Spokenly's local models are free, so for most people the real question is whether Pro is worth paying for. Pro makes sense if you want Spokenly's managed cloud models and AI cleanup without setting up API keys, use it on several devices, and dictate enough that $99.99 a year is small next to the time saved. It is probably not worth it if the free on-device models already get your words right, if you are happy to bring your own keys, if a review requires audit reports, or if you would rather pay once. The 15-minute test below costs nothing.
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.
This is not a review and there is no score. We make a competing Mac app and have not tested Spokenly's accuracy or speed. Below is what Spokenly documents, who that suits, and how to judge it yourself.
What do you get, according to Spokenly?
As of 3 October 2026. Sources: Spokenly pricing, homepage, privacy policy and terms.
| Area | What Spokenly documents |
|---|---|
| Price | Local Models: "$0 forever". Your API Keys: $0 to Spokenly, you pay the provider. Pro: $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. |
| Free side | Unlimited offline dictation with Whisper and Parakeet, 100+ languages, apps for macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS, no account needed for local models. |
| What Pro adds | Managed cloud models, real-time cloud streaming, hosted AI cleanup and Agent Mode, settings sync, priority support, a notch recording interface. |
| How it works | Press a shortcut, speak, and the words appear at the cursor in any app. |
| Extras | Meeting recording on Mac (microphone and system audio, no bot), Modes with AI Instructions, Local Only Mode. |
| Privacy | Local models keep audio and text on the device; Pro cloud audio goes through Spokenly's backend to third-party services, which it says it does not store. Details in Is Spokenly safe?. |
| Refund | 14-day money-back guarantee on spokenly.app purchases; Apple handles App Store refunds. |
The strengths are a free tier with no word cap, three routes for speech and a 14-day refund.
What limits does Spokenly document?
- Pro is a subscription. There is no one-time Pro price on the pricing page.
- Your own keys are not free overall. The pricing FAQ says "You pay the provider directly at their usage rates."
- AI Instructions can leave the device. The privacy policy says a Mode with AI Instructions may send your transcription and context to AI services "even if transcription itself runs locally".
- Training is a preference, not a promise. For Spokenly-managed cloud features, the policy says it prefers options "that do not use customer data for model training where available".
- Proprietary. Spokenly's open source statement says it is not open source and is not on GitHub.
- No audit reports found. We found no SOC 2 report or BAA on the pages we read.
Who is Spokenly worth it for, and who should choose something else?
| If this is you | A sensible choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Local models handle your voice and jargon | Spokenly free | Unlimited and offline; Pro adds the cloud, not more local dictation. |
| You want the strongest cloud models with no setup | Spokenly Pro, yearly | Managed models and cleanup for $99.99 a year. |
| You already pay OpenAI, Deepgram or Groq | Spokenly with your own keys | No Spokenly fee; you pay usage directly. |
| You need a switch that blocks all network access | Spokenly with Local Only Mode | Documented in its Local Only Mode docs. |
| You use Linux or Windows as well as a Mac | Spokenly | Apps on all four platforms, free tier included. |
| You must read the source code | Handy or VoiceInk | Spokenly is proprietary; see Handy vs Spokenly. |
| Your organisation needs a SOC 2 report or BAA | A vendor that publishes them | We found neither on Spokenly's pages. |
| You dislike subscriptions but want more than free | A one-time purchase | See Spokenly alternatives. |
Where SuprFlow fits, honestly: it is a Mac-only app where speech recognition runs on the Mac with an on-device model and Default formatting is local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. Optional cloud formatting sends transcript text, not audio, to the provider you pick. It costs $125 for lifetime access on up to five Macs you own, with no subscription and a 7-day refund on a first purchase. It has no free tier or trial, no meeting recording and no apps for other platforms. Spokenly already offers local dictation free, so try that first. SuprFlow vs Spokenly sets them side by side.
How can you test Spokenly in 15 minutes before paying?
Use the free local models. The script is fictional, so nothing private is involved.
- Install and pick a model (4 minutes). Download from spokenly.app, grant the permissions it asks for, and download one Whisper or Parakeet model.
- Dictate an email (2 minutes). In your mail app, press your shortcut and say: "Hi Marguerite, the venue deposit is 3,720 dollars, not 3,270. We need, um, 40 sorry 44 chairs. Please confirm by Monday the 9th. Thanks, Tobias."
- Check five things. The name, both figures, the chair correction, the date and the punctuation.
- Dictate into your hardest app (3 minutes). A browser form, chat app or code editor.
- Try your vocabulary (3 minutes). Two sentences with a colleague's surname, a product name and an acronym. Add misses to the dictionary and retry.
- Go offline (3 minutes). Turn on Local Only Mode or turn off Wi-Fi and repeat step 2.
Run the same script with Apple Dictation and one other app. If the local result needs too many fixes, try Pro monthly within the 14-day refund window.
Questions people ask
Is Spokenly good?
We have not benchmarked it, so we will not rate it. Run the test above with your own voice.
Is Spokenly Pro worth it over the free version?
Only if the cloud models or hosted cleanup make a difference you can measure, or you want sync and priority support. Local dictation is the same on every plan.
Can I get a refund if Spokenly Pro is not worth it?
Yes, within 14 days for purchases on spokenly.app, according to its terms. App Store purchases go through Apple.
Related guides
- Is Spokenly free?
- Spokenly pricing
- Is Spokenly safe?
- Spokenly alternatives
- SuprFlow vs Spokenly
- How to run a fair Mac dictation comparison