Apple Dictation writes Arabic, DanDin tidies it
Apple page lists Arabic for dictation, but not for automatic punctuation and not for its advanced dictation. DanDin puts the punctuation in and tidies the sentence.
In short
Apple Dictation is an excellent free option: Apple feature availability page lists "Arabic (Saudi Arabia)" and "Arabic (United Arab Emirates)" for Dictation, and lists "Arabic" for on-device dictation, which means with no internet. But three other lists on the same page have no Arabic at all: automatic punctuation, dictating emoji, and the more advanced Dictation from Apple Intelligence, and that last one is English locales only. So Apple writes your Arabic words and you add the full stops and commas. DanDin puts the punctuation in, drops the filler, tidies the sentence, and works on Mac and Windows.
The comparison, side by side
| DanDin | Apple Dictation | |
|---|---|---|
| Dictation in Arabic | Yes, and Arabic is the default | Yes: Apple lists Arabic for Saudi Arabia and the UAE [1] |
| Automatic punctuation in Arabic | Yes, DanDin puts in the stops and commas | Apple automatic punctuation list has 36 languages, and Arabic is not one [3] |
| A smarter cleanup of the text | Yes, a tidy step on every dictation, Arabic and English | The more advanced Dictation from Apple Intelligence: English locales only [4] |
| Works with no internet | No, DanDin needs the internet | Yes, Apple lists Arabic under on-device dictation [2] |
| Devices | Mac and Windows | Apple devices, built into the system [5] |
| Price | 2,000 words a week free, Pro at 16.99 dollars a month | Free, part of macOS [5] |
Where these Apple Dictation facts come from
Every fact in the Apple Dictation column is taken from its own pages. Here is the text as we read it, the link, and the day we read it.
[1] Apple macOS feature availability page, its "Dictation" list (66 entries)
Dictation ... Arabic (Saudi Arabia) ... Arabic (United Arab Emirates)
https://www.apple.com/macos/feature-availability/ (read 2026-09-17)
[2] The same page, its on-device dictation list (52 entries, Arabic first)
Dictation: On-Device and Modeless Dictation ... Arabic
https://www.apple.com/macos/feature-availability/ (read 2026-09-17)
[3] The same page, its automatic punctuation list (36 entries, no Arabic)
Dictation: Auto-Punctuation ... Cantonese (China mainland)
https://www.apple.com/macos/feature-availability/ (read 2026-09-17)
[4] The same page, its advanced Dictation list (12 entries, all English)
Apple Intelligence: More advanced Dictation ... English (Australia) ... English (United States)
https://www.apple.com/macos/feature-availability/ (read 2026-09-17)
[5] Apple Mac help: Dictate messages and documents on Mac
Dictation is not available in all languages or regions, and features may vary.
https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac (read 2026-09-17)
Pick DanDin if
- You want text with stops and commas, not one long line you fix yourself
- You type across many apps and want the same result in all of them
- You also use Windows, not only a Mac
Apple Dictation may fit you if
- You want something free and built in with nothing to install
- You need dictation with no internet: Apple lists Arabic on-device, and DanDin needs the internet
- All your devices are Apple devices
The difference in one line: Apple Dictation writes the words, DanDin writes a sentence with punctuation. That is not our opinion, it is Apple own lists: Arabic is in the dictation list and missing from the automatic punctuation list.
Common questions
Does Apple Dictation write Arabic?
Yes. Apple feature availability page lists "Arabic (Saudi Arabia)" and "Arabic (United Arab Emirates)" for Dictation, and lists "Arabic" for on-device dictation. What it does not list is Arabic automatic punctuation. We did not test Apple Dictation ourselves; all of this is from Apple own page as we read it on 2026-09-17.
Why pay for DanDin when Apple Dictation is free?
You can start DanDin free too: 2,000 words a week. The difference is that DanDin hands you tidy text with punctuation and drops the filler, and it works on Windows as well. And if you want dictation with no internet, Apple Dictation is the better pick, because DanDin needs the internet.
Does DanDin write the vowel marks?
No. DanDin writes Arabic the normal way, without vowel marks, which is what people want in messages and documents.
Does DanDin type into a password box?
On a Mac, no, and that is on purpose: when the app is protecting typing, DanDin types nothing and tells you the text is on the clipboard to paste yourself. On Windows there is no such check, so it is better not to dictate a password.