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Acousmos vs Parlo

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors. Acousmos starts at $12.99, Parlo at $8.

AcousmosMac dictation app that saves every transcription to a private, searchable local archive instead of throwing it away.ParloMac app in alpha that bundles voice dictation, on-device meeting transcription, and spoken commands to control the OS.

Side by side

FactAcousmosParlo
CategorySpeech-to-Text & TranscriptionSpeech-to-Text & Transcription
Pricing modelPaidPaid
Starts at$12.99 month$8 month
Public APINoNo
PlatformsmacOSmacOS
CompanyArrway LtdParlo
Launched2023—
Last verifiedSep 1, 2026Sep 1, 2026

What our research says

Acousmos

Acousmos does what most dictation apps do, but the searchable local archive of past dictations is a real differentiator if you ever need to find something you said last week rather than retype it. The privacy-mode tier is the more interesting option for anyone wary of cloud transcription, though it asks you to bring your own API keys or run models locally.

Pros

  • Searchable local archive of past dictations, not just one-off transcription
  • Custom dictionary support for names and technical terms
  • Separate privacy-mode tier for user-supplied keys or local models
  • Cross-language dictation with translation built in

Cons

  • Mac-only, with no Windows or Linux version
  • Two-tier pricing (Plus vs. Pro) adds a decision most competitors don't require

Parlo

Parlo's pitch is voice control that never leaves your Mac, and combining dictation, meeting notes, and OS commands into one app is a genuinely different bundle than single-purpose dictation tools. It's also openly alpha software with a hardware floor (Apple Silicon, macOS 15+) that shuts out a lot of otherwise-willing users.

Pros

  • Combines dictation, meeting transcription, and OS voice commands in one app
  • On-device processing by default, with cloud as an opt-in using your own keys
  • Meeting notes can be routed straight to iCloud, Google Drive, or a network folder

Cons

  • Alpha-stage software with the rough edges that implies
  • Restricted to macOS 15+ on Apple Silicon, so most non-Mac and older-Mac users are excluded

Which one fits

Choose Acousmos if you need

  • Mac users who want a searchable history of everything they've dictated
  • people who need cross-language dictation with translation
  • privacy-conscious users willing to supply their own API keys for local processing

Choose Parlo if you need

  • Mac users on recent Apple Silicon hardware who want dictation and meeting notes in one app
  • privacy-conscious users who want processing to stay on-device by default
  • early adopters comfortable with alpha-stage bugs

More comparisons

All Parlo alternatives →Browse all Speech-to-Text & Transcription →