Voice dictation
for Linear.
Linear is the rare productivity app where dictation actually beats typing — issues are short, structured, and best written quickly while the bug or feature is fresh in your head. The trick is finding a Mac dictation tool that doesn't ramble (Linear titles need to be tight), respects markdown, and doesn't fight Linear's keyboard-driven UX. Dollop covers all three: free, on-device, with cleanup that respects Linear's terse style.
Linear's UI is keyboard-shortcut-dense and formatting-light. Dictation tools that work well here have specific properties most don't.
Linear issues are not Slack messages. Titles should be terse and parseable; descriptions should be structured. Dollop's Formal tone preset (Linear is in the Work group by default) drops fillers without padding, keeps full sentences without inflating them, and respects markdown that you dictate ("dash space" for bullets, "pound" for headings).
Linear is the most hotkey-driven productivity app on the market. Cmd+I, Cmd+K, Cmd+Enter, Esc — Linear users live in shortcuts. Dollop's defaults (hold-fn for push-to-talk, ⌘ Space for toggle) don't conflict with Linear's keymap; both are remappable if you do hit a conflict.
Your project codenames, internal API names, customer names — none of them get spelled right by default. Dollop's vocabulary list is matched at cleanup time, so once you add "FastAPI" or "ScrollBuddy" or "Branden" once, they stay correct.
Most teams have a standard issue template — "context / problem / proposed solution / acceptance criteria." Dollop's snippets let you say "issue template" to drop the structure, then dictate the content into the slots. 4× faster than typing the boilerplate.
Most comparison pages list ten features. Three of them matter when you're actually switching.
- Where does the audio go?
- On-device means your voice and the transcript stay on the Mac you're typing on. Cloud means audio is uploaded, transcribed remotely, and the text is downloaded back — usually with no way to know which providers see it on the way through. This is load-bearing for anyone touching client work, regulated content, or proprietary information.
- How much RAM does it actually take?
- The forgotten metric. "On-device" doesn't mean "free" — Whisper-based tools load 700 MB to 3 GB into memory while running. If you already have Cursor, Chrome, Slack, and a Docker container open, that matters. Apple Foundation Models is the only path right now to real on-device dictation at 0 GB.
- How clean is the cleaned text?
- Raw transcription is a solved problem — Whisper, Parakeet, and Apple's models are all excellent. The differentiator is what happens after: filler removal, punctuation, formatting commands, tone-matching to the active app. A tuned dictation model beats a generic LLM polish step every time.
| Tool | RAM | Audio leaves Mac? | Pricing | Cleanup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollop | 0 GB | Never | Free | Tuned LoRA |
| Superwhisper | ~1.5 GB | Optional | $249 once | Generic LLM |
| Voibe | ~700 MB | Never | $9.90/mo | Whisper + rules |
| VoiceInk | ~2 GB | Never | Free / open-source | Optional |
| MacWhisper | ~1–3 GB | Never | €64 once | File-based |
| LumeVoice | ~700 MB | Never | Subscription | Whisper |
| Apple Dictation | ~0 GB | Never (Ventura+) | Free (built-in) | None |
RAM figures are approximate, measured at idle with the smallest model loaded. Dollop uses Apple Foundation Models — the OS keeps the model warm independently of the app, so the app itself contributes 0 GB beyond the OS baseline.
Dollop
Dollop is the voice OS I built for the Mac. It does four things, all on-device, all free: dictation (clean text pasted at your cursor in any app), an AI chat overlay (multi-turn, optionally screen-aware) for asking questions or rewriting, Little Overlay (⌃ A — a tiny floating glass pill that hears your selection, sees your screen, and answers in place for the one-shot question that doesn’t need a chat thread), and Meeting Notes (record and transcribe lectures, calls, and meetings with summaries and action items, fully on-device). It runs on Apple Foundation Models, the on-device LLM Apple ships with macOS 26, and ships with a tuned cleanup adapter trained specifically for the way people actually speak. Because Apple already keeps the foundation model warm in the OS, Dollop contributes 0 GB to your RAM footprint. Your audio never leaves the Mac. Completely free.
- Four pillars in one app: dictation, AI chat, Little Overlay, Meeting Notes
- Only Mac dictation app on Apple Foundation Models
- 0 GB RAM cost, the OS hosts the model
- Tuned cleanup adapter, not a generic polish step
- Meeting Notes: record + transcribe + summarize on-device
- Per-app tone (Casual / Formal / Excited)
- Completely free, no subscription, no premium tier
- Apple Silicon + macOS 26 only, no Intel, no Windows
- Apple Intelligence must be enabled
- New product, smaller community than Wispr or Superwhisper
Superwhisper
Mature commercial alternative. $249 one-time, ~1.5 GB RAM, works in Linear like any Mac app. No per-app tone — same cleanup behavior in Linear as in Slack.
- $249 up front
- 1–3 GB RAM
- Generic LLM polish, not Linear-aware
Voibe
$9.90/month, on-device, sub-300ms latency. Works in Linear. No per-app tone matching.
VoiceInk
Open-source, free, runs Whisper locally. Auditable, no subscription, but more setup.
Apple Dictation
Built-in. Free, on-device. Transcribes raw — fillers come through verbatim, no formatting commands. Works in Linear's text fields if you don't mind editing after.
Wispr Flow
Cloud, $15/month. Ships Linear issue context to third-party providers. For companies with strict policies on what touches the cloud, that's a non-starter.
- Issue content leaves your Mac
- $15/mo
- 2.7 Trustpilot
Hard requirement: Dollop runs on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 26 or later. Most Macs sold since 2021 qualify. If you're on Intel, that's the constraint to plan around.
What's the best dictation app for Linear on Mac?
Will dictation respect Linear's markdown shortcuts?
How do I dictate an issue title without filler?
What does Dollop actually do?
How much does Dollop cost?
Does Dollop work without an internet connection?
Can Dollop record and transcribe meetings or lectures?
Will Dollop work on Intel Macs?
Can I dictate into Cursor, VS Code, Slack, and other apps?
Can I dictate into Linear's comment threads, descriptions, and titles?
Does Dollop handle Linear's keyboard navigation?
If you live in Linear and want to ship issues faster, Dollop is the right pick. Free, on-device, with Formal tone matching that fits Linear's structured style. Issue titles take 2 seconds; descriptions take as long as it takes you to think.
If you're not yet on Apple Silicon + macOS 26, Superwhisper is the established commercial alternative.