x64 and ARM64
The native Windows client runs on classic x64 PCs and current Windows-on-ARM devices.
Skald on Mac and Windows
Skald runs on both platforms with feature parity — same modes, same cleanup, same hotkey flow. Where there are differences, they're OS-driven — and we name them.
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Skald (macOS)Context-aware dictation
Skald (Windows)The alternative
Short and honest
The short decision: Mac or Windows?
If your Mac is recent enough (macOS 13+), Skald runs natively in Swift and uses Apple's on-device speech recognition. On Windows 11, Skald runs natively in C# / WinUI 3 and uses the Windows System.Speech component. On both platforms, cloud STT is the fallback when local recognition isn't available. Functional scope is identical.
What the alternative does well
Where the Windows version stands out
The features are the same, so the choice mainly depends on the computer and target apps you already use.
Office workflow
UI Automation and layered insertion paths are designed for common Windows apps such as Office, Edge, and VS Code.
The same three modes
Dictate, Command, and Brain Dump work on Windows just as they do on Mac.
Criterion by criterion
Side by side
Side by side
- Native implementation
- Skald (macOS)Swift / AppKit
- Skald (Windows)C# / WinUI 3
- Minimum OS
- Skald (macOS)macOS 13 (Ventura)
- Skald (Windows)Windows 11 (x64 + ARM64)
- Default hotkey
- Skald (macOS)Fn key (customisable)
- Skald (Windows)Right Alt (customisable)
- On-device STT
- Skald (macOS)Apple Speech / SpeechAnalyzer
- Skald (Windows)Windows System.Speech (SAPI)
- Cloud STT fallback
- Skald (macOS)Yes
- Skald (Windows)Yes
- Text-injection paths
- Skald (macOS)AX-Direct → Pasteboard → Synthetic-Keys
- Skald (Windows)UI Automation → Clipboard → Synthetic-Keys
- Three modes (Dictate, Command, Brain-Dump)
- Skald (macOS)Yes
- Skald (Windows)Yes
- App context awareness
- Skald (macOS)Bundle ID, window title, browser URL, field role
- Skald (Windows)App path, window title, browser URL, field role
- Code signing
- Skald (macOS)Apple Developer ID + Notarization
- Skald (Windows)EV code signing (in progress)
When each one fits
Use Skald on Mac when …
- You work on an Apple Silicon Mac — on-device STT runs fast on the Neural Engine.
- You use a lot of Mac-native apps (Mail, Notes, Safari) — AX-Direct injection lands reliably.
- You want the fastest available dictation flow on macOS.
Use Skald on Windows when …
- You work on Windows 11 (x64 or ARM64) — Skald is native, not a wrapper.
- You use UI Automation-friendly apps (Office, Edge, VS Code) — injection lands reliably.
- You want feature parity with the Mac version without being forced into the cloud.
Frequently asked questions
Does Skald have the same features on Mac and Windows?
Yes. Both versions provide Dictate, Command, Brain Dump, a personal dictionary, and context-aware cleanup. Differences are in the operating-system interfaces underneath.
Does Skald run on Windows on ARM?
Yes. Alongside x64, Skald provides a native ARM64 build for Windows 11.
Which default hotkey does Skald use?
Fn on Mac and Right Alt on Windows. Both can be customized.
Do I need to pay again when I change platforms?
Your Skald account is not tied to one operating system. The number of devices you can use depends on your plan.
Try Skald
Skald runs on macOS and Windows; Linux is in closed beta. The free plan needs no card.
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