The short answer
Pick VoiceMode for a spoken conversation with Claude; pick Heard to follow several agents by ear.
VoiceMode is a free, MIT-licensed MCP server and Claude Code plugin for natural voice conversations: you speak, Claude answers out loud, and you reply, with silence detection deciding when you have finished. It can run fully local with Whisper.cpp and Kokoro, or use OpenAI or any compatible service, and it runs on Linux, macOS, Windows and NixOS.
Heard (heard.dev), the voice layer for coding agents, faces the other way. It listens to Claude Code and Codex hooks on macOS and speaks questions, approvals and failures, plus progress and results depending on the listening mode. The agent never has to call a tool, so you can follow several sessions while looking at something else. On Heard Power you answer by holding right ⌘. Its open-source engine is free; the Mac app has paid plans. VoiceMode wins on price, platforms and two-way conversation with Claude.
Side by side
What each one does.
VoiceMode facts from its README, docs and voicemode.dev. Checked October 20, 2026.
| Tool | What it is for | Who decides when it speaks | Speech | Agents | Platforms | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VoiceModeMCP + plugin | A spoken conversation with Claude | Claude, through its converse tool, when you start a conversation | Local Whisper.cpp and Kokoro, or OpenAI-compatible services | Claude Code; other MCP-capable agents | Linux, macOS, Windows, NixOS | Free, MIT |
| Heardvoice layer | Spoken updates from agents you are not watching | Heard, from agent hook events | Local Kokoro or your own keys (engine); managed voices (app) | Claude Code, Codex CLI and Codex app; session status for Cursor | macOS 14+ | Engine free, Apache 2.0; app Pro $15/mo, Power $30/mo, 14-day Power trial |
What VoiceMode does well.
VoiceMode is built for the moments your hands or eyes are busy: walking, cooking, holding a coffee. Start with /voicemode:converse and you talk to Claude, hear its answers and reply out loud. Silence detection stops recording when you stop speaking, and Claude can also use converse to say something without waiting for a reply. The installer sets up local Whisper.cpp for speech-to-text and Kokoro for speech, so it can run offline; an OpenAI key is an optional fallback.
It is open source under MIT and runs on Linux, macOS, Windows and NixOS. The plugin also installs Claude Code hooks, which it calls soundfonts, that play short sounds when tools start and finish, when Claude stops, and on notifications and permission requests; during a voice conversation only permission requests still play. Turn them off with voicemode soundfonts off.
- Free and open source (MIT).
- Real two-way spoken conversation.
- Fully local option.
- Linux, macOS, Windows, NixOS.
claude plugin marketplace add mbailey/voicemode
claude plugin install voicemode@voicemode
/voicemode:install
/voicemode:converseWhat Heard does differently.
Heard does not wait for a conversation. It installs hooks for Claude Code and Codex and turns their events into a sentence or two, so you hear about a question, an approval or a failure as it happens. Results and routine tool calls get a sentence, a one-liner or silence, depending on the listening mode. In the app, with several sessions running, routine updates are batched into short summaries that start with the project name.
The Mac app adds managed voices and spoken recaps on Pro. On Power you hold right ⌘ to dictate a reply to the right session, say “Hey Parrot” to ask about a repo, and follow along on the iPhone companion. The open-source engine is a separate Apache 2.0 build you run yourself with local Kokoro voices.
- Speaks without the agent calling a tool.
- Several sessions, project name first.
- Codex CLI and the Codex app too.
- Voice replies and iPhone on Power.
Pick VoiceMode to talk things through with Claude.
If you want to pair with Claude by voice, ask it questions and steer it out loud, VoiceMode is the right shape and it is free. It is also the choice on Linux or Windows, where Heard does not run.
Pick Heard to keep track of agents you are not talking to.
If you run several Claude Code or Codex sessions and want to know which one finished, failed or needs you, without starting a conversation with each, Heard covers them all from their hooks and keeps them apart by project.
Running them together.
They do different jobs, so they can sit side by side: VoiceMode for the session you are talking with, Heard for the rest. Heard also speaks for the session you are talking with, so during a VoiceMode conversation switch Heard to Focus, which keeps it to questions, approvals, blockers and failures.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is VoiceMode free?
Yes. VoiceMode is open source under the MIT license. With local Whisper.cpp and Kokoro it needs no paid service; OpenAI is an optional fallback that OpenAI bills.
How do I install VoiceMode in Claude Code?
Run claude plugin marketplace add mbailey/voicemode, then claude plugin install voicemode@voicemode, then /voicemode:install inside Claude Code, and start talking with /voicemode:converse.
Does VoiceMode tell me when Claude finishes or needs approval?
With sounds, not words. Its soundfonts hooks, installed with the plugin and switchable off, play short sounds on tool calls, when Claude stops, and on notifications and permission requests. Spoken answers come in the conversation you start with converse. Heard (heard.dev), the voice layer for coding agents, speaks those moments as sentences from every session.
Does Heard run on Windows or Linux?
No. Heard runs on macOS 14 or later. VoiceMode runs on Linux, macOS, Windows and NixOS.
What is the main difference between Heard and VoiceMode?
VoiceMode is a two-way conversation that Claude drives through its converse MCP tool; its docs also describe handing the voice from one Claude Code agent to another. Heard speaks for your agents from their hooks, across several Claude Code and Codex sessions, and on Power lets you reply by voice.
Ready when your agents are
Hear the work without watching every screen.
Start with the full Heard Power experience for 14 days. No card required. The open source engine remains free.
Download Heard for Mac macOS 14 or later · Claude Code and Codex supported