Is VoiceInk free and open source?

VoiceInk is open source, but the Mac app you download is not free. Its README says the project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 ¹, and the Open Source Initiative lists that license as approved ². The developer offers a free trial, then sells a license for the packaged app. Its site listed a one-Mac Solo license at $25, paid once ³. The short answer is yes to open source and no to free, unless you build the app yourself. The open-source dictation guide compares VoiceInk with the other active projects.

Open source describes the code, and GPL-3.0 does not set a price

Open source means the source code is published under a license that meets the Open Source Definition. The GPL-3.0 uses the word free to mean freedom, not price ⁴. The same license says you have the freedom to distribute copies of free software, and that you may charge for them if you wish ⁵. A GPL project can therefore be open source and still sell its compiled app, which is the arrangement VoiceInk uses. "Open source" tells you that you can read and build the code. It does not tell you the app costs nothing.

You can build VoiceInk from source, and the compiled app adds updates

The README says that as an open-source project you can build VoiceInk yourself by following the instructions in BUILDING.md ⁶. It also says the compiled version includes automatic updates, priority support by Discord and email, and funding for ongoing development. So the free route is to build the app from its code, and the paid route is to buy the compiled app. The README does not describe how much effort a build takes, so read BUILDING.md before you choose the free route.

The packaged app has a free trial, then a one-time price per Mac

The README points to a free trial of the latest version, available from tryvoiceink.com ⁷. The developer's pricing section lists One Mac Solo at $25, a one-time purchase with lifetime access for one Mac ³. That is the kind of purchase a perpetual license describes. Prices change, and a comparison site listed different figures, so check the developer's own page before you pay. The $25 figure is what the site showed on 16 October 2026.

VoiceInk is a Mac app, so the open-source route does not cover Windows

The README describes VoiceInk as a native macOS application that transcribes what you say to text almost instantly ⁸. Nothing in the README describes a Windows or Linux version. If you need dictation on Windows, read best dictation software for Windows, or compare the other projects in the open-source guide.

Choose the route that fits how you work

The right answer depends on your time and your needs.

• Build from source if you want the code at no license cost, you can follow a build guide, and you accept that you will manage updates yourself.
• Buy the one-Mac license if you want the compiled app, automatic updates and priority support, and a one-time price suits you.
• Try the free trial first if you are unsure. It lets you test the app on your own speech before you spend money or time on a build.
• Choose a different app if you need a paid product with a company behind it. The free dictation software guide covers the options that need no purchase at all.

Steps to decide before you commit

1. Start the free trial from tryvoiceink.com, and dictate a passage you wrote yourself.
2. Read the trial's length and the license terms on the developer's site, because the README does not state them.
3. If you buy, check the one-Mac price on the vendor's page on the day you pay.
4. If you build, follow BUILDING.md in the repository, and read the GPL-3.0 text on GitHub before you copy or share the code.

For the other open-source Mac app with a different license model, read what is the Hex dictation app. For a free project that covers Windows as well, read what is the Handy dictation app. The perpetual license entry defines the one-time license term used here.