Looking for a Monologue alternative? Retext adds on-device voice dictation to a native Mac text expander.
Retext is a good Monologue alternative if you want transcription on your Mac by default, push-to-talk on right Option, and your snippets in the same app.
Monologue's app-aware formatting does more than Retext's polish (beta), and it has apps for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Retext transcribes on your Mac with Apple's speech engine and polishes on-device, so cleanup works offline too. It adds snippets and Teams, which Monologue doesn't list.
Local by default: your audio is transcribed on your Mac
No audio or transcripts are sent to Retext's server
Polish (beta) runs on your Mac with Apple Intelligence, never in the cloud
Hands-free mode (beta) pauses itself in password fields and password managers
Your text expander and your dictation in one app
| Feature | Retext | Monologue |
|---|---|---|
| Voice Dictation | ||
| AI Cleanup & Rewriting | Beta | |
| Audio File Transcription | Not available | Not available |
| Privacy & Local Storage | ||
| Snippet Expansion | Not available | |
| Team Sharing | Not available | |
| Cross-Platform |
| Product | Pricing Model | Price | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retext | Freemium | Dictation and polish on your Mac come with every plan. See the pricing page. | Dictation and polish on your Mac, plus 5 snippets |
| Monologue | Flat Rate | Pro $15/month or $144/year; included in Every's paid bundle | Trial with 1,000 dictation words and 10 notes |
Migration difficulty: easy
Monologue doesn't store snippets, so there's nothing to move. Add your custom words to Retext's snippets as you need them.
Retext adds on-device voice dictation to a native Mac text expander. Monologue's app-aware formatting does more than Retext's polish (beta), and it has apps for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Retext transcribes on your Mac with Apple's speech engine and polishes on-device, so cleanup works offline too. It adds snippets and Teams, which Monologue doesn't list.
Free trial ends after 1,000 words; Apple devices only; Formatting needs an internet connection.
Yes. Monologue's free option: trial with 1,000 dictation words and 10 notes. Paid: Pro $15/month or $144/year; included in Every's paid bundle.
Yes. Retext's free plan includes dictation and polish on your Mac, plus 5 snippets. Dictation and polish on your Mac come with every plan. See the pricing page.
Monologue is the better choice for formatting that adapts to each app, dictation bundled with an Every subscription and dictation on Mac, iPhone and Apple Watch.
Monologue doesn't store snippets, so there's nothing to move. Add your custom words to Retext's snippets as you need them.
Download Retext, turn on Voice Dictation in Settings, and hold right Option to talk.
Sources
Monologue, checked October 28, 2026: Monologue · Monologue on the App Store
Prices and features change. Check each vendor's site before you buy.