Choose Superwhisper if you want the option of recognising speech on your own Mac, want dictation that keeps working with no connection, or would rather pay once than subscribe. Choose Willow if you are happy for a cloud service to transcribe your speech, want a no-retention, no-training Private Mode that is on from the start, and want a free plan limited mainly by model quality. Unlike a choice between two cloud apps, this one starts with where your audio goes: Superwhisper lets you pick local or cloud per mode, while Willow's own privacy policy describes cloud processing.
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.
We have not run a controlled benchmark of either product, so nothing below is a score. It is what each company documents, plus a test you can run yourself.
Who should pick which?
- You work offline, or a rule says audio stays on the device: Superwhisper with a local voice model.
- You want to pay once: Superwhisper Lifetime. Willow lists monthly and annual billing only.
- You want privacy settings that are already right on day one, and cloud processing is allowed: Willow, whose Private Mode is the default.
- You want AI drafting from a spoken request: Willow Scribe. Superwhisper does similar work through custom AI modes on Pro.
- You use Android: Superwhisper. Willow lists Android as coming soon.
How do Superwhisper and Willow compare?
As of 1 October 2026. Superwhisper details are from its plans page, introduction, sensitive-data guide and compliance page. Willow details are from its pricing page, privacy policy, homepage and download page.
| Superwhisper | Willow | |
|---|---|---|
| Where speech is processed | Your choice per mode: a local voice model on the device, or a cloud voice model | Willow "uses cloud infrastructure to provide fast and accurate voice dictation". Its homepage also lists an offline mode |
| Works without internet | Yes, with local voice models | Advertised; see below |
| Platforms | macOS 14 or later, Windows, iOS, Android | Mac, Windows, iPhone. Android "coming soon" |
| Free plan | Unlimited dictation with local Whisper models, up to two modes without AI processing. New users get 3,000 words of Pro features | "Unlimited weaker speech-to-text model (Frontier Mini)", limited personalisation, 20 Scribe uses a week |
| Paid plan for one person | Pro: $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year, or $249.99 once | Pro: $15 a month, or $12 a month billed annually |
| Team plans | Enterprise with SSO, SCIM and the option to disable hosted cloud models | Business $35 a month ($28 annual) with enforced privacy mode; Enterprise with SSO |
| Training on your content | Cloud providers are under zero-data-retention terms; audio and text "are not used to train any AI models" | Private Mode, the default: audio is processed transiently and not retained or used for training. "Help Improve Willow" is opt-in |
| Where history is kept | On your device | "Stored locally on your device" |
| Security documents | SOC 2 report on request; DPA and BAA to sign | SOC 2 Type II; a BAA any user can sign |
| Refund | 30 days from first purchase on superwhisper.com | Not stated on the pages we read |
Does Willow really work offline?
Willow's pages do not agree with each other, so test it before relying on it. The homepage lists an offline mode: "Dictate without an internet connection, powered entirely by your device." Willow's plans overview lists offline dictation under Individual Pro. But the privacy policy, updated 5 August 2026, describes cloud processing and does not mention an offline mode. Willow's help article on how it protects your data explains its use of cloud models by saying "On-device models cannot match this level of performance right now."
None of these pages says which model runs offline, on which plans, or how its results differ. Superwhisper's introduction is specific: "Local voice models transcribe without an internet connection", and offline AI formatting needs its local S1-mini model in certain modes. If offline use is a requirement rather than a nice extra, that documentation is the safer basis.
What does each cost over three years?
List prices as of 1 October 2026, one person, USD, before tax, assuming prices do not change.
| Option | Year 1 | After 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Superwhisper Free | $0 | $0 |
| Willow Basic (free) | $0 | $0 |
| Superwhisper Pro, annual | $84.99 | $254.97 |
| Superwhisper Pro, Lifetime | $249.99 | $249.99 |
| Willow Pro, annual | $144 | $432 |
| Willow Pro, monthly | $180 | $540 |
Superwhisper's plans page says buying in the iPhone or Android app costs more than on its website. Superwhisper pricing and Willow Voice pricing cover discounts, refunds and the places where Willow's own pages describe its free limit differently.
Choose Superwhisper if…
- You need dictation with no connection, documented by the vendor.
- You want to decide, mode by mode, whether audio or text leaves the Mac.
- You want to pay once, or want a cheaper annual plan.
- You want file transcription or your own API keys (both Pro).
- You use Android.
Note that a local model is a setting. Superwhisper's sensitive-data guide explains that a cloud voice model sends audio off the device, so check each mode. Is Superwhisper safe? lists what to review.
Choose Willow if…
- Your work permits a US cloud vendor and you want no-retention as the default.
- You want punctuation, formatting and filler words handled with little setup; Willow's homepage says you need not think about them.
- You like the idea of Scribe for drafting from a spoken request.
- Your organisation wants Private Mode enforced for every user on a Business plan.
Is Willow Voice safe? lists the settings to check.
How do you test both in 15 minutes?
Both are free to start. Use made-up content so nothing private is sent anywhere.
- Install both (4 minutes). Grant Microphone and Accessibility. Superwhisper's default Mac shortcut is Option-Space; Willow's dictation guide uses Fn. In Superwhisper, note which voice model is selected.
- Dictate in your mail app (3 minutes). "Hi Rosalind, the catering quote is 6,350 dollars, not 6,530. We expect, um, 70, sorry, 75 guests. Can you confirm by Monday the 14th? Thanks, Teo."
- Check five things. Both names, both figures, the guest correction, the date, and the punctuation.
- Turn Wi-Fi off and repeat (4 minutes). Note what each app does on your plan.
- Open the privacy settings (4 minutes). In Willow, find Private Mode and Context Awareness. In Superwhisper, check each mode's voice and language model.
Count the corrections. Fewer corrections in your own apps is the result that matters.
A third option
If what you want is local speech recognition on a Mac without choosing models or modes, SuprFlow is a simpler app: hold Fn, speak, release, and the text is pasted at the cursor. Its Default formatting is local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. It costs $125 once for up to five Macs you own and needs Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later. It is the wrong choice if you want a free plan, Windows or phone apps, file transcription, AI drafting or a SOC 2 report, and Superwhisper's free tier already gives local dictation at no cost. SuprFlow vs Superwhisper and SuprFlow vs Willow Voice have the details.
Questions people ask
Is Superwhisper or Willow better for privacy?
They protect privacy in different ways. Superwhisper can keep audio and text on the Mac if you choose local models. Willow sends audio to its cloud but says that, in its default Private Mode, it does not retain audio or dictated text or use them for training.
Does Willow work offline like Superwhisper?
Willow's homepage lists an offline mode, but its privacy policy describes cloud processing and does not explain the offline feature. Superwhisper documents offline dictation with local voice models. Test with Wi-Fi off.
Which is cheaper, Superwhisper or Willow?
Superwhisper Pro is $84.99 a year against $144 a year for Willow Pro on annual billing, as of 1 October 2026. Superwhisper also sells a $249.99 Lifetime licence. Both have free plans.
Can I use both at once?
Yes, but give them different shortcuts so they do not both start recording.
Related guides
- Superwhisper pricing
- Is Superwhisper safe and local?
- Willow Voice pricing
- Is Willow Voice safe?
- Wispr Flow vs Willow Voice
- Superwhisper vs Wispr Flow
Sources
- Superwhisper Docs — Plans and Pricing
- Superwhisper Docs — Introduction
- Superwhisper Docs — Quickstart
- Superwhisper Docs — Sensitive Data Best Practices
- Superwhisper Docs — Compliance and Trust
- Superwhisper — Refund Policy
- Willow — Pricing
- Willow — Privacy Policy
- Willow — official site
- Willow — Download
- Willow Help Center — How Willow Protects Your Data and Privacy
- Willow Help Center — Willow Pricing Plans Overview
- Willow Help Center — Dictating with Willow Voice