MacWhisper has a free version and a paid one. As of 1 October 2026, macwhisper.com lists MacWhisper Free at €0, "Free forever", and MacWhisper Pro at €64 per licence, "Pay Once", with lifetime updates included. There is no subscription on the direct download. The free version transcribes files and has basic system-wide dictation; Pro adds the meeting recorder, batch work, speaker recognition, AI features and higher-quality dictation.
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 much does MacWhisper Pro cost?
Prices as of 1 October 2026, from the pricing section of macwhisper.com and MacWhisper's help article on the two editions.
| Edition | Price | How it is sold |
|---|---|---|
| MacWhisper Free | €0, "Free forever" | Direct download from macwhisper.com |
| MacWhisper Pro | €64 per licence, "Pay Once", "Includes lifetime updates" | Licence key bought through Gumroad; works only with the direct download |
| Volume licences | Check the current price with MacWhisper | Packs of 5, 10, 20 or 50 licences; more on request |
| Whisper Transcription (App Store edition) | Check the current price on the Mac App Store | Weekly, monthly or yearly in-app subscription; no licence key field |
The site showed the price in euros when we checked. Gumroad may show another currency or add tax for your country, so the checkout total is the figure to trust.
A Pro licence is personal. MacWhisper's licensing help article says "the personal license is meant for your own devices, with a soft limit of 3", and says licences showing signs of abuse or resale can be disabled automatically. You can release a Mac under Settings, Pro, Remove licence.
MacWhisper Free vs Pro: what does the free version do?
The pricing section on macwhisper.com sets two columns side by side. This table follows that layout as it rendered on 1 October 2026.
| Area | In the Free column | In the Pro column only |
|---|---|---|
| Transcription | Record from your Mac microphone; mp3, wav, m4a, ogg, opus, mov and mp4 files; 100 languages | Automatic speaker recognition; YouTube and media URLs; podcasts with a file per speaker; batch transcription; auto cleanup; translate transcripts |
| Export | Subtitles as .srt and .vtt; text as .txt | Also .md, .pdf, .html, .dote and .docx |
| Dictation | "System wide dictation" | "System wide high quality dictation"; automatic grammar improvement; dictate with AI prompts; app-specific prompts |
| Video | Generate .srt and .vtt subtitles | Inline video player with subtitles; translate subtitles automatically |
| Meetings | Not listed | Automatically record meetings in Zoom, Teams, Webex, Skype, Chime, Discord and more; start and end detection |
| AI services | Not listed | Bring your own API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, xAI, Azure, DeepSeek, Google, OpenRouter); custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints; local models through Ollama and LM Studio |
| Automation | Not listed | Watched folders; uploads to Notion, Zapier, Obsidian, n8n, Make.com or a webhook; command-line control |
Two cautions about this split:
- The site does not say which speech models each column gets. "Dictation" against "high quality dictation" is MacWhisper's wording. We could not confirm the model list per edition from the site or its help articles, so check inside the free app.
- AI features carry a separate running cost. MacWhisper's dictation help article says AI dictation prompts need "your own AI key" and an active Pro licence. Your AI provider bills you for that usage; the €64 does not cover it.
How does the App Store edition differ?
The App Store edition is called Whisper Transcription. MacWhisper's FAQ says the macwhisper.com version "offers full functionality, including features like system-wide dictation and automatic meeting recording", and that because of App Store restrictions those features are not in the App Store version. The help article adds that the App Store edition is paid by subscription and cannot accept a Gumroad licence key. If dictation is why you are looking at MacWhisper, buy the direct download.
What are the refund terms?
The FAQ on macwhisper.com says: "If you're not satisfied with MacWhisper Pro, contact us within 7 days of purchase detailing your concerns, and we'll process a refund." Since the free version exists, use it first and treat the 7 days as a check on the Pro-only features.
Is there a MacWhisper discount code?
We do not list or pass on discount codes. What MacWhisper documents itself:
- Students, journalists and non-profit organisations "are eligible for a 25% discount on MacWhisper Pro". You email [email protected] with details of your work or organisation.
- Teams can buy discounted licence packs.
- One help article carries an upgrade link labelled 20% off. That article was last updated in February 2025, so the price on the Gumroad checkout decides whether it still applies.
How much does MacWhisper cost over one, two and three years?
List prices as of 1 October 2026, one person, before tax. Note the mixed currencies; we have not converted them.
| Option | How you pay | Year 1 | After 2 years | After 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacWhisper Free | Free | €0 | €0 | €0 |
| MacWhisper Pro | €64 once | €64 | €64 | €64 |
| SuprFlow | $125 once | $125 | $125 | $125 |
| Superwhisper Pro, annual | $84.99 a year | $84.99 | $169.98 | $254.97 |
How to read it honestly:
- There is no break-even month between MacWhisper Pro and SuprFlow. Both are paid once, and MacWhisper Pro is the cheaper purchase: €64 against $125. That does not reverse over time.
- MacWhisper also does more. It transcribes files, records meetings and exports subtitles. SuprFlow does none of those; it is a Mac menu-bar dictation app with no file transcription and no meeting recorder, and no free tier or trial.
- Where SuprFlow's price buys something: its personal licence covers up to five Macs you own, where MacWhisper describes a soft limit of three, and dictation is the whole product, not one feature among many. SuprFlow requires Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later, recognises speech on the Mac, and applies local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. It has a 7-day refund on a first purchase.
- Against a subscription, a one-time licence is ahead from the first renewal onward, as the Superwhisper row shows.
We have not run a controlled benchmark of dictation in either app. Superwhisper vs MacWhisper compares the two Whisper apps in more detail.
Who should pay for MacWhisper Pro, and who should not?
Pay for Pro if you transcribe recordings in volume, want meetings recorded and transcribed, need speaker labels, or want exports beyond .txt and subtitles. For that work, €64 once is hard to argue with.
Stay on Free if you transcribe the occasional file and plain .txt or subtitle output is enough.
Think twice if you only want push-to-talk dictation. Try the free version's dictation first; it may be all you need. If you decide you want a dedicated dictation app, compare the options in MacWhisper alternatives.
Questions people ask
Is MacWhisper free?
Yes. macwhisper.com lists MacWhisper Free at €0, "Free forever", with file transcription in 100 languages, .txt and subtitle export, and system-wide dictation.
Is MacWhisper Pro a subscription?
Not on the direct download. macwhisper.com lists Pro as "Pay Once" at €64 per licence with lifetime updates, as of 1 October 2026. The App Store edition, Whisper Transcription, is sold by subscription.
How many Macs can I use one MacWhisper Pro licence on?
MacWhisper says the personal licence is for your own devices and describes a soft limit of three. Teams should buy a licence pack.
Can I get a refund on MacWhisper Pro?
MacWhisper's FAQ says to contact them within 7 days of purchase with your concerns and they will process a refund.
Related guides
- MacWhisper alternatives
- SuprFlow vs MacWhisper
- Superwhisper vs MacWhisper
- Mac dictation apps you can buy once
- Wispr Flow pricing