Choose OpenWhispr if you want open-source code (MIT), free local Whisper and Parakeet models, your own API keys on the free plan, and notes, meeting transcription and an AI agent in one app, including on Linux. Choose Superwhisper if you want to pay once ($249.99 Lifetime), an Android app, or built-in AI modes with cloud models included. Both have free plans with unlimited local dictation, both run on Mac and Windows, and both record meetings, so this is closer than most comparisons. OpenWhispr's Pro is slightly cheaper per year; Superwhisper is the only one with a one-time price.
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.
We have not run a controlled benchmark of either app, so nothing here says which is more accurate.
Who should pick which?
- You want to read or build the code: OpenWhispr. Superwhisper's pages do not describe it as open source.
- You want Parakeet for free: OpenWhispr. In Superwhisper, Parakeet is a Pro model.
- You want your own API keys without paying: OpenWhispr allows them on any plan; in Superwhisper they are Pro.
- You dislike subscriptions: Superwhisper Lifetime. OpenWhispr lists no one-time option.
- You use Android or Linux: Superwhisper lists Android; OpenWhispr lists Linux.
How do Superwhisper and OpenWhispr compare?
As of 3 October 2026. OpenWhispr details are from its pricing page, GitHub repository and Trust Center. Superwhisper details are from its plans page, introduction, quickstart, voice models page and compliance page.
| Superwhisper | OpenWhispr | |
|---|---|---|
| Source code | Not described as open source | MIT, on GitHub |
| Free plan | Unlimited dictation with local Whisper models; up to 2 modes, no AI processing | Unlimited local dictation; 2,000 OpenWhispr Cloud words a week; 5 hours of meeting recordings a month |
| Paid plans | Pro $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once | Pro $8 a month or $80 a year; Business $16 per user a month or $160 a year; Enterprise custom |
| Local speech models | Whisper free; Parakeet and Cohere Transcribe on Pro | Whisper, Parakeet, Cohere Transcribe and others, unlimited on every plan |
| Your own API keys | Pro | Any plan: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini or Groq |
| Meetings | Meeting recorder with speaker separation (Pro) | Detects Zoom, Teams and FaceTime calls, with local speaker labelling |
| Other features | AI modes, file transcription, context awareness | AI agent, notes with search and sync, team spaces, dictation translation, API and MCP |
| Platforms | macOS 14 or later, Windows 10 or 11, iOS, Android | macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows, Linux; iPhone and iPad app on Pro |
| Security documents | SOC 2 report under NDA, DPA, BAA | Trust Center lists SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, GDPR and HIPAA as "Compliant"; custom DPAs on Enterprise |
| Refund | 30 days from purchase on superwhisper.com | No refund terms on the pricing page; cancel any time and keep the Free plan |
OpenWhispr's README notes that on Intel Macs "live speaker identification and voice fingerprinting are unavailable", while meetings "still record and transcribe normally". Superwhisper's own FAQ says "Intel Macs work best with Cloud models."
How do they handle privacy?
Both separate local from cloud processing, and both are clear about it.
OpenWhispr's README says that with local models "your audio never leaves your device", and describes the app as having "No data collection, no telemetry". Its pricing FAQ says "cloud audio is transcribed then immediately discarded" and "We never store, sell, or train on your data". With your own keys, it says, "your data relationship stays direct with the provider". Notes can sync to the cloud if you use that feature, so check what you enable.
Superwhisper's plans page says that on the Free plan "nothing you dictate leaves your device". Its introduction says local voice models work without an internet connection, but "Other AI processing needs the internet" apart from its local S1-mini formatting model. Its compliance page says its cloud model integrations "include zero-data-retention terms", and that local-only models need no BAA.
On paperwork, Superwhisper offers its SOC 2 report under NDA and a BAA to sign. OpenWhispr's Trust Center, published under the name Gizmo Labs Inc., lists SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, GDPR and HIPAA as "Compliant"; ask OpenWhispr for the reports and whether it signs a BAA. OpenWhispr also lets you read the source. Does open-source dictation prove privacy? explains what that does and does not settle.
What does each cost over three years?
List prices as of 3 October 2026, one person, USD, before tax.
| Option | Year 1 | After 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Superwhisper Free | $0 | $0 |
| OpenWhispr Free | $0 | $0 |
| OpenWhispr Pro, annual | $80 | $240 |
| OpenWhispr Pro, monthly | $96 | $288 |
| Superwhisper Pro, annual | $84.99 | $254.97 |
| Superwhisper Pro, Lifetime | $249.99 | $249.99 |
Over three years the cheapest paid routes are within $15 of each other. OpenWhispr lists 40% off for 12 months for students, military and non-profits; Superwhisper lists 40% off for verified students and non-profits. Superwhisper pricing has its terms.
Choose Superwhisper if…
- You want to pay once rather than subscribe.
- You use an Android phone.
- You want AI modes and cloud models included without managing provider keys.
- You want a 30-day refund window and a SOC 2 report available today.
Choose OpenWhispr if…
- You want MIT-licensed source code.
- You want Parakeet and your own API keys without paying.
- You want notes, meetings and an AI agent in the dictation app, with some meeting hours free.
- You use Linux.
How do you test both in 15 minutes?
Both are free to start. Use made-up content.
- Install both (4 minutes). Grant Microphone and Accessibility. Superwhisper's default shortcut is Option-Space; give OpenWhispr a different hotkey. Pick a local model in each and note its name.
- Make sure nothing cloud is selected. In Superwhisper, confirm the mode's voice model is local. In OpenWhispr, choose local transcription.
- Dictate in your mail app (3 minutes). "Hi Fenella, the quote was 6,140 dollars, not 6,410. Job 8823 starts Monday the 2nd, sorry, Tuesday the 3rd. Copy Mr. Szabo-Mwangi."
- Check both names, both amounts, the job number and the corrected date.
- Turn Wi-Fi off and repeat (3 minutes). Both should keep working with local models.
- Try your jargon (5 minutes). Add misses to each app's dictionary and retry.
Count corrections, then weigh them against the features you will use.
A third option
Most readers will be served by one of these two free plans. SuprFlow is a narrower, paid alternative: a proprietary Mac menu-bar app for Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later. Hold Fn, speak, release, and text from an on-device model is pasted at the cursor, with local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. It costs $125 once for up to five Macs you own, with a 7-day refund on a first purchase. It is the wrong choice if you want open source, a free plan, meetings, notes, an AI agent, Windows, Linux or phone apps, or a vendor with audit reports; it has none of those. SuprFlow vs OpenWhispr and SuprFlow vs Superwhisper compare them.
Questions people ask
Is OpenWhispr free?
Yes for local dictation. Its pricing page says unlimited local dictation is "$0 — no card, no trial clock", and the free plan includes 2,000 cloud words a week and 5 hours of meeting recordings a month.
Is OpenWhispr a free Superwhisper alternative?
It covers dictation, local models, meetings and your own keys on its free plan, and its source is public. It has no Android app or one-time price, which Superwhisper offers.
Which is cheaper, Superwhisper Pro or OpenWhispr Pro?
OpenWhispr Pro, at $80 a year against $84.99, as of 3 October 2026. Superwhisper's $249.99 Lifetime licence is cheaper than three years of either annual plan.
Do both work offline?
Yes, with local models after they are downloaded. Cloud models, cloud AI and sync need a connection.
Related guides
- SuprFlow vs OpenWhispr
- Superwhisper pricing
- Superwhisper alternatives for Mac
- Open-source Wispr Flow alternatives
- Superwhisper vs FluidVoice
- Is Superwhisper safe and local?
Sources
- OpenWhispr — Pricing and FAQ
- OpenWhispr — GitHub repository and README
- OpenWhispr — Releases
- OpenWhispr — Trust Center
- Superwhisper Docs — Plans and Pricing
- Superwhisper Docs — Introduction
- Superwhisper Docs — Quickstart
- Superwhisper Docs — Voice models
- Superwhisper Docs — Compliance and Trust
- Superwhisper — official site and FAQ
- Superwhisper — Refund Policy