Yes. MacWhisper has a free version that macwhisper.com lists at €0 and "Free forever". It transcribes audio and video files on your Mac in 100 languages, exports text and subtitles, and includes basic system-wide dictation. Higher-quality dictation, AI prompts, meeting recording, speaker recognition and batch work need MacWhisper Pro, which is a one-time €64 per licence with lifetime updates, as of 3 October 2026.
Publisher note: SuprFlow publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Competitor details come from each company's own pages, checked on 3 October 2026. Prices and features change; confirm before you buy.
What does MacWhisper Free include?
From the pricing section of macwhisper.com, as of 3 October 2026.
| Area | MacWhisper Free | Pro only |
|---|---|---|
| Transcription | Record from your Mac microphone; mp3, wav, m4a, ogg, opus, mov and mp4 files; 100 languages | Speaker recognition, YouTube and media URLs, podcasts per speaker, batch transcription, auto cleanup, translation |
| Export | .txt, plus .srt and .vtt subtitles | Also .md, .pdf, .html, .dote and .docx |
| Dictation | "System wide dictation" | "System wide high quality dictation", automatic grammar improvement, AI prompts, app-specific prompts |
| Meetings | Not listed | Automatic recording in Zoom, Teams, Webex and others |
| AI services and automation | Not listed | Your own API keys, local models through Ollama and LM Studio, watched folders, workflow uploads, command-line control |
MacWhisper says it uses local models to transcribe your files. Is MacWhisper safe and local? covers what stays on the Mac and what does not.
Where does the free version stop?
- Dictation quality. Free has system-wide dictation; Pro has what MacWhisper calls high quality dictation. The site does not say which speech model each edition uses, so check in the app.
- Anything with AI. Grammar improvement, AI prompts and app-specific prompts are Pro. MacWhisper's dictation help article says AI dictation prompts also need your own AI key, which your provider bills separately.
- Meetings and volume work. Meeting recording, speaker labels and batch transcription are Pro.
- The App Store edition is different. MacWhisper's edition comparison lists dictation into any text field on your Mac as a feature of the direct download, not of the App Store edition, Whisper Transcription, which has weekly, monthly and yearly subscription options. For free dictation, use the direct download.
There is no word cap or time limit on the free version described on the site.
Is there a trial or a refund?
There is no timed Pro trial; the free version is the way to try MacWhisper. If you buy Pro, MacWhisper's FAQ on macwhisper.com says to contact them within 7 days of purchase with your concerns and they will process a refund. The same FAQ says students, journalists and non-profit organisations can ask for 25% off Pro.
What do you pay next?
MacWhisper Pro is €64 per licence, "Pay Once", and "Includes lifetime updates", as of 3 October 2026 on macwhisper.com. The licence key is sold through Gumroad, which may show another currency or add tax. MacWhisper's licensing article describes the personal licence as for your own devices with a soft limit of three. Team packs exist. MacWhisper pricing has the detail.
What are the free alternatives for dictation?
MacWhisper is built around transcribing recordings. If you mainly want to talk into apps, look at these as well:
- Apple Dictation. Built into macOS: choose Apple menu → System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation and turn it on, per Apple's Dictation guide (macOS 27; older versions put Dictation in Keyboard settings too). Apple says there is no timeout on length, and Dictation stops after 30 seconds without speech. Steps are in How to use voice to text on a Mac.
- Superwhisper Free, Spokenly's local models, Handy. Push-to-talk apps with free local models; see Best free dictation app for Mac.
Where does SuprFlow fit?
SuprFlow, which publishes this page, is not free: $125 for lifetime access on up to five Macs you own, no subscription, and a 7-day refund on a first purchase. There is no free tier or trial. It is a dictation app only: speech recognition runs on the Mac with an on-device model, and Default formatting is local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. It has no file transcription and no meeting recorder, so if recordings are your main job, MacWhisper is the better choice and costs less. SuprFlow vs MacWhisper compares them.
Questions people ask
Is MacWhisper completely free?
The free version is free with no stated time limit. Pro features, such as meeting recording, speaker recognition, AI prompts and high-quality dictation, cost €64 once.
Is MacWhisper free on the App Store?
The App Store edition is called Whisper Transcription and offers weekly, monthly and yearly in-app subscriptions, according to MacWhisper's edition comparison. The free version described here is the direct download from macwhisper.com.
Does MacWhisper Free work offline?
MacWhisper says it transcribes files with local models on your Mac. You need to download a model first, and AI features that use a cloud provider need the internet.
Is MacWhisper Pro a subscription?
Not on the direct download. It is a one-time €64 licence with lifetime updates.
Related guides
- MacWhisper pricing
- Is MacWhisper Pro worth it?
- Is MacWhisper safe and local?
- What is MacWhisper?
- MacWhisper alternatives