Ghost Pepper – Local hold-to-talk speech-to-text for macOS
I built this because I wanted to see how far I could get with a voice-to-text app that used 100% local models so no data left my computer. I've been using a ton for coding and emails. Experimenting with using it as a voice interface for my other agents too. 100% open-source MIT license, would love feedback, PRs, and ideas on where to take it.
Ghost Pepper – Local hold-to-talk speech-to-text for macOS launched on April 6, 2026 with 467 votes, #27 of 21,248 launches that month and more than 99% of that year's launches.
In plain words
Ghost Pepper is a macOS speech-to-text tool that uses entirely local models, keeping all voice data on the user's computer. Activated by holding a key, it converts spoken words to text for coding, emails, and other tasks. The open-source application runs without sending information to external servers, making it suitable for developers and privacy-conscious users who want offline voice transcription capabilities.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
100% private on-device voice models for speech-to-text and meeting transcription on macOS. No cloud APIs, no data leaves your machine without your explicit permission.
100% private on-device voice models for speech-to-text and meeting transcription on macOS - matthartman/ghost-pepper
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Whispering – Open-source, local-first dictation you can trust2025 · github.com · ▲591Hey HN! Braden here, creator of Whispering, an open-source speech-to-text app. I really like dictation. For years, I relied on transcription tools that were almost good, but they were all closed-source. Even a lot of them that claimed to be “local” or “on-device” were still black boxes that left me wondering where my audio really went. So I built Whispering. It’s open-source, local-first, and most importantly, transparent with your data. Your data is stored locally on your device, and your audio goes directly from your machine to a local provider (Whisper C++, Speaches, etc.) or your chosen…
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