing: Version 0.1.2 is a preview, unsigned (macOS may warn on first launch). The site admits it is slower (about 660 ms for 7.4 s of speech) and heavier (about 960 MB memory) than its targets. Needs accessibility permission.

Quick facts

Pricing	Free, no account or paid tier stated
Free or paid	Free
License	Proprietary (no license published on the page)not verified
Language	Native Mac app (Core ML speech model)
Platform	macOS on Apple silicon; Windows planned
GitHub stars	n/a (not a GitHub project)
Maker	Not named on the sitenot verified

Related ranking

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What we couldn't verify

quick_facts.maker
quick_facts.license
highlights[2] (privacy claims are the maker's)

Checked 2026-11-06 from the tool's own pages. Prices and star counts change, so confirm on the official site. Listing here is not a ranking or an endorsement.