Eko · Alternatives
The best Aiko alternative for Mac
Aiko is an excellent, privacy-first tool for transcribing recorded audio and video files entirely offline, but it isn't a live dictation app at all — it can't type into other apps as you speak. Our take on Aiko: 3.8/5.
Get Eko for Mac — $39What is Aiko?
Aiko is a native transcription app by respected indie developer Sindre Sorhus for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS. It converts recorded audio and video — meetings, lectures, voice memos, interviews — into text using OpenAI's Whisper model running entirely on-device. It's sold as a Universal Purchase ($24 one-time on the App Store) covering all supported devices, offers a 14-day free trial via TestFlight with no auto-charge, and holds a 4.7/5 rating from several hundred App Store reviews. Unlike Eko, it has no system-wide dictation hotkey — you feed it a file or recording and it transcribes after the fact, rather than typing live into whatever app you're using.
Aiko pricing
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TestFlight trial | $0 | 14-day free trial of the full app, no auto-charge or commitment |
| Universal Purchase (App Store) | $24 one-time | Covers Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro under one purchase; no subscription |
Strengths
- ✓Fully on-device Whisper transcription — no cloud, no internet required, and audio never leaves the device
- ✓One-time $24 purchase as a Universal Purchase across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro, with no subscription
- ✓Supports 100 languages and can translate spoken audio into English text
- ✓Exports to SRT/subtitle, JSON, and CSV formats, with Shortcuts integration for automation
- ✓Built by a well-regarded indie developer (Sindre Sorhus) and holds a strong 4.7/5 App Store rating
Where it falls short
- ·Not a live dictation tool — there's no system-wide hotkey that types into other apps as you talk; it only transcribes files/recordings you give it
- ·Whisper quirks reported by users: transcripts can lack punctuation, repeat phrases, or occasionally append fabricated sentences
- ·No speaker diarization, no built-in batch processing, and no way to edit the transcript inside the app itself
- ·The current release requires very recent OS versions (macOS 26, iOS/iPadOS 26, visionOS 2) and an A12 Bionic chip or newer, though older app versions remain available for macOS 13-15
- ·Large install size (~1.8GB) because of the bundled multilingual Whisper model
- ·No correction, translation-of-typed-text, ask-AI, screen vision, or app-launching features — it is single-purpose transcription only
Aiko vs Eko
| Aiko | Eko | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $24 one-time (Universal Purchase for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro); 14-day free TestFlight trial | $39 one-time, no subscription |
| AI model / processing | OpenAI Whisper, fully local (large-v3 on Mac, medium/small on iOS depending on memory) | On-device local model OR your own API key — your choice |
| Platforms | macOS, iOS, iPadOS, visionOS (one purchase covers all) | macOS only (Apple Silicon M1+, macOS 14+) |
| Offline / on-device | Yes — 100% local Whisper transcription; nothing ever leaves the device | Yes — fully local dictation and actions with no internet required |
| Beyond dictation | Not applicable — Aiko transcribes existing audio/video files and recordings; it doesn't type live into other apps | Correct, translate, ask AI on selection, vision/screen reading, open apps/folders, unlimited custom actions |
| Privacy | Excellent — fully local processing with no server round-trip of any kind | Local mode keeps audio on-device; BYO-key mode only talks to the provider you choose |
Choose Aiko if…
- ✓Choose Aiko if you need to transcribe recorded meetings, lectures, interviews, or video files entirely offline
- ✓Choose Aiko if privacy is your top priority and you want a well-regarded indie developer's fully local Whisper app
- ✓Choose Aiko if you want one low one-time purchase that works across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro
- ✓Choose Aiko if you need transcription in 100 languages or translation into English
Skip it if…
- ·Skip Aiko if you want to dictate live and have text typed directly into whatever app you're using — it doesn't do that
- ·Skip Aiko if you need correction, translation-on-the-fly, ask-AI, screen vision, or app-launching shortcuts
- ·Skip Aiko if your Mac or iPhone can't run the very recent OS versions its latest release requires
- ·Skip Aiko if you need speaker diarization or in-app editing of transcripts
Why people pick Eko
- ✓Eko dictates live into any app with one shortcut — Aiko only transcribes files and recordings you feed it after the fact, it can't type into apps as you talk
- ✓Both can run fully offline, but Eko also lets you bring your own API key for cloud models when you want them — Aiko is Whisper-only, local-only
- ✓Eko bundles correction, translation, ask-AI, screen vision, and app-launching around dictation, none of which Aiko offers since it is a single-purpose transcription tool
- ✓Eko's $39 price is a bit higher than Aiko's $24, but it buys a live, in-app assistant rather than a file-transcription utility
$39 once · No subscription · macOS 14.0 or later, Apple Silicon (M1+)
FAQ
What is Aiko?
Aiko is a native macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS app by indie developer Sindre Sorhus that transcribes audio and video files — meetings, lectures, recordings — into text using OpenAI's Whisper model, running entirely on-device.
Is Aiko free?
No — as of 2026 Aiko is a $24 one-time Universal Purchase on the App Store covering Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro, though Sindre Sorhus offers a 14-day free trial via TestFlight with no auto-charge.
Does Aiko work offline?
Yes. Aiko runs OpenAI's Whisper model fully on-device (large-v3 on Mac, medium or small on iOS depending on available memory), so transcription works without an internet connection and audio never leaves the device.
Can Aiko dictate live into apps like Eko does?
No. Aiko is built to transcribe existing audio and video files or recordings, not to type live into whatever app you're using as you speak — for real-time, system-wide dictation you'd need a tool like Eko.
Aiko vs Eko: which one should I use?
They serve different jobs: Aiko is a private, one-time-purchase file-transcription tool for meetings and recordings, while Eko is a live, system-wide dictation and AI-actions assistant that types directly into any app; some people may want both.
Does Aiko support multiple languages?
Yes — Aiko supports transcription in 100 languages and can translate spoken audio into English text.
What are Aiko's known limitations?
Users report occasional Whisper quirks — missing punctuation, repeated phrases, or fabricated trailing sentences — plus no speaker diarization, no in-app transcript editing, and a current release that requires fairly recent OS versions (macOS 26, iOS/iPadOS 26, visionOS 2) and an A12 Bionic chip or newer.