Yaps
Private, offline AI dictation and voice notes for Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iPhone.
Yaps is the best offline dictation and notes tool we've tested for solo privacy advocates—fast, system-wide, and truly local. The ~300ms latency and on-device processing are indistinguishable from cloud rivals, and the vault with wiki-links is a genuine second brain. But the Free tier is Android-only, desktop requires Pro ($12/mo annual), and there's no team collaboration or multi-device sync. If you need cloud AI summarization or team sharing, Notion AI or Otter are better fits. For local,
Verified 5d ago · liveness 79/100 · cite: rightaichoice.com/tools/yaps
- Privacy-first writers who want to dictate drafts without cloud transcription
- Knowledge workers building a private second brain with linked Markdown notes
- Developers who need voice input in code editors, terminals, and AI coding tools
- Accessibility users who benefit from voice control and offline TTS
- Users who need multi-device sync or cloud access to notes
- Teams needing collaboration features like sharing or permissions
- Users who require advanced cloud AI summarization or GPT-level insights
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Skip Yaps if you need cloud sync, multi-device access, or team collaboration—or if you're on iOS, since the app is still in beta there. Also skip if you want a free desktop dictation tool that's not a trial, because desktop requires Pro after 7 days.
The 7-day desktop free trial auto-converts to $12/month billed annually (or $15 monthly) unless you cancel before it ends.
Yaps' Free tier is genuinely free on Android, making it the cheapest way to get on-device dictation—no account or card needed. At $12/month annual, Pro is competitive with cloud transcription services like Otter ($8.33/mo annual) but adds full offline capability and desktop apps. For privacy-focused individuals and small teams, it's a strong value; teams needing collaboration should consider Otter or Notion AI, though they'll sacrifice local processing.
In short
Yaps — Private, offline AI dictation and voice notes for Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iPhone. Best for Privacy-first writers who want to dictate drafts without cloud transcription, Knowledge workers building a private second brain with linked Markdown notes, Developers who need voice input in code editors, terminals, and AI coding tools. Free to start; paid plans from $1215/mo.
What's new in Yaps
Checked 3 days agoAcross the latest 6 updates: 3 feature updates, 1 launch and 2 changelog entries.
Yaps iOS 1.0 Released
Yaps voice typing keyboard for iPhone and iPad is live on the App Store with on-device speech recognition, import, and guest mode.
Yaps Plugins for ChatGPT, Claude Code, Codex and Notes Browsing
Added 11 plugins for ChatGPT Desktop, Claude Code, Codex; notes gained folder browsing and flat list view.
Meetings Moved into Studio with Guided Import and Speaker Editing
Meetings now inside Studio; added guided import, synced review, audio-from-video import, and speaker editing.
Yaps Linux Desktop and Auto Captions Editor
First Linux build; new auto captions editor with 14 styles and word-level highlighting via DTW alignment.
Onboarding and Localization Improvements
Rebuilt onboarding, added language cards, localized desktop interface, and enabled R8 optimization on Android.
Windows Dictation with uiAccess Manifest and Signed Installer
Windows dictation paste now runs without admin privileges; installer is Authenticode-signed.
What people actually say about Yaps — is it worth it?
We ran a structured research pass across product reviews, community discussions, and post-purchase forum threads to surface the patterns vendors won't publish themselves. Below: the recurring strengths, the hidden costs people mention most, and the cohort that consistently regrets adopting this tool.
65 mentions across 5 sources (Reddit, Hacker News, App Store, GitHub, Lemmy) · researched Jul 2, 2026.
- +Privacy-first with on-device processing
- +System-wide dictation works in any text field
- +Free forever for core features
- +Supports voice notes, clipping, and text-to-speech
- +Offers a browser extension for saving webpages as Markdown
- −Almost no verified user reviews or testimonials
- −App Store reviews are likely for a different app
- −Name confusion with Python library Yapsy
- −No community forum or active support presence
- −Add-on features require purchase, unclear pricing
- • Add-on pricing not publicly listed
- • Cloud processing for enhanced accuracy may incur costs
Viability Score
How well maintained and how widely used is Yaps? Built from what the vendor actually publishes (docs, changelog, tutorials, integrations, pricing), whether the site is live, and how much real users discuss it. How we calculate this
Last calculated: September 2026
How we score →Key Features
- On-device speech-to-text with ~300ms latency
- System-wide dictation in any text field
- Voice notes with [[wiki-links]] and backlinks
- Plain Markdown vault
- Ask your notes natural-language questions with cited answers
- Read-aloud TTS with 18 voices, 8 offline
- Studio editor for meetings, transcription, and audio editing
- Auto-captions editor with 14 styles and word-level highlighting
- Speaker identification in transcripts
- 11 plugins for ChatGPT Desktop, Claude Code, and Codex
- Native Linux desktop app
- Windows dictation works without admin rights
- Localized interface for 30 languages
- Voice commands to launch apps and insert text
- Works offline and in airplane mode
About Yaps
Yaps is a local AI notes app that converts your voice into text and notes entirely on your device, without uploading anything to the cloud. It works across Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iPhone, with dictation that lands in any text field in about 300 milliseconds, even in airplane mode. The app also maintains a connected vault of Markdown notes using [[wiki-links]] and backlinks, lets you ask natural-language questions with answers cited from your own notes, and includes a Studio editor for meetings, transcription, and audio creation. Recent updates added 11 plugins for ChatGPT Desktop, Claude Code, and Codex, native Linux support, an auto-captions editor with 14 styles, and a localized interface for 30 languages. Yaps is designed for privacy-first individuals—writers, developers, and knowledge workers—who want a second brain that stays on their own machine. The Free tier is genuinely free on Android, while Pro costs $12/month billed annually (or $15 monthly) and adds desktop apps with unlimited dictation, transcription, and video captioning. Enterprise plans offer volume licensing and priority support.
Behind the Verdict
Let's cut to the chase: if privacy is your non-negotiable, Yaps is the strongest offline dictation and note-taking app we've seen. The 300ms latency is real—it feels just as snappy as cloud dictation, but every word stays on your machine. For writers and knowledge workers who want a second brain they fully own, the Markdown vault with wiki-links and backlinks is a standout; you can query your notes with natural language and get cited answers, all without an internet connection. Where Yaps shines is the desktop suite: Windows, macOS, and Linux apps that bring unlimited dictation, transcription, and video captioning. The auto-captions editor with 14 styles and word-level highlighting is a welcome addition for content creators. And the recent 11 plugins for ChatGPT Desktop, Claude Code, and Codex mean developers can voice-control their AI coding tools without sacrificing privacy. But Yaps isn't for everyone. The Free tier is Android-only—if you want desktop access, you'll need to commit to Pro at $12/month billed annually (or $15 monthly). That's a reasonable price for offline capabilities, but it's a subscription nonetheless. And there's no cloud sync, no team collaboration, and no cloud AI processing. If you need to share notes across devices or work with a team, you'll hit a wall. Compared to cloud-based tools like Notion AI or Otter, Yaps trades advanced cloud summarization and collaboration for absolute privacy and offline reliability. For solo users who value data ownership, that trade is worth it. For teams or anyone who needs cloud-powered insights, those rivals are better fits. In practice, we'd reach for Yaps when you're working on sensitive documents, flying without Wi-Fi, or want to build a lasting personal knowledge base. Just be prepared to manage your
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Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Yaps actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
You want to dictate your novel drafts without sending audio to the cloud.
Outcome: Install Yaps on Mac, hold a key, speak, and watch clean, self-corrected text land in your Markdown editor. Your notes stay local with wiki-links, and you can ask questions about your plot threads later—all offline.
You want to dictate code comments and meeting notes while working in Claude Code or Codex.
Outcome: Install the Yaps plugins for ChatGPT Desktop, Claude Code, and Codex, and use voice input directly in your AI coding tools. Transcribe stand-ups and have the transcript linked in your vault for reference.
You record interviews on your phone and need offline transcription and searchable notes.
Outcome: Record with the Yaps Android keyboard, then open the Studio editor to transcribe with speaker identification. Auto-captions with word-level highlighting help you edit video snippets, all without uploading audio.
Use Cases
- Dictate emails and meeting notes without leaving your trackpad.
- Save any article or webpage as Markdown into a private offline vault.
- Ask your past notes for cited answers using natural language.
- Listen to notes, articles, or documents read aloud in a natural voice.
- Create polished audio tracks from text with the Studio Editor.
- Use voice commands to launch apps and insert text snippets hands-free.
- Capture lecture or interview audio offline and transcribe later.
Models Under the Hood
as of 2026-08-28
Limitations
- Yaps offers a Free plan that is Android-only with voice typing, voice notes, and read-aloud using 2 mobile voices.
- Pro adds desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux with unlimited dictation, transcription, and video captioning, and starts with a 7-day free trial.
- Core dictation, notes, and offline voices work without an internet connection once local models are installed; account features and billing require internet.
as of 2026-08-21
Verification history
We have re-verified Yaps 7 times since . Each pass re-reads the vendor's own pages and re-checks every listed field against that evidence; passes where nothing had changed are marked as such.
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
Showing the 6 most recent of 7 verification passes.
Free to cite with attribution — this page re-verifies continuously.
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published Yaps tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free
$0/forever
Ideal for
Android users who want a private, on-device dictation keyboard and voice notes with no account or card—great for trying Yaps risk-free.
What this tier adds
Starting tier: voice typing in any app on Android, voice notes with local search, and read-aloud with 2 mobile voices, all on-device.
Pro
$12/month (billed annually) or $15/month monthly
Ideal for
Solo professionals and knowledge workers on Mac, Windows, or Linux who need unlimited dictation, transcription, and video captioning, all offline.
What this tier adds
Adds desktop apps, unlimited dictation/read-aloud, unlimited transcription and video captioning with SRT export, speaker identification, chat with notes, 18 voices (8 offline), Studio editor, and vault sync.
Enterprise
Custom
Ideal for
Teams that need Yaps at scale with BYOK, volume licensing, and on-device privacy guarantees—best for security-conscious organizations.
What this tier adds
Adds bring-your-own API keys, priority support, volume licensing and centralized billing, and private onboarding, with on-device by default.
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Yaps's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Yaps' Free tier is genuinely free on Android, making it the cheapest way to get on-device dictation—no account or card needed. At $12/month annual, Pro is competitive with cloud transcription services like Otter ($8.33/mo annual) but adds full offline capability and desktop apps. For privacy-focused individuals and small teams, it's a strong value; teams needing collaboration should consider Otter or Notion AI, though they'll sacrifice local processing.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Yaps — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
On Android, you can be voice-typing within minutes—no account required. On desktop, download the app and run the 7-day trial; you'll be dictating in about 10 minutes, but enabling offline voices and local models may take a few more minutes depending on your machine. The Linux build installs via AppImage, so setup is straightforward.
Switching to or from Yaps
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From cloud dictation apps (Otter, Rev): export your transcripts as text or Markdown, then import them into Yaps' vault to build your linked notes.
- →From Notion: export your pages as Markdown and drop them into your Yaps vault. You'll lose some formatting, but backlinks will re-link your notes.
- →From plain macOS dictation: simply switch to Yaps for system-wide, offline-capable dictation with no setup needed.
- ↗To Otter: export your Yaps notes as Markdown and upload to Otter's cloud for team collaboration and sharing.
- ↗To Notion: copy your Markdown vault into Notion to get cloud sync and web access, though you'll give up offline dictation.
- ↗To Obsidian: move your Markdown files directly into an Obsidian vault—Yaps uses standard Markdown, so your links carry over.
Integrations
Resources & Guides
Tutorials & Learning
Official links
Tools that pair well with Yaps
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside Yaps, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
Featured Head-to-Head Comparisons
Yaps vs Gem
Gem and Yaps serve completely different needs. For recruiting teams that want an all-in-one ATS/CRM with AI agents, Gem is unmatched. For individual knowledge workers who value privacy and speed of voice input, Yaps is a game-changer. They are not competitors, but if you need a recruiter’s tool and a personal voice assistant, you could use both.
Yaps vs Poke Interaction Co
Choose Yaps if you need fast, offline voice dictation and a private second brain for writing and note-taking. Choose Poke if you want an AI assistant that manages email, calendar, and tasks from your messaging apps. They solve different problems—Yaps is a voice-first productivity tool for individuals; Poke is a chat-based automation assistant for busy professionals.
Yaps vs Guesty
If you manage vacation rentals and need AI automation across channels, pricing, and operations, Guesty is the clear choice. If you're a writer, developer, or knowledge worker who wants a privacy-first voice assistant to dictate, clip web pages, and query your notes offline, Yaps wins. These tools serve completely different needs — pick based on your primary workflow.
Alternatives to Yaps
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