SaypadA Google AI Edge Eloquent alternative for Mac
Eloquent is Google's free dictation app. It runs Gemma models on your device and turns rambling speech into clean text. Saypad is free and local too, so the real difference is what happens to your words after you speak. We read Google's Eloquent page, its June 2026 developer blog post and the App Store listing on 10 October 2026.
At a glance
| Saypad | Google AI Edge Eloquent | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free, no subscription or usage limits |
| Where speech is processed | On your Mac (Whisper) | On your device (Google's Gemma models) |
| Works offline | Yes, right after install | Yes, Google says the Mac app is fully offline |
| Model download | Small model inside the 187 MB installer; 874 MB accurate model in the background | Not stated for Mac; the iPhone app downloads Gemma models |
| Account | Not needed | Optional Google sign-in, used to build vocabulary |
| AI rewriting | No, it types what you said | Yes: drops ums and self-corrections, text styles, Voice Edit |
| Hotkey | Hold fn or right ⌘, double-tap for hands-free | Customizable hotkey |
| Languages | Many (Whisper), English tested most | English officially; App Store notes list 15 |
| Platforms | Mac with Apple Silicon, macOS 15 or later | Mac (direct download), iPhone, iPad |
Eloquent details from developers.google.com/edge/eloquent, the Google Developers Blog post of 3 June 2026 and the App Store listing, checked 10 October 2026. Google doesn't list Mac system requirements on these pages.
Where Eloquent is better
- It cleans up as you go. The App Store listing says it cuts out "ums," "uhs" and the corrections you make mid-sentence, and you can pick different text styles.
- Voice Edit on the Mac runs on Gemma 4 12B. You highlight a paragraph and say something like "restructure these notes into an executive summary," or ask for a translation.
- It transcribes audio and video files on the device. Saypad only does live dictation.
- There's an iPhone and iPad app, so you can dictate on the go.
Where Saypad is different
Saypad doesn't put a language model between your voice and the page. You get what you said, with punctuation and capitals. That matters when the exact wording is the point, say a quote, a note to yourself or a message where tone is already right.
- It works the moment it's installed. The Whisper model is inside the installer, so the first dictation needs no download.
- Every dictation is saved with its audio, and you can replay it, copy it again or search it later.
- After pasting, Saypad checks the text field and tells you if nothing arrived.
- It sends anonymous usage counts with no ID and no text, and you can turn them off. For comparison, the App Store privacy label for Eloquent's iPhone app lists identifiers, usage data and diagnostics that may be linked to you.
Trying both
Both apps are free, so try each for a week, with the hotkey given to one at a time. If you keep undoing Eloquent's edits, Saypad will probably suit you. If you keep tidying Saypad's sentences by hand, you'd miss Eloquent's polish.
Questions
Is Google AI Edge Eloquent really free?
According to Google, yes. The App Store listing says it's free with no usage limits, and the Eloquent page describes it as dictation without a subscription. The Mac version is a download from Google's own servers rather than the Mac App Store.
Does Eloquent only work in English?
Google's pages disagree. The FAQ on the Eloquent page says the app officially supports only English, while the App Store notes for the iPhone app's version 1.4.1 list 15 dictation languages. Try your language in the app before relying on it. Saypad uses Whisper, which recognizes many languages, though we test English the most.
Do I need a Google account?
Google describes sign-in as optional. If you allow it, Eloquent can read your workspace data, such as Gmail, to build a vocabulary list. Saypad has no account at all.
Are you neutral?
No, we make Saypad. Everything we say about Eloquent comes from Google's own pages and the App Store, and the next section is about where Eloquent does better.
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