Local vs cloud dictation: privacy, offline use and cost

Choose local when on-device processing matters

With Local Whisper, recognition runs on your device after its model has downloaded. It needs no Cursay account, monthly allowance or ongoing internet connection. Your computer provides the CPU and memory, so transcription time depends on the hardware, model and recording length.

History is device-local, and temporary recordings are removed after transcription unless you explicitly preserve audio. Optional remote Smart Polish and Custom endpoints are separate choices: sending text or audio to your configured provider changes the data path. To keep processing on-device, use Local Whisper with remote polishing disabled.

Choose cloud when managed processing helps

Cursay Cloud sends the recording over encrypted transport to the Cursay service and its configured speech provider. Mac and Ubuntu support protected browser account linking. Cloud needs active Pro or trial entitlement, available minutes and a network connection.

The current cloud policy states that Cursay does not retain audio, transcripts, polished text or prompts in its database, object storage, product analytics or application logs. Account, device, billing and usage metadata are retained. Read the privacy and subprocessors pages to understand the full service boundary.

Cloud may perform better on a slower computer or help with multilingual recognition, but network delay, model choice and audio conditions still affect speed and accuracy. Cursay does not promise a universal accuracy or latency advantage.

Compare the actual cost and limits

Local Whisper is free and unlimited. Cursay Pro costs $8 USD monthly or $80 USD yearly, with 1,500 managed-cloud minutes in each monthly service window. The seven-day trial includes up to 120 cloud minutes and requires a payment method; cancel before the trial ends to avoid a charge.

Pro minutes do not roll over and there are no automatic overage charges. When cloud access or quota is unavailable, supported clients can attempt local fallback when it is enabled. The free local app remains usable after cancellation. Verify the pricing page before subscribing.

Start with a representative dictation

Keep Smart Polish separate from speech recognition when comparing results: rewriting introduces an additional processing step. Review important text before using or sending it. Cursay’s optional cloud service does not move your private history into a synced cloud library.

1. Use a short recording in the app where you normally write.
2. Try Local Whisper in Raw mode and check recognition, delivery time and paste.
3. On supported platforms, compare cloud using the same kind of audio and your preferred polishing setting.
4. Choose the provider based on your own hardware, language, privacy needs and allowance.

Common questions

Sources and next steps

This guide follows the Cursay source setup guide and published release assets. Availability may change; check those sources before installing.

Review privacy, cloud subprocessors and pricing before choosing a remote provider.