Choose VoiceInk if you want an app whose source code you can read and build, a low one-time price ($25 for one Mac as of 1 October 2026), and local transcription by default with your own provider keys for anything in the cloud. Choose Superwhisper if you want a free tier you can stay on, included cloud models and AI modes with no keys to manage, apps for Windows and phones, and a vendor that publishes a SOC 2 report. Both can recognise speech on your Mac, so the real decision is open source and a small one-time licence against a closed, broader product with a free tier, a subscription and a $249.99 Lifetime option.
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 app. Everything below comes from each project's own pages.
Who should pick which?
- You want to read or build the code: VoiceInk. Superwhisper's pages do not describe it as open source.
- You want the lowest one-time price for a Mac: VoiceInk, $25 to $49 depending on the number of Macs.
- You want to pay nothing and not build anything: Superwhisper Free, with unlimited local Whisper dictation.
- You want cloud models without opening accounts with providers: Superwhisper Pro includes them. VoiceInk uses your own API keys.
- You also use Windows or Android: Superwhisper.
- Your organisation needs audit documents: Superwhisper lists a SOC 2 report, a DPA and a BAA. VoiceInk lists none.
How do VoiceInk and Superwhisper compare?
As of 1 October 2026. VoiceInk details are from its pricing page, GitHub repository, privacy policy and terms. Superwhisper details are from its plans page, introduction, sensitive-data guide and compliance page.
| VoiceInk | Superwhisper | |
|---|---|---|
| Source code | GPL v3 on GitHub; you can build it yourself | Not described as open source |
| How you pay | One-time: $25 (1 Mac), $39 (2), $49 (3), "Lifetime of updates" | Free tier; Pro $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year, or $249.99 Lifetime |
| Free route | 7-day trial of the compiled app, or build from source | Free plan with unlimited local Whisper dictation |
| Devices | 1 to 3 Macs per licence; the iOS app is licensed separately | "Unlimited Macs and Windows PCs, plus your iPhone and Android phone" |
| Mac requirement | Apple Silicon, macOS 14.4 or later on the pricing page; the README lists macOS 15.0 or later | macOS 14 or later; Intel Macs "work best with Cloud models" |
| Where speech is processed | On the Mac by default; optional cloud transcription sends audio to the provider whose key you add | Your choice per mode: local voice models or Superwhisper's cloud voice models |
| AI text processing | Optional, with your own provider key or local Ollama; "Only the transcribed text (never audio) is sent" | AI modes on Pro, with included cloud or local language models, or your own keys |
| Other features listed | Personal dictionary, app-aware settings, screen-aware context, AI writing modes | Custom modes, file transcription, meeting recording, context awareness |
| Audits | None listed | SOC 2 report on request; DPA and BAA |
| Refund | 14 days; the terms ask for a reason | 30 days from first purchase on superwhisper.com |
What does "open source" get you here?
VoiceInk's terms describe a dual licence. Under GPL v3 you may compile and run the app from source; the ready-made app from the website is sold under a commercial licence with automatic updates and support. The README says the compiled version "includes additional benefits like automatic updates, priority support via Discord and email".
Building it yourself has costs. VoiceInk's build instructions list macOS 15.0 or later and Xcode, say local builds "do not include iCloud dictionary sync or automatic updates", and warn that ad-hoc signed builds may need macOS permissions again after each rebuild.
What source access does not do is prove that a downloaded binary matches the code. Building it yourself is how you get that certainty. Does open-source dictation prove privacy? explains the limits, and Is VoiceInk safe? lists the network traffic VoiceInk's pages describe, including licence activation and updates.
Superwhisper asks you to trust its documentation instead, and backs it with a Trust Center listing a SOC 2 Type 2 report available on request. Is Superwhisper safe? covers what that page says.
What does each cost over three years?
List prices as of 1 October 2026, one person, USD, before tax.
| Option | Year 1 | After 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| VoiceInk, built from source | $0 | $0 |
| VoiceInk Solo, 1 Mac | $25 | $25 |
| VoiceInk Extended, 3 Macs | $49 | $49 |
| Superwhisper Free | $0 | $0 |
| Superwhisper Pro, annual | $84.99 | $254.97 |
| Superwhisper Pro, Lifetime | $249.99 | $249.99 |
Two costs sit outside the table. VoiceInk's cloud features bill you through your own provider account. Superwhisper's plans page says buying in the iPhone or Android app costs more than on its website. VoiceInk pricing and Superwhisper pricing cover discounts and refunds.
Choose VoiceInk if…
- You want to inspect or build what you run.
- You only use Apple Silicon Macs and want to pay once, cheaply.
- You are comfortable adding your own API keys for any cloud step.
- You do not need audit documents.
Choose Superwhisper if…
- You want a free tier with no trial clock.
- You want cloud models and AI modes without managing provider accounts.
- You need Windows, Android, or many devices on one licence.
- You want file transcription or meeting recording.
- A reviewer wants a SOC 2 report or a BAA.
How do you test both in 15 minutes?
VoiceInk's 7-day trial and Superwhisper Free are enough. Use made-up content.
- Install both (4 minutes). Grant Microphone and Accessibility. Download one local model in each and note its name. Give the two apps different shortcuts; Superwhisper's default is Option-Space.
- Check that nothing cloud is selected. In VoiceInk, confirm the transcription model is local and AI enhancement is off. In Superwhisper, confirm the mode's voice model is local.
- Dictate in your mail app (3 minutes). "Hi Saoirse, we billed 4,710 dollars, not 4,170. Order 2286 ships Monday the 6th, sorry, Tuesday the 7th. Copy Dr. Lindqvist."
- Check both names, both amounts, the order 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 or vocabulary and retry.
Count corrections, then weigh them against price and what you want to be able to inspect.
A third option
SuprFlow sits between the two on price and below both on transparency. It is a proprietary Mac app for Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later: hold Fn, speak, release, and a local model's text is pasted at the cursor, with local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. It costs $125 once for up to five Macs you own. It is the wrong choice if you want source code (VoiceInk), a free tier (Superwhisper), the lowest one-time price (VoiceInk), or Windows, phone apps or file transcription (Superwhisper). SuprFlow vs VoiceInk and SuprFlow vs Superwhisper compare them.
Questions people ask
Is VoiceInk a free Superwhisper alternative?
Partly. VoiceInk's source is free to build under GPL v3, and the compiled app has a 7-day trial before a $25 one-time licence. Superwhisper itself has a free tier with unlimited local Whisper dictation, so compare against that too.
Is VoiceInk or Superwhisper more private?
Both process speech locally with local models, and both send audio to a provider if you choose a cloud model. VoiceInk lets you read and build the code. Superwhisper publishes a SOC 2 report and offers a DPA and BAA.
Does VoiceInk run on Intel Macs or Windows?
VoiceInk's pricing page says it works only on Apple Silicon Macs. It has a separate iOS app and no Windows app. Superwhisper runs on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Which has better update terms?
VoiceInk lists a "Lifetime of updates" on every licence. Superwhisper says Lifetime keys never expire and every plan has the same features. Neither guarantees future features, so read the current terms.
Related guides
- VoiceInk pricing
- Is VoiceInk safe and open source?
- Superwhisper pricing
- Is Superwhisper safe and local?
- MacWhisper vs VoiceInk
- Mac dictation apps you can buy once
Sources
- VoiceInk — Pricing
- VoiceInk — GitHub repository README and LICENSE
- VoiceInk — BUILDING.md
- VoiceInk — Privacy Policy
- VoiceInk — Terms of Service
- Superwhisper Docs — Plans and Pricing
- Superwhisper Docs — Introduction
- Superwhisper Docs — Quickstart
- Superwhisper Docs — Sensitive Data Best Practices
- Superwhisper Docs — Compliance and Trust
- Superwhisper — Trust Center
- Superwhisper — official site
- Superwhisper — Refund Policy