Compare Retext and Monologue side-by-side. See which dictation app is the best fit for your workflow.
Choose Retext if you want on-device transcription by default, push-to-talk on one key, and snippets and dictation in one app.
Choose Monologue if you need formatting that adapts to each 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.
Native Mac text expander with built-in voice dictation. Hold right Option, speak, and your words land at the cursor, polished on your Mac (beta) if you like.
Pricing:
Dictation and polish on your Mac come with every plan. See the pricing page.
Free tier: Dictation and polish on your Mac, plus 5 snippets
Runs on: Mac
Best for:
AI dictation from Every for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch that formats text to fit the app you're in
Pricing:
Pro $15/month or $144/year; included in Every's paid bundle
Free tier: Trial with 1,000 dictation words and 10 notes
Runs on: Mac and iPhone
Best for:
| 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 |
Monologue doesn't store snippets, so there's nothing to move. Add your custom words to Retext's snippets as you need them.
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.
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 runs on Mac and iPhone. Retext runs on Mac.
Monologue is the better fit for formatting that adapts to each app, dictation bundled with an Every subscription and dictation on Mac, iPhone and Apple Watch. Choose Retext if you want transcription on your Mac by default.
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.