Write at the Speed of Thought
The average person types around 40 words per minute. But most people speak at 150 words per minute — nearly four times faster. For writers, that gap represents hours of lost productivity every week. Chirp bridges that gap by turning your voice into text instantly, right where you need it.
Press your hotkey (Fn or Option+M on Mac, Alt+M on Windows), speak your thoughts, and press it again. On Mac, Chirp transcribes and pastes the text directly into your writing app. On Windows, the text is copied to your clipboard, ready for Ctrl+V.
Overcome Writer's Block
Staring at a blank page is every writer's nightmare. Speaking is different from typing — it engages a different part of your brain. When you dictate, ideas flow more naturally. You stop self-editing mid-sentence and let your thoughts pour out in a raw, unfiltered stream.
Use Chirp for stream-of-consciousness drafting. Don't worry about perfection on the first pass. Speak freely, get the ideas down, then edit later. Many writers find that their voice drafts capture a more authentic, conversational tone that resonates with readers.
Protect Your Hands
Repetitive strain injury (RSI) and carpal tunnel syndrome are occupational hazards for writers who spend hours at the keyboard. Chirp lets you give your hands a break without stopping your creative flow. Alternate between typing and dictation throughout the day to reduce strain and extend your writing career.
Never Lose an Idea
Every transcription Chirp creates is saved to a searchable local history powered by SQLite. Had a brilliant idea last Tuesday that you forgot to write down? Search your transcription history and find it. You can also export your entire history as a CSV file for backup or analysis.
Works Everywhere You Write
Chirp works with any application that accepts pasted text — Scrivener, Google Docs, Notion, Ulysses, VS Code, or a plain text editor. There's nothing to configure. On Mac your text appears wherever your cursor is; on Windows you paste it with Ctrl+V. Each recording can run up to five minutes, so dictate a few paragraphs at a time.
100% Offline and Private
Your drafts, ideas, and manuscripts never leave your computer. Chirp transcribes everything locally using the whisper.cpp engine and deletes each audio file as soon as it's transcribed — no cloud, no account, no third-party access to your work. Chirp's model is English-only. Read our guide to private, offline dictation for the details. For writers working on sensitive material, NDAs, or unpublished manuscripts, this is essential.
Simple and Affordable
Chirp starts with 28 free transcriptions — no account required. When you're ready for unlimited use, a $9.99/year license unlocks it on up to 5 devices. Available on macOS and Windows.