HoldSay vs Typeless: Local Dictation or Cloud Polish?

Oran Xu · Co-founder of HoldSayAug 19, 2026

HoldSay is a Typeless alternative for people who want local, offline dictation with a choice between light cleanup and deeper Polish. By default, it creates readable paragraphs, removes filler words and formats numbers and percentages. A setting enables more extensive rewriting and layout improvements. HoldSay also brings meeting recording and file transcription into the same private desktop workflow. Typeless is designed around adaptive cloud writing, mobile apps and more than 100 languages.

HoldSay and Typeless.

HoldSay and Typeless at a glance

Vendor facts checked against the official Typeless pricing page, privacy policy and data controls on Aug 19, 2026.

How much writing assistance do you want?

Typeless is designed to infer how the final writing should sound. Its product includes adaptive style, translation and an Ask Anything feature. That is useful when your goal is not merely to capture the sentence you spoke, but to turn rough speech into a more complete piece of writing.

HoldSay gives you two levels of local cleanup. The default mode automatically creates readable paragraphs, removes filler words, and converts spoken numbers and percentages into clear written formats. It keeps the intervention light so everyday dictation is ready to paste without losing the shape of what you said.

If you want stronger rewriting or more deliberate formatting, you can enable the deeper Polish mode in Settings. HoldSay then takes a more active role in refining the text while keeping the raw transcript available beside the polished result. You can use light cleanup for quotes and technical notes, then switch to deeper Polish for emails, messages or longer prose.

HoldSay places locally processed dictation directly at the active cursor in Gmail.

A precise privacy comparison

Typeless makes a strong cloud privacy commitment. Its policy says audio and context are processed in real time on cloud servers and immediately discarded. It also says third party model providers use zero retention and do not train on customer data. That is materially different from a service that builds a retained voice archive.

It is still cloud processing. HoldSay does not send the audio or transcript for recognition. The model, history, recordings, speaker profiles and notes stay on the Mac or PC. The app contacts the network for its first model download, license verification and update checks.

A simple self test reveals which architecture you are using. After HoldSay has downloaded its model, disconnect the network and dictate into any text field. The result still appears. If offline work is not important to you, Typeless can reasonably trade that capability for cloud features and lighter local requirements.

The floating card works over browser fields and desktop apps without a separate editor.

What happens when the job is bigger than dictation?

HoldSay also records calls and meetings without inviting a bot. It captures your voice from the microphone and the voices of other people playing through Zoom, Google Meet, Teams or another call app on your computer. It can create a local transcript, identify speakers from local voice profiles, summarize the conversation on the device and keep the audio available for replay.

You can also drop an audio or video file onto the floating card. HoldSay transcribes individual files or folders using the same local model. Typeless is more focused on live dictation and writing assistance, so this is the clearest functional reason to choose HoldSay even if both products transcribe your voice well.

Raw and polished views remain available in the local HoldSay history.

Pricing and ownership

Typeless currently offers a free plan with 8,000 words each week. Its Pro plan is listed at $12 for each member each month when billed yearly, or $30 when billed monthly. Pro removes the word limit and includes its advanced assistance.

HoldSay has a two day trial with every feature and no card. A seat is $69.99 once, with a limited $39.99 early bird price. Notes remain standard local files that you can open, move, back up and retain without a hosted account. This gives you direct ownership of the archive, keeps continued access independent of a subscription and lets you choose how files are shared.

Which one should you choose?

Choose HoldSay if offline operation, local processing, adjustable Polish, meeting recording or file transcription matters. Its default cleanup handles paragraphs, filler words, numbers and percentages, while the optional deeper mode provides stronger rewriting and formatting. It is also a better economic fit if one desktop computer is your main workspace and you do not want another monthly plan.

Choose Typeless if you need mobile dictation today, work across a much wider language set or prefer its cloud based adaptive writing workflow. Its free plan is generous enough to test that workflow properly.

HoldSay is currently available for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 14 or later and supported Windows 10 or 11 computers. Its iOS and Android clients are in development and planned for a future release. If mobile dictation is an immediate requirement, Typeless is already available there. If your main workspace is a computer, HoldSay provides local processing, offline operation and direct file ownership now.

FAQ

Is HoldSay a good Typeless alternative?

Yes, for people who want local, offline dictation and one app for dictation, meetings and files. HoldSay is available on Mac and Windows today, with iOS and Android clients in development. It provides light cleanup by default and an optional deeper Polish mode in Settings, while keeping the raw transcript available. Typeless is currently the better fit if you need mobile dictation immediately, broader language coverage or its adaptive cloud writing workflow.

Does Typeless store recordings in the cloud?

Typeless says voice and context are processed in real time on cloud servers and immediately discarded. It also says its providers use zero retention and do not train on customer data.

Does HoldSay rewrite what I say?

HoldSay gives you two levels of local cleanup. By default, it automatically creates readable paragraphs, removes filler words and formats numbers and percentages. If you want more extensive rewriting and layout improvements, you can enable the deeper Polish mode in Settings. The raw transcript remains available alongside the polished version.

Which app works on more platforms?

Typeless currently supports macOS, Windows, iOS and Android. HoldSay is available on Mac and Windows today, and its iOS and Android clients are in development for a future release.

Can either app record meetings?

HoldSay records your voice from the microphone and the other people speaking through your computer, then creates a local transcript and notes. Typeless is focused on dictation and writing assistance.

Does Typeless work offline?

No. Typeless processes voice and context on cloud servers, so dictation requires an internet connection. HoldSay can dictate, polish text, record meetings and transcribe files offline after its local models are downloaded.

How much do HoldSay and Typeless cost?

Typeless Free includes 8,000 words each week. Typeless Pro is listed at $12 per member each month with annual billing, or $30 with monthly billing. HoldSay costs $69.99 once per device seat, with a limited $39.99 early bird price and no recurring word allowance.

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