Two on-device models. Your words, your Mac, your call.
Echo Flow AI runs entirely on your Mac after a one-time download. No cloud, no account, no data leaves your machine. Choose the tier that matches your hardware.
Echo Flow AI Pro
Higher-quality polishing with better reasoning, punctuation, and entity preservation. Best for technical writing, long dictation sessions, and nuanced tone adjustments.
- check_circle8K token context — handles long dictation without losing the thread
- check_circleStrongest entity preservation — code identifiers, URLs, names, numbers stay intact
- check_circleBest for complex rewriting — the rewrite palette's nine actions all benefit from Pro's reasoning
Echo Flow AI Lite
Lighter model that still beats the rule-based standard on most inputs. Best for everyday dictation on 8–15 GB Apple Silicon Macs where the smaller footprint leaves more headroom for everything else you have running.
- check_circle8K token context — same wide context as Pro
- check_circleFast first-token latency — snappier feel for short utterances
- check_circleFits 8 GB unified memory — the recommended tier for base M1/M2 Macs
Echo Flow picks the right tier for your Mac at install time. You can switch in Settings → Echo Flow AI at any time.
How Echo Flow AI compares
Echo Flow picks the best polish provider for your Mac — Apple Intelligence on macOS 26+, or Echo Flow AI locally after setup. Rule-based polishing is a built-in safety net that kicks in automatically when AI is unavailable.
| Provider | RAM | Where it runs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Intelligence | Apple Silicon, macOS 26+ | On-device (Apple framework) | macOS 26+ users who want zero setup |
| Echo Flow AI Pro | 8 GB+ | On-device (GGUF) | Best polishing quality, technical writing |
| Echo Flow AI Lite | 8 GB+ | On-device (GGUF) | Everyday dictation on base M1/M2 Macs |
| Rule-based (safety net) | Any | On-device (no model) | Automatic fallback when AI is unavailable — not user-selectable |
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Echo Flow AI model download from?
Echo Flow AI models are downloaded directly from Hugging Face during setup, with size and SHA-256 verification. The download is a one-time ~1.0–1.2 GB transfer. After that the model is loaded entirely from local disk and never re-downloaded.
Do my transcripts leave my Mac?
No. Transcripts and audio are processed on-device. Echo Flow AI (both Pro and Lite) runs locally on your Mac after a one-time setup download. Apple Intelligence, when used, also runs on-device. Nothing is uploaded to Echo Flow servers, and there are no Echo Flow servers to upload to.
Can I switch tiers later?
Yes. Open Settings → Echo Flow AI and pick Pro or Lite. Switching downloads the new model (~1.0–1.2 GB) and removes the previously downloaded one.
What if my Mac has less than 8 GB RAM?
Echo Flow AI is disabled and polishing falls back to the Standard rule-based pipeline. The Standard pipeline is shipped with the app — no download needed, works on any Mac that runs Echo Flow.
How much disk space do the models need?
Echo Flow AI Pro needs about 1.2 GB of disk space; Echo Flow AI Lite needs about 1.0 GB. The download is one-time and the file stays on your Mac — it does not re-download each time you dictate.
Do you ship the model in the app?
No. Models are downloaded on demand to keep the DMG small (~9 MB vs. multi-GB) and to let you pick the tier that matches your hardware. The DMG is notarized and the download is over HTTPS.
Try Echo Flow on your Mac
14-day free trial. Rewrite palette stays free after trial. No account, no subscription for the AI model itself.
macOS 15+ · Apple Silicon recommended · 9 MB download