The best lifetime dictation apps for Mac
Mac dictation apps you pay for once, checked October 16, 2026: VoiceInk, SpeakMac, Koi, Superwhisper and more, with devices, updates and what's left out.
How we picked
Which Mac notes apps can you still buy once?
Fewer than you'd hope. Many notes apps moved to subscriptions, especially the ones with AI, since every AI answer costs the company money. The apps below either sell a licence you pay for once, or cost nothing at all.
We make Koi, so it's first because it's ours. It's also the only app here whose one-time price includes AI, and that AI is limited, which we explain below. Facts about the other apps come from their own sites and App Store pages, with prices in USD, checked October 16, 2026. We didn't run tests.
The list
The best one-time purchase notes apps for Mac
1. Koi Lifetime
Best for: Paying once for dictation, recorded calls and documents, with some AI included
Koi is a Mac app for talking instead of typing, with a notes app inside it. Tap Fn + ⌥ and it types what you say, on your Mac, in any app. Tap Fn + ⌃ and it records a call or a class into a page. The pages have tables, 11 chart types, LaTeX, to-dos and flashcards, and export to Word or PDF.
Lifetime is paid once, and its price climbs as it sells: $59 for the first 25 buyers, then $99, then $159, then $199 for good. It keeps unlimited dictation, recorded calls and documents for good, on any number of your Macs.
The limit is the AI. Lifetime comes with Koi credit worth a fifth of what you paid, at the models' own cost. It never expires, but there's no monthly allowance on top: when it's used up, calls with Koi, summaries and study notes need a top-up, sold at $10, $25 or $50. You can refund Lifetime within 3 days, once per person, less the Koi you used and Stripe's fees. Koi is Mac only, with no iPhone app or sync.
2. iA Writer
Best for: Writing on plain text files you own, with no AI writing
iA Writer is a focused writing app on local text files, with Markdown tables and Word and PDF export. It doesn't write for you, on purpose, and its Authorship feature marks text that was pasted or AI-written.
The Mac app is $49.99 once. The iPhone and iPad app is another $49.99 and Windows $29.99, so two platforms cost about $100. Its Android app has been frozen since September 2024.
3. Typora
Best for: A Markdown editor with LaTeX, for the price of lunch
Typora edits Markdown files and formats them as you type. It numbers equations, draws Mermaid diagrams and exports to Word, PDF, LaTeX and ePub. It's $14.99 once for up to 3 devices, after a 15-day trial, on Mac, Windows and Linux. No phone app, no AI, no voice.
4. Agenda
Best for: Notes tied to your calendar, with a lifetime unlock
Agenda ties notes to dates and to your calendar events. It's free to use, and its App Store page lists Premium Features at $34.99, a Premium subscription at $39.99 and Lifetime Premium Features at $179. It has an on-device AI called Ask Agenda on macOS 26 or later with Apple Intelligence, and syncs to iPhone and iPad.
5. Ulysses
Best for: Long-form writing, if you can pay up front
Ulysses is sold as a subscription, $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year on its site, but its App Store page also lists a $199.99 one-time licence. It's a writing app for essays and books, with LaTeX, Word and PDF export and publishing to WordPress, Ghost and Medium, on Mac, iPad and iPhone.
6. Obsidian
Best for: Free, local Markdown files, with optional one-time support
Obsidian is free, and your notes are Markdown files in a folder you choose. The only thing sold once is Catalyst, at $25, and it's optional. Sync is the part that's a subscription, at $5 a month or $4 billed yearly, and you can skip it.
7. Apple Notes
Best for: Free notes on every Apple device
Apple Notes costs nothing and syncs through iCloud. It records audio with a live transcript on M1 or later Macs, has basic tables and Math Notes, and exports to PDF and Markdown, but not Word. If iCloud storage runs out, that subscription is the only bill.
8. Reflect Open
Best for: Free, open source daily notes with backlinks, on local files
Reflect relaunched in July 2026 as Reflect Open: a free, MIT-licensed Mac app built on daily notes, backlinks and a folder of Markdown files, synced through iCloud Drive or Git. You bring your own AI key. Pro on iPhone is the paid part, at $9.99 a month or $99 a year.
Comparison
One-time purchase notes apps compared
From each app's own site or App Store page, checked October 16, 2026.
| Pay once | Still a subscription for | Phone app | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koi Lifetime | $59 for the first 25 buyers, rising to $199 | Nothing; AI beyond the included credit is a top-up | No | Dictation, calls and documents on a Mac |
| iA Writer | $49.99 for Mac | Nothing; each platform is bought apart | Bought apart | Focused writing |
| Typora | $14.99, 3 devices | Nothing | No | Markdown with LaTeX |
| Agenda | $179 lifetime, or $34.99 Premium | Optional Premium subscription | Yes | Notes on a calendar |
| Ulysses | $199.99 on the App Store | Or $39.99 a year instead | Yes | Long-form writing |
| Obsidian | Free; Catalyst $25 | Sync, if you want it | Yes | Local files |
| Apple Notes | Free | iCloud storage, if you need more | Yes | Free notes |
| Reflect Open | Free on Mac | Pro on iPhone | Yes, Pro is paid | Daily notes and backlinks |
Subscriptions
The popular notes apps that are subscription only
If your favourite isn't above, it probably doesn't sell a licence. Bear Pro is $29.99 a year, Craft Plus $6.40 a month billed yearly, Notion Plus $10 a month billed yearly, Capacities Pro $9.99 a month billed yearly, and NotePlan $99 a year. Some of those are cheap enough that a subscription costs less than a licence for years. Bear at $29.99 a year takes about two years to pass iA Writer's $49.99.
At the other end, AFFiNE, an open source docs and whiteboard app, sells a Believer lifetime plan for $499.99.
The fine print
What does one-time really cover?
- Devices: Typora's licence covers 3 devices. iA Writer sells each platform apart. Koi works on any number of your Macs.
- AI: anything that answers questions costs money every time. Koi Lifetime includes a fixed amount of AI credit; the others either have no AI of their own, use Apple's, or ask for your own key.
- Sync: a one-time app usually means no sync service of its own. Obsidian and Reflect Open lean on your own folders, Agenda and Apple Notes on iCloud. Koi has no sync at all.
- Your notes: Typora, iA Writer, Obsidian and Reflect Open keep plain files you can open anywhere. Koi keeps a database on your Mac, with Copy as Markdown one page at a time.
Choosing
Which one should you buy?
- Want to pay nothing? Apple Notes, Obsidian or Reflect Open.
- Writing, not filing? iA Writer, or Ulysses if you'll pay $199.99.
- Markdown with real LaTeX, cheaply? Typora.
- Notes on a calendar? Agenda.
- Dictation, recorded calls and notes on a Mac, paid once? Koi Lifetime, knowing its AI credit runs out.
If you mostly want to dictate, our list of dictation apps for Mac covers the ones sold once, and if math matters, see notes apps with LaTeX. Koi's editor is covered on notes and documents, and if you're weighing Bear, see our Bear alternatives.
Keep exploring
An Apple Notes alternative for Mac, with charts, LaTeX and Word export
An Apple Notes alternative for Mac with charts drawn from a table, LaTeX, Word export and calls recorded into a note. Mac only, no sync, and not free. Compared.
Notes on your Mac, with tables, charts and math
Koi for Mac is an offline notes app with tables, 11 chart types, LaTeX, to-dos and flashcards. Export to Word or PDF, and start by typing or by talking.
The best Bear alternatives for Mac
Looking for a Bear notes app alternative on Mac? Koi, Apple Notes, Obsidian, Craft, Typora and iA Writer compared on files, iPhone, LaTeX, charts and price.
Support
Frequently asked questions
Yes. iA Writer is $49.99 once, Typora $14.99 once, and Agenda sells a lifetime unlock. Apple Notes, Obsidian and Reflect Open are free.
No. Dictation, recorded calls and documents are unlimited for good, but the AI comes as credit worth a fifth of the price. It never expires, and more is sold as top-ups.
Its price climbs as it sells: $59 for the first 25 buyers, then $99, $159, and finally $199. It can be refunded within 3 days, less the Koi used and Stripe's fees.
No. Bear Pro is a subscription, $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year at the time of writing.