How does Kalam compare to Wispr Flow?

Kalam has a genuinely free core and a Pro tier at $4.99/mo (bring your own API keys). Kalam Max with hosted speech-to-text and AI is coming soon. Full offline capability, notes and tasks built in, and multi-device sync on Pro — features competitors lack.

Which platforms does Kalam support?

Windows 11+ and Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, Pop!_OS, Fedora) are available as beta. macOS is in development. Desktop-first — no mobile apps.

Can I use Kalam offline?

Yes. Kalam ships with a local Whisper model. No internet connection required for transcription.

Free forever · No account needed

Speak. It types.
Everywhere.

Hold a key, talk, let go — your words land in whatever app you're using. Free voice dictation for Windows and Linux that can run 100% offline.

Download free Watch it type

No credit card. Installs in under a minute.

Works offline
Audio never stored
Types into any app

Windows Beta

Linux Beta

macOS Soon

Slack
Gmail
VS Code

#design Right Ctrl released

Pushed the new onboarding flow — can someone review it before standup?

See it in action

Dictation that feels like magic

Press a hotkey, speak naturally, release — your words appear instantly wherever your cursor is.

Core forever

Offline

Local Whisper

2 OS

Windows + Linux beta

200+

Spoken words / min

Why Kalam

Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.

100% offline capable

Run a local Whisper model on your machine. Your audio never leaves your device — not even for a millisecond.

Hosted AI, zero setup

On Max, transcription and AI polish run through Kalam Cloud. No API keys, no configuration — it just works.

Smart privacy mode

Sensitive app detection auto-switches to local processing. Context awareness locks down, AI calls are blocked — your data stays on-device.

Profiles & Polish

Create unlimited dictation profiles — Email, Slack, Code Comments — each with its own AI instructions. Toggle Polish on any profile for grammar cleanup.

Notes inbox

Voice actions on the same hotkey — notes, search, copy, or open a URL. Optional “press enter” after typing.

Rust-powered speed

Built with Tauri and Rust. Sub-second startup, minimal memory footprint, and battery life your laptop will thank you for.

Up & running in a minute

Download & install

Grab the installer for your OS. One click, no account required, no sign-up wall.

Choose your engine

Go fully offline with the built-in Whisper model, bring your own API key, or let Kalam Cloud handle everything on Max.

Hold, speak, release

Press your hotkey, talk naturally, let go. Your words appear wherever your cursor is — any app, any field.

Product

The app in action

Dashboard, dictation history, notes, tasks, reminders, snippets, and settings — all designed to stay out of your way.

Privacy

Smart privacy, automatic.

Auto mode uses fast cloud transcription until you open a sensitive app — then Kalam switches to fully local processing on its own. Your audio stays on your device.

Cloud STT for everyday speed in Slack, email, and docs.
Sensitive app detected — password managers out of the box; add your own app patterns in Settings.
Local Whisper takes over. AI calls are blocked until you leave.

Read the privacy policy

Universal

Windows and Linux today — macOS soon

Windows and Linux are available now; macOS is on the way. Dictate into Slack, Word, PowerPoint, or any application that accepts text input.

See every installer

Works everywhere you do

Windows

macOS

Linux

Slack

Discord

Teams

Zoom

Notion

Obsidian

Chrome

VS Code

Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Outlook

Figma

Windows

macOS

Linux

Slack

Discord

Teams

Zoom

Notion

Obsidian

Chrome

VS Code

Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Outlook

Figma

Comparison

See how Kalam stacks up

Kalam is free at its core, with paid tiers that stay cheaper than the competition — whether you bring your own keys or let Kalam host the AI. Here's how it compares to Wispr Flow and Superwhisper.

Feature	Kalam Free core	Wispr Flow	Superwhisper
Pricing model	Free · Pro $4.99 · Max coming soon	$8.49/mo (includes compute)	$8.49/mo (includes compute)
Free dictation	Unlimited (local or BYOK)	Limited free tier	Limited (small models)
Offline / local STT	100% offline capable	Primarily cloud	Offline available
BYOK (your API keys)	Groq, OpenAI, more	Billed through Wispr	Pro tier only
Notes, tasks & workspace	Built-in, free	No	No
Linux desktop	Beta (Ubuntu, Mint, Pop!_OS, Fedora)	No	No

Competitor features and pricing change — confirm on wisprflow.ai and superwhisper.com. See the full comparison.

What you can verify

Proof without fake stars.

No marketplace rating. No named quotes we cannot show receipts for. These are product facts.

Free core, no account

Local or BYOK dictation stays free. You can install and speak without creating a Kalam account.

Audio can stay on-device

Offline Whisper never leaves this computer. Cloud STT only runs when you pick a cloud mode.

Linux is a published beta

Ubuntu, Mint, Pop!_OS, and Fedora installers are on Download today. macOS is still coming soon.

Independent, not a marketplace score

Kalam is built by Balacode. We do not publish star ratings or named quotes we cannot show receipts for.

Pricing

Two live tiers. Max coming soon.

Dictation is free — always. Pro adds the smart AI layer with your own keys. Kalam Max (hosted speech-to-text and AI, no keys) is coming soon.

Free

$0forever

Unlimited dictation with local or BYOK engines, one profile, and the full workspace.

Download free

Pro

$4.99/mo · $49/yr

AI polish, unlimited profiles, context awareness, voice editing, and multi-device sync. BYOK.

Start 14-day trial

Max

Coming soon

Everything in Pro plus Kalam-hosted STT and AI when it ships. No API keys.

Rolling out a team? See Kalam for Teams for volume licensing.

FAQ

Is Kalam really free?

Yes — core dictation is completely free, forever. Voice mode, local & BYOK transcription, notes, tasks, snippets, and the full workspace are all free. Pro ($4.99/mo) adds AI polish, unlimited dictation profiles, context awareness, and multi-device sync. Kalam Max (hosted speech-to-text and AI) is coming soon.

Does my audio leave my device?

Only if you choose a cloud mode. In Offline mode, everything is processed locally using Whisper. Kalam never stores your audio.

How does it compare to Wispr Flow?

Kalam has a genuinely free core and a $4.99/mo Pro tier (bring your own keys and control your AI costs). Kalam Max with hosted AI is coming soon. Wispr charges $8.49/mo with compute bundled and no free unlimited dictation. See the comparison table.

Which platforms are supported?

Windows 11+ and Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, Pop!_OS, Fedora) are available as beta. macOS is coming soon. Desktop-first — no mobile apps. See the download page.

Do I need an API key?

No. Offline mode needs no key. Pro is BYOK (Groq, OpenAI). Kalam Max with hosted transcription and AI is coming soon.

How do I start dictating?

Press and hold your hotkey (default: Right Ctrl), speak, then release. Words appear wherever your cursor is.

Is my data safe?

Kalam stores history and workspace data locally. Audio is not written to disk. Read our privacy policy.

Type at the
speed of speech.

Download Kalam for free. No account, no credit card, no strings attached.

Download free Read the docs

Speak. It types.Everywhere.