AI Providers
Set up Claude, GPT, Gemini, Groq, and more for AI text processing.
VivaDicta supports 20+ AI providers for text processing. You can use API keys, sign in with an existing subscription, run models locally on your network, or download a model and run AI fully on your device.
Cloud Providers
| Provider | Free Tier | Top Models | API Key |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groq | Free forever | Llama models | Get key |
| Google Gemini | Free tier available | Gemini 3 Pro/Flash | Get key |
| Mistral | Free tier, rate-limited. No card | mistral-medium, Voxtral | Get key |
| Cerebras | $5 credits. Card needed to issue a key, removable after | qwen-3.8-27b, gpt-oss-120b | Get key |
| xAI (Grok) | Free credits for new accounts | Grok models | Get key |
| GitHub Copilot | Free tier available | Claude, GPT, Gemini | Sign in via app |
| OpenRouter | Some free models | Many models available | Get key |
| OpenCode Zen & Go | Free models on Zen | Claude, GPT-5, GLM, Kimi, Qwen | Get key |
| Ollama Cloud | Free tier, then a subscription | gpt-oss, DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM | Get key |
| Ollama | Completely free (local) | Llama, Mistral, Gemma | No key needed |
| Apple Foundation Model | Free (on-device) | Apple on-device model | No key needed |
| On-Device Models | Free (on-device) | Gemma, Qwen, Phi (download) | No key needed |
Setup Pattern
Most cloud providers follow the same setup flow:
- Create an account with the provider and get an API key.
- Open VivaDicta → Settings → select your mode → AI Processing.
- Choose the provider and paste your API key.
- Select a model from the available list.
Ollama (Local, Free)
Ollama runs AI models locally on a Mac or PC on your network. It's completely free and private — no data leaves your local network.
- Install Ollama on a Mac or PC on your local network.
- Pull a model (e.g.,
ollama pull llama3.2). - In VivaDicta, select Ollama as your AI provider and enter your computer's local IP address.
Custom OpenAI-Compatible
Any endpoint that speaks the OpenAI chat completions API format works with VivaDicta. Enter the endpoint URL and optional API key in the AI processing settings.
Use Your Existing Subscriptions
If you have ChatGPT Plus, GitHub Copilot (free tier available), or Claude Pro, you can use VivaDicta's AI features at no extra cost. See Use Your Subscriptions.
Which Provider Should I Choose?
- Best free option: Cerebras —
qwen-3.8-27bscores 9.2 and answers in 0.3s, quicker than anything else measured. Issuing a key asks for a card and gives you $5 of credits; you can remove the card straight after. Ollama Cloud'sgemma4:31band Groq are the other free picks. - Best free option without a card: Mistral —
mistral-medium-latestscores higher at 9.4 and needs nothing but an account, but its free tier is rate-limited hard enough that you wait several seconds between dictations. - Best quality: Google Gemini —
gemini-3.8-flashtops the model ranking at 9.7, still under a second. - Best value with subscription: GitHub Copilot — free tier available, or $10/mo for Pro with access to Claude, GPT, Gemini, and Grok.
- Maximum privacy: a downloadable on-device model (Gemma, Qwen, Phi - no iOS 26 needed), Apple Foundation Model (requires iOS 26+), or Ollama - everything stays on your device or local network.
See Free AI Tiers for a detailed breakdown of free options.