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GhostType

ghosttype.example

KINDA
Category
Voice Dictation
Price
$12/mo
Verdict confidence
medium
Build time
weekend

Verdict

Local speech-to-text models (e.g. Whisper) make the transcription itself free and buildable; the OS-level text-injection plumbing across every app is the fiddly part.

Core job

Hold a hotkey, speak, and have the transcribed (and lightly cleaned-up) text typed wherever the cursor is.

DIY replacement scope

A local hotkey listener piping audio to a speech-to-text model and injecting the result as keystrokes.

Requirements

  • Node.js or a native helper for text injection
  • a local or API speech-to-text model

Technical dependencies

  • speech-to-text model (local or API)
  • OS-level text injection
  • global hotkey capture

What you lose

Moat

Why people still pay

Reliable cross-application text injection and per-app formatting rules take real polish to get right on every OS.

Pricing

$12/mo — Pro (flat)

Checked 2026-08-22 · confidence: medium · source ↗

Open-source alternatives

Build prompt

Build me a local push-to-talk dictation tool (fictional example — development fixture, not researched). Requirements:

- A background app that listens for a global hotkey (hold to talk, release
  to transcribe).
- On release, run the recorded audio through a local Whisper model
  (whisper.cpp or similar) and type the resulting text at the current
  cursor position via OS-level text injection.
- A small settings window to pick the hotkey and the Whisper model size.
- Out of scope: cloud transcription, custom vocabulary tuning UI, mobile app.
- README: platform-specific setup for text injection permissions (macOS
  Accessibility, Windows, or Linux, whichever you target).

Recommended stack: Rust or Node.js native module, local Whisper model

Questions

What does GhostType do?

System-wide voice dictation with AI cleanup

How much does GhostType cost?

About $12/month (Pro), checked 2026-08-22.

Should I build a replacement for GhostType?

Local speech-to-text models (e.g. Whisper) make the transcription itself free and buildable; the OS-level text-injection plumbing across every app is the fiddly part.

What do I lose by replacing GhostType?

polished cross-app formatting rules; custom vocabulary tuning UI; mobile app.