Parlo vs Monologue: private dictation compared
Monologue by Every, at monologue.to, is a Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch app with cloud processing by default and a paid Pro tier. Parlo processes on-device only, with no account and no word cap during the beta. Pick Monologue by Every for iPad and Apple Watch. Pick Parlo for on-device privacy and iPhone or Mac only.
Monologue by Every, at monologue.to, is a Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch app from the company Every. It has a free trial and a paid Pro tier. This page compares it with Parlo on processing, price, and privacy.
Monologue by Every (monologue.to)
| Parlo | Monologue by Every | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, Mac | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Where processing happens | On-device only | Cloud, with an optional local transcription mode on Mac; a stated zero-data-retention claim from its AI providers |
| Account required | No | not stated for the free trial; Pro tied to one account |
| Price | Free during the beta | Free trial; Pro $15 a month or $144 a year |
| Free tier | One version, free during the beta | 1,000 dictation words, 10 recorded notes, offline transcription, on the free trial |
| Dictation history | Local, encrypted; end-to-end encrypted iCloud sync on by default | Recorded notes, capped at 10 on the free trial; local copies delete after 14 days unless server storage is turned on |
| Export | Markdown, Mac only | not stated |
| iPhone keyboard | Yes, its own keyboard extension | not stated |
| Mac hotkey | Yes, hold Option | not stated |
| Custom dictionary | Yes, syncs to the keyboard | Yes, saves names, acronyms, and terms as you go |
| Languages | English (beta) | 100 plus |
What Monologue does better
Monologue by Every runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. It supports 100 plus languages, where Parlo is English only. Its free trial includes offline transcription on Mac and context-aware formatting. Its AI providers process dictation with zero data retention, per its home page.
What Parlo does better
Parlo processes every dictation on-device, with no cloud step and no account needed. It costs nothing for the whole beta, rather than a capped free trial. Local history is encrypted at rest, and turning on sync moves it through your private iCloud end-to-end encrypted. Parlo also ships its own iPhone keyboard extension and a Mac hold-Option hotkey, neither of which Monologue by Every's site describes.
Who should pick which
If you want an app that also runs on iPad and Apple Watch, and a cloud default is fine, Monologue by Every covers that. If you want on-device processing with no account and a free beta with no word cap, Parlo fits that instead. It also ships an iPhone keyboard next to a Mac hotkey.
Founders and operators who dictate quick notes and follow-ups across iPhone and Mac may prefer Parlo's flat, free-during-beta pricing. It beats tracking a 1,000-word trial cap. Writers who want every dictated draft kept locally and encrypted get that behavior from Parlo by default. There is no 14-day deletion window unless server storage is turned on. Clinicians and lawyers who want to avoid an account and a cloud default entirely have that option with Parlo's on-device path. Neither app is a compliance product on its own.
People doing hands-free dictation for accessibility reasons may weigh the two hotkeys directly. Monologue by Every's site does not name a Mac hotkey. Parlo for Mac holds Option to record and locks hands-free with a double-tap.
Switching notes
If you use Monologue by Every's free trial and are near its word or note cap, Parlo's beta has no such limit. Install Parlo for iPhone from TestFlight or Parlo for Mac from the beta page, both free. Your custom dictionary in Monologue by Every does not transfer, so plan to re-add names and terms you dictate often. Reply to beta@parlokey.com with anything that looks wrong along the way, since Parlo is a beta and that feedback shapes the next build.
Frequently asked questions
Does Monologue by Every work on iPad and Apple Watch?
Yes. Its Pro subscription covers Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch under one account, tied together by sign-in.
Does Monologue by Every need an account?
Not stated for the free trial on its pricing page. Pro subscriptions are tied to one account across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
Does Monologue by Every send audio to a server?
By default, yes. Its home page describes cloud processing with a stated zero-data-retention approach from its AI providers, plus an optional local transcription mode on Mac.
Can Monologue by Every transcribe fully offline?
Only on Mac, using its offline transcription option on the free trial. Its default path on every platform sends audio to the cloud.
Is Parlo free like Monologue's free trial?
Parlo is free during the whole beta, with no word or note caps and no account. Monologue by Every's free trial caps dictation words and recorded notes before Pro is required.