Compare · Mac voice writing

Mac dictation apps compared (2026): price, platforms, privacy

13 Mac dictation apps side by side: where speech is processed, how you pay and which platforms they run on, with links to every pricing, safety and versus page.

7 min readPractical comparison & testPublished 2026-10-01

Mac dictation apps differ most on three things: where your speech is turned into text (on the Mac or in a company's cloud), how you pay (free, subscription or once), and which devices they run on. The table below puts 13 of them side by side using only what our detailed pages found on each company's own site, as of 1 October 2026. It is not a ranking: we have not run a controlled benchmark of accuracy or speed, so nothing here is scored. Each row links to the pages with the detail, and the lists further down cover every comparison, pricing, safety and alternatives page on the site.

Publisher note: SuprFlow publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Competitor details come from each company's own pages, checked on 1 October 2026. Prices and features change; confirm before you buy.

How do the main Mac dictation apps compare?

App	Where speech is processed	Price model, as of 1 October 2026	Platforms	Detail pages
Apple Dictation	On the Mac or Apple's servers, depending on Mac and language; Keyboard settings say which	Included with macOS	Built into macOS	Privacy · Alternatives
Superwhisper	Local or cloud, chosen per mode; Free uses local Whisper models	Free; Pro $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once	Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android	Price · Safety · Alternatives
MacWhisper	On the Mac by default; optional cloud providers	Free; Pro €64 once	Mac	Price · Safety · Alternatives
Wispr Flow	Wispr's cloud; needs internet	Free with 2,000 words a week on desktop; Pro $15 a month or $144 a year	Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android	Price · Safety · Alternatives
Willow Voice	Willow's cloud; Private Mode on by default	Basic free; Pro $15 a month or $12 billed annually	Mac, Windows, iPhone; Android "Coming soon"	Price · Safety · Alternatives
Typeless	Typeless's cloud	Free with a weekly word limit; Pro $30 a month or $12 billed yearly	macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android	Price · Safety · Alternatives
Aqua Voice	Aqua's cloud	1,000 free words; Pro $10 a month or $8 billed annually	Mac, Windows, iOS; Android waitlist	Price · Safety · Alternatives
Spokenly	On the device with local models, or cloud by choice	Local models free; Pro $99.99 a year	macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS	Price · Safety · Alternatives
VoiceInk	On the Mac by default; cloud only if you add a provider	$25 once for one Mac; GPL v3 source free to build	Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 14.4 or later	Price · Safety · Alternatives
Handy	On your computer	Free, MIT licence	macOS, Windows, Linux	Safety
Monologue	Monologue's service by default; local mode on Apple silicon Macs	Trial, then Pro $15 a month or $144 a year	Mac, iPhone, iPad	Safety · Alternatives
BetterDictation	On the Mac; optional Pro cleanup sends text to OpenAI	$39 once for one Mac	Apple Silicon Mac	Alternatives
SuprFlow	On the Mac, with a downloaded speech model	$125 once for up to five Macs you own; no free tier	Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 14 or later	Data path · Versus Apple

Three things the table cannot show. A cloud app with no-retention defaults, audit reports or a business associate agreement may suit a firm better than a local app that has none; our safety pages say which apps list those. A local speech model does not mean no network traffic, because model downloads, licence checks and updates still use it. And the free option, Apple Dictation, is good enough for many people, so test it first.

Which page answers your question?

"Which one should I get?" Best dictation app for Mac, best free, best offline.
"I want to stop paying monthly." Mac dictation apps with no subscription and free vs paid: what you are paying for.
"Is it safe for work data?" The safety page for each app in the table, then Is Mac Dictation private? for the free baseline.
"How do I compare them myself?" How to compare Mac dictation apps fairly.

Head-to-head comparisons

Apple Dictation vs Wispr Flow: when free is enough.
Google voice typing vs Apple Dictation: one web app versus the whole Mac.
Superwhisper vs Wispr Flow: local option versus cloud only.
Superwhisper vs MacWhisper: dictation versus file transcription.
MacWhisper vs Wispr Flow: recordings versus live dictation.
MacWhisper vs VoiceInk: transcription workspace versus open-source dictation.
VoiceInk vs Superwhisper: open source versus a closed app with a lifetime plan.
Superwhisper vs Spokenly: two apps with local models.
Superwhisper vs Willow Voice, vs Typeless and vs Aqua Voice: local models against three cloud services.
Wispr Flow vs Willow Voice, vs Typeless, vs Aqua Voice, vs Monologue and vs Spokenly: Wispr Flow against each rival.
Whisper vs Whisper Flow vs Wispr Flow: three names that get mixed up.

Our own app against each alternative: Apple Dictation, Wispr Flow, Superwhisper, MacWhisper, Willow Voice, Typeless, Aqua Voice, Spokenly, VoiceInk, Handy, Monologue, BetterDictation, FluidVoice, OpenWhispr, VocaMac, Hold to Talk, Dictly, Voquill and open-source apps as a group.

Pricing pages

Wispr Flow and is Wispr Flow free?, Superwhisper, MacWhisper, Willow Voice, Typeless, Aqua Voice, Spokenly, VoiceInk and Dragon, which sells by quote and ended its Mac version in 2018.

Is it worth it?

Decision guides by type of user, each with a 15-minute test to run before paying: Wispr Flow, Superwhisper, MacWhisper Pro, Willow Voice and Typeless.

Safety and privacy pages

Apple Dictation, Wispr Flow and does Wispr Flow work offline?, Superwhisper, MacWhisper, Willow Voice, Typeless, Aqua Voice, Spokenly, VoiceInk, Handy and Monologue.

Alternatives pages

Wispr Flow alternatives, plus free and open-source lists.
Superwhisper, MacWhisper, Willow Voice, Typeless, Aqua Voice, Spokenly, VoiceInk, Monologue and BetterDictation alternatives.
Apple Dictation alternatives: when to stay with the free tool.
Dragon for Mac alternatives: what replaces the task you used Dragon for.
Otter alternatives for dictation: Otter records meetings; it is not voice typing.
Talon Voice alternatives: Apple Voice Control is the closest built-in option for hands-free control.

Questions people ask

Which Mac dictation apps keep speech on the Mac?

From the table: MacWhisper and VoiceInk by default, Handy, BetterDictation, Spokenly with local models, Superwhisper on its Free plan or local modes, Monologue's local mode on Apple silicon, our own app, and Apple Dictation where Keyboard settings say so. Wispr Flow, Willow, Typeless and Aqua Voice process speech in their cloud. Best offline dictation app has the detail.

Which ones can I buy once instead of subscribing?

VoiceInk, MacWhisper Pro, BetterDictation and Superwhisper's lifetime plan, as well as ours, are one-time purchases on the pages we checked. Handy is free. Apps with no subscription compares what lifetime covers.

Which apps work on Windows or Android too?

Superwhisper and Wispr Flow list Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and Typeless adds Linux. Willow lists Android as "Coming soon", and Aqua Voice has an Android waitlist. Handy runs on macOS, Windows and Linux.

Why is there no overall winner?

Because the right choice depends on where your speech may be processed, how often you dictate and which devices you use. We have not benchmarked accuracy, so ranking the apps would be guesswork.

Sources

Keep going

Compare the final text, not the demo.

Use the same short script, microphone, and destination app in both tools. Check the edits you need and where your words go.

01Use the same sample
02Compare the final wording
03Choose the path that fits

SPECIAL OFFER$29 once Original price: $125

One license. Up to 5 Macs you own.Special offer, down from $125.Apple Silicon · macOS 14+

Get SuprFlow for Mac

7-day no-questions-asked refund on your first purchase. Contact support within seven days for a full refund. Read the refund terms ↗