FAQ
Answers before you switch to Peanut.
Peanut competes with fast dictation apps, playful ramble-to-text tools, and offline-first recorders. These answers make the tradeoffs explicit.
Product
Is Peanut only for dictation?
No. Dictation is one workflow. Peanut also reads selected text aloud, expands snippets, keeps history, tracks productivity metrics, translates, and turns rough speech into structured output.
Does Peanut work in every app?
Peanut is designed for desktop-wide shortcuts and clipboard-based paste, so it works across normal text fields in apps like email, docs, chat, browsers, editors, and internal tools. Some apps can block simulated paste; manual paste remains the fallback.
Can Peanut read text aloud?
Yes. Select text and use Peanut read-aloud to listen with voice and playback controls. That makes Peanut useful for review and focus, not only writing.
Can I reuse repeated text?
Yes. Peanut includes snippets for repeated replies, links, signatures, caveats, and templates. Snippets are useful for support, sales, recruiting, and internal updates.
Comparisons
How is Peanut different from Wispr Flow?
Wispr Flow has a polished dictation and cross-device story. Peanut is currently strongest when desktop users want a broader loop: dictation, read-aloud, snippets, translation, history, metrics, and provider controls together.
How is Peanut different from FLUX?
FLUX is focused on simple voice-to-text cleanup in existing apps. Peanut covers that kind of dictation workflow, then adds listening, reuse, translation, dashboard metrics, and bring-your-own provider controls.
How is Peanut different from VoiceInk?
VoiceInk is compelling for offline-first dictation. Peanut should not be chosen for a fully offline promise; it should be chosen when cloud-powered workflow breadth matters more than offline-only operation.
Which competitor should I choose if I need fully offline dictation?
Choose an offline-first tool. Peanut does not claim fully offline transcription, speech, translation, or AI cleanup today.
Trust
Does Peanut work offline?
No. The current app uses cloud providers for transcription, speech, translation, and AI cleanup. The trust page explains this model directly instead of making an unsupported offline claim.
Can I bring my own API key?
Yes, Peanut includes bring-your-own key settings where supported, including OpenAI and ElevenLabs workflows. This is useful if you want direct provider billing or clearer account separation.
What permissions does Peanut need?
Peanut needs microphone access for recording. On macOS, Accessibility permission is commonly needed for global shortcuts and active-app workflows.
Where can I read the legal terms?
Read the current privacy policy and terms. Marketing pages summarize the model, but those pages are the legal references.
Pricing and install
How much does Peanut cost?
Free users start with 2,000 words each week. Referral links add 500 bonus weekly words for both the inviter and the new user after sign-in. Pro access unlocks unlimited usage, premium provider options including ElevenLabs, and advanced workflow controls.
How do referral bonuses work?
Copy your referral link from Peanut Settings. When a new user signs in through that link, they get 500 bonus weekly words and you get 500 bonus weekly words for every successful referral.
What platforms are supported?
Peanut is built for macOS and Windows. Shortcut behavior can differ by operating system, especially hold-to-talk versus tap-to-toggle recording.
Where do I download the latest version?
Use the download page. It reads the latest public GitHub release metadata when available and keeps a release archive fallback link in place.
Is there a mobile app?
No mobile app is claimed today. Peanut is positioned as a macOS and Windows desktop workspace.
Still deciding?
Start with the alternatives hub if you are comparing Peanut against Wispr Flow, FLUX, or VoiceInk. Start with integrations if you want to know where Peanut fits in your daily apps.