Choose Aqua Voice if price matters most: Pro is $10 a month, or $8 billed annually, against Willow's $15 or $12, as of 3 October 2026, and Aqua lists Intel Macs as well as Apple Silicon. Choose Willow if you want a free plan you can keep using and a no-retention setting that is already on when you install it. Both work the same way on a Mac (hold Fn, speak, release) and both transcribe in the cloud. The real differences are the starting privacy setting, how the free tier ends, and a few features each sells on its higher plans.
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. Willow's homepage makes its own accuracy and speed claims; we have not checked them and do not repeat them.
Who should pick which?
- You want the cheapest unlimited plan: Aqua Pro.
- You want to stay on a free plan: Willow Basic. Aqua's 1,000 free words are a one-off allowance; its FAQ calls them the free trial.
- You do not want to change any privacy setting: Willow, whose Private Mode is the default. Aqua's Privacy Mode starts off.
- You use an Intel Mac: Aqua lists "Apple Silicon and Intel". Willow's pages we read do not say.
- You want words to appear while you speak: Aqua Max, with Realtime Mode.
- You want a draft written from a rough spoken request: Willow Scribe.
How do Willow Voice and Aqua Voice compare?
As of 3 October 2026. Willow details are from its pricing page, homepage, privacy policy, security page and dictation guide. Aqua details are from its pricing page, product summary, FAQ and terms.
| Willow Voice | Aqua Voice | |
|---|---|---|
| Where speech is processed | Willow "uses cloud infrastructure" for dictation, in the United States. Its homepage also lists an offline mode | Instant Mode runs on Aqua's own Avalon models; Realtime Mode "streams audio to a third-party realtime speech provider" |
| Offline | Advertised; see below | "Cloud dictation needs an internet connection. Offline availability varies by platform, app version, and mode" |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone; Android "Coming soon" | macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows 10 and 11, iPhone; Android waitlist |
| Free tier | "Unlimited weaker speech-to-text model (Frontier Mini)", 20 Scribe uses a week | 1,000 free words with the Avalon model, no credit card |
| Pro | $15 per user a month, or $12 billed annually | $10 a month, or $8 billed annually |
| Higher plans | Business $35 a month ($28 annual) with enforced privacy mode; Enterprise with SSO | Max $30 ($24 annual) with Realtime Mode and "Send it"; Business $24 a seat ($19 annual), minimum 2 seats, with SSO, SCIM and Zero Data Retention |
| Notable features | Filler and punctuation cleanup, style matching, self-learning dictionary, shortcuts, Scribe, 100+ languages | Formatting matched to the app you are in, Custom Instructions and an expanded dictionary on Pro |
| How you dictate on Mac | Hold Fn; double-tap for hands-free | Hold Fn, speak, release (or tap again) |
| Privacy default | Private Mode on: audio processed transiently, dictated text and screen content not retained. "Help Improve Willow" is opt-in | Privacy Mode off: transcripts "may be stored on our servers to improve the product". Turn it on and "they are not stored" |
| Screen context | Context Awareness, optional; text "is not retained, and is not used for model training" | Deep Context, "off until you enable it, and its data is never stored" |
| Security claims | SOC 2 Type II; Business Associate Agreements for HIPAA-regulated teams | SOC 2 Type II report and ISO/IEC 27001:2022; HIPAA use cases after contacting support about BAA terms |
| Refund | Not stated on the pages we read | "Fees paid are non-refundable" except as the terms specify |
Which privacy setting should you check first?
In Aqua, turn on Privacy Mode before you dictate anything real. Its product summary says that with Privacy Mode off, the default, transcripts may be stored to improve the product, and that with it on, session metadata such as timestamps and device type may still be collected. Is Aqua Voice safe? covers the rest.
In Willow, confirm Private Mode is still on and decide about Context Awareness. Willow's privacy policy, updated 5 August 2026, says history is "stored locally on your device". Is Willow Voice safe? lists the settings.
Neither setting changes where recognition happens: audio leaves the Mac with both.
Does Willow really work offline?
Willow's homepage says "Dictate without an internet connection, powered entirely by your device", and its plans overview puts offline dictation on Individual Pro, but its privacy policy describes only cloud processing. Test with Wi-Fi off before relying on it.
What does each cost over three years?
List prices as of 3 October 2026, one person, USD, before tax, assuming prices do not change.
| Option | Year 1 | After 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Willow Basic (free) | $0 | $0 |
| Aqua Pro, annual | $96 | $288 |
| Aqua Pro, month-to-month | $120 | $360 |
| Willow Pro, annual | $144 | $432 |
| Willow Pro, monthly | $180 | $540 |
| Aqua Max, annual | $288 | $864 |
Aqua is cheaper on every paid row; only Willow has a free plan you can stay on. Aqua's fees are non-refundable, so start month-to-month if unsure. Willow Voice pricing and Aqua Voice pricing cover student discounts.
Choose Willow if…
- You want a free plan for ongoing light use.
- You want no-retention behaviour as the starting default.
- Scribe's drafting appeals to you.
Choose Aqua Voice if…
- You want unlimited cloud dictation at the lower price.
- You use an Intel Mac.
- You want Realtime Mode or the "Send it" command (Max).
- Your reviewer wants an ISO 27001 certificate as well as a SOC 2 report.
How do you test both in 15 minutes?
Aqua's 1,000 words are enough. Both use Fn by default, so run one at a time. Use made-up content.
- Install the first app (3 minutes). Allow Microphone and Accessibility. In Aqua, turn on Privacy Mode. In Willow, confirm Private Mode.
- Dictate into your mail app (2 minutes). "Hi Oyelaran, the deposit is 2,960 dollars, not 2,690. Pickup moves from Thursday the 9th to, sorry, Friday the 10th. Thanks, Henrike."
- Check both names, both amounts and the corrected date.
- Dictate into a browser form or chat app, then turn Wi-Fi off and try one sentence (3 minutes).
- Quit it and repeat steps 1 to 4 with the second app (7 minutes).
If corrections tie, decide on price and the privacy default.
A third option
Both services transcribe in the cloud. If you want speech recognised on your Mac instead, SuprFlow uses the same hold-Fn flow with an on-device model, and its Default formatting is local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. Optional cloud formatting sends transcript text, not audio, to the provider you pick. It costs $125 once for lifetime access on up to five Macs you own, with a 7-day refund on a first purchase and no subscription. It is the wrong choice if you want a free plan or trial, an Intel Mac, Windows or phone apps, Realtime Mode, drafting, or audit reports: it is Mac only (Apple Silicon, macOS 14 or later) and not open source. SuprFlow vs Aqua Voice and SuprFlow vs Willow Voice compare them.
Questions people ask
Is Aqua Voice cheaper than Willow?
Yes on paid plans: Aqua Pro is $10 a month or $8 billed annually; Willow Pro is $15 or $12, as of 3 October 2026. Willow has a free plan you can stay on; Aqua's free tier is 1,000 words.
Which is more private by default, Willow or Aqua?
Willow, on its own description: Private Mode is on from the start. Aqua's Privacy Mode starts off, and transcripts may be stored until you turn it on. Both process audio in the cloud.
Do Willow and Aqua Voice work on an Intel Mac?
Aqua lists Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Willow's pricing page lists Mac without naming a chip, so check its download page before you rely on an Intel Mac.
Related guides
- Willow Voice pricing
- Is Willow Voice safe?
- Aqua Voice pricing
- Is Aqua Voice safe?
- Wispr Flow vs Aqua Voice
- Willow Voice vs Typeless
Sources
- Willow — Pricing
- Willow — official site
- Willow — Privacy Policy (updated 5 August 2026)
- Willow — Security
- Willow Help Center — Dictating with Willow Voice
- Willow Help Center — Willow Pricing Plans Overview
- Aqua Voice — Pricing
- Aqua Voice — llms.txt product summary
- Aqua Voice — FAQs
- Aqua Voice — Terms of Service