Short answer: DictaFlow’s Local Offline mode can transcribe without an internet connection after setup on supported devices. Choose it if you need to keep drafting after losing your connection. Cloud processing is private too, and it offers the best overall quality and full feature set. Local Offline is an availability choice, not a claim that cloud mode is less private.
Local vs cloud dictation: the practical tradeoff
On a supported 64-bit Intel or AMD Windows PC, sign in while you’re online, then download the Local Offline model in Settings. Standard Local Offline dictation runs on your device. Cloud-assisted AI cleanup and Email mode still send the transcript and relevant editing context online. Downloading a local model doesn’t make those features work offline. These Windows instructions don’t guarantee identical local-model support on every platform. Check the current app on the device you plan to use.
Direct desktop/web Consumer Pro costs $9/month or $84/year, equal to $7/month when billed annually. Pro includes unlimited Local Offline dictation on supported devices. App-store prices may vary by platform and region. Check the live purchase screen to see the price you’ll pay.
Use the setup guide for mode and insertion controls and the current product facts for supported Windows processing. Product facts, the direct purchase pricing API, and the privacy policy were checked October 16, 2026. This is DictaFlow’s own product guidance, not an independent product test.
| Need | What to check | DictaFlow fit |
|---|---|---|
| Lost connection | Download the model before travel. | Local Offline standard dictation on supported devices. |
| AI cleanup | Check whether the chosen mode sends text online. | Cloud processing for AI cleanup and Email mode. |
| Text entry | Test the exact field and cursor position. | Desktop Paste or Typing output. |
| Remote apps | Keep the remote session connected. | Typing Mode for paste-hostile fields; test your environment. |
Privacy review and the Medical boundary
Before you use confidential work material, read the privacy policy and check your employer’s approved-tool rules. Review audio processing, text retention, selected-text context, local history, and settings sync separately. The policy says audio is ordinarily discarded after processing. Transcription text may be kept for selected features, recovery, support, or legal needs. Offline transcription does not mean the entire account has no online activity. Hold-to-talk lets you decide when to record, but it does not replace your organization’s security review.
The standard Consumer app is not intended for medical dictation or PHI, even when you select Local Offline. Clinical buyers must evaluate DictaFlow Medical under the applicable medical security configuration and BAA, where required. Choosing a local model does not turn a Consumer subscription into the Medical product.
How to check offline readiness before buying
- Set up while connected. Sign in and finish downloading the Local Offline model on a supported device.
- Open a local text editor and select Local Offline standard dictation. Disconnect Wi-Fi and Ethernet.
- Dictate a fictional paragraph with a name, a date, and a correction. Check the text, then reopen the app and repeat the test.
- Reconnect and test AI cleanup and Email mode separately because they use cloud processing.
- Reconnect before testing an online target such as a remote desktop. Local transcription cannot keep a disconnected Citrix or RDP session available.
- Measure correction time as well as recognition speed before buying a longer subscription.
This is a proposed readiness test, not a reported benchmark. If recognition succeeds but text lands in the wrong field or fails to appear, investigate insertion separately. The remote desktop guide explains desktop typing workflows; the Wispr Flow offline comparison covers the separate competitor buying question.