Wispr Flow and Aqua Voice are both cloud services: you hold Fn on a Mac, speak, and text from their servers appears where you are typing. Choose Wispr Flow if you want a free plan you can stay on (2,000 words a week on desktop), an Android app, or a meeting Notetaker. Choose Aqua Voice if you want the lower Pro price ($10 a month, or $8 billed annually, against Wispr's $15 or $12), its own Avalon speech model, or a Realtime mode that shows words as you speak. Both publish a SOC 2 Type II report and an ISO 27001 certificate, and both start with a data setting you may want to change.
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 service. Aqua publishes its own speed figures; we have not checked them, so we do not repeat them.
Who should pick which?
- You want to stay on a free plan: Wispr Flow. Aqua's 1,000 free words are a one-off allowance for trying the app.
- You want the cheapest unlimited plan: Aqua Pro.
- You use Android: Wispr Flow. Aqua lists Android on a waitlist.
- You want meeting notes in the same product: Wispr Flow's Notetaker, on Mac and Windows.
- You want to watch words appear as you speak: Aqua Max, with Realtime Mode.
How do Wispr Flow and Aqua Voice compare?
As of 1 October 2026. Wispr details are from its pricing page, system requirements, known-limitations article and security overview. Aqua details are from its pricing page, product summary, FAQ and privacy policy.
| Wispr Flow | Aqua Voice | |
|---|---|---|
| Where speech is processed | In Wispr's cloud; "an internet connection is required" | "Audio is processed in the cloud." Instant mode on Aqua's Avalon models; Realtime mode uses "a third-party realtime speech provider" |
| Free plan | 2,000 words a week on desktop, 1,000 on mobile | 1,000 free words with the Avalon model |
| Pro | $15 per user a month, or $12 billed annually | $10 a month, or $8 billed annually |
| Higher tiers | Growth $23 per user a month ($18 annual) with SSO and HIPAA enforcement; Enterprise custom with SCIM and audit logs | Max $30 a month ($24 annual) with Realtime Mode and "Send it"; Business $24 a seat ($19 annual), minimum 2 seats, with SSO, SCIM and Zero Data Retention |
| Platforms | macOS 12 or later (Apple Silicon or Intel), Windows, iPhone, Android | macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows 10 and 11, iOS 17 or later; Android waitlist |
| Meeting notes | Notetaker on Mac and Windows | Not listed on the pages we read |
| Data default to check | "Improve the model for everyone" is on by default for Free and Pro | Privacy Mode is off by default; transcripts "may be stored on our servers to improve the product" |
| Screen context | Context Awareness reads limited text from the app you dictate into; can be turned off | Deep Context is "off until you enable it, and its data is never stored" |
| Audits | SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 27001:2022, via its Trust Center | SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 27001:2022, via its Trust Center |
| Health information | HIPAA BAA any user can accept in Settings | HIPAA program; contact support before use to discuss BAA terms |
| Data location | United States, on AWS | Not stated on the pages we read |
What do their security programmes actually say?
Aqua announced each step on its own blog. Its SOC 2 post, dated 25 March 2026, says its auditors "informed us that we meet the criteria needed to be certified as SOC 2 Type II compliant" and names Advantage Partners as the audit firm. Its ISO 27001 post, dated 14 July 2026, announces ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification. A GDPR and HIPAA post on 23 September 2026 describes compliance programs and asks healthcare users to contact support before handling protected health information. Aqua's FAQ adds a fair note: "SOC 2 is an audit report, not a certification." The report and certificate are in a Vanta-hosted Trust Center.
Wispr describes its programme in its security overview: a SOC 2 Type II report and an ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificate in its Trust Center, encryption with TLS 1.2 or higher in transit and AES-256 at rest, and processing in the United States. It also says dictation is the audited system and the later Notetaker was not assessed.
What a SOC 2 report proves for your purchase depends on its scope. What a SOC 2 report proves for a dictation buyer explains what to ask for.
Which settings should you change first?
- In Wispr Flow, open Settings → Data and Privacy and turn off "Improve the model for everyone" and, if you wish, Dictation Cloud Storage. Is Wispr Flow safe? lists each setting.
- In Aqua, turn on Privacy Mode and leave Deep Context off unless you want it. Is Aqua Voice safe? covers what its pages leave open.
Neither setting changes where recognition happens: with both apps, audio leaves the Mac.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wispr Flow Free | $0 | $0 |
| Wispr Flow Pro, annual | $144 | $432 |
| Wispr Flow Pro, monthly | $180 | $540 |
| Aqua Pro, annual | $96 | $288 |
| Aqua Pro, month-to-month | $120 | $360 |
| Aqua Max, annual | $288 | $864 |
Aqua's terms say fees paid are non-refundable except as the terms specify, so start month-to-month if unsure. Wispr's prices vary by region. Wispr Flow pricing and Aqua Voice pricing have the details.
Choose Wispr Flow if…
- You want a free plan for light, ongoing use.
- You use Android, or need the Notetaker.
- You want a BAA you can accept yourself in Settings.
- You need macOS 12 support.
Choose Aqua Voice if…
- You want unlimited cloud dictation at the lower price.
- You want Realtime Mode or the "Send it" command.
- You want screen context off by default and Privacy Mode under your control.
- You want SSO plus SCIM on a two-seat team plan.
How do you test both in 15 minutes?
Both use Fn by default on a Mac, so run one at a time.
- Install the first app (3 minutes). Allow Microphone and Accessibility. Set the privacy settings above.
- Dictate a fictional email (2 minutes). "Hi Leopold, the deposit is 3,275 dollars, not 3,725. We need, um, 12, sorry, 14 chairs. Can you confirm by Tuesday the 20th? Thanks, Amara."
- Check both names, both figures, the chair correction and the date.
- Dictate into your hardest app (2 minutes): a browser form, chat app or code editor.
- Quit it, then repeat steps 1 to 4 with the second app (7 minutes).
Count corrections; if they tie, decide on price, platforms and the Notetaker.
A third option
Both services send audio to the cloud by design. If you want speech recognised on the Mac instead, SuprFlow is one option: 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 and needs Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later. It is the wrong choice if you need a free plan, Windows, phone apps, meeting notes, SSO or audit reports, all of which these two offer. Free local options are in Free Wispr Flow alternatives.
Questions people ask
Is Aqua Voice cheaper than Wispr Flow?
On Pro, yes: $10 a month or $8 billed annually against Wispr's $15 or $12, as of 1 October 2026. Wispr's free plan renews weekly; Aqua's 1,000 free words do not.
Are Wispr Flow and Aqua Voice SOC 2 compliant?
Both say they have a SOC 2 Type II report and an ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificate, available through their Trust Centers. We have not read either report.
Do Wispr Flow or Aqua Voice work offline?
Wispr says an internet connection is required. Aqua says cloud dictation needs a connection and offline availability varies by platform, app version and mode. See Does Wispr Flow work offline?.
Related guides
- Wispr Flow pricing
- Is Wispr Flow safe?
- Aqua Voice pricing
- Is Aqua Voice safe?
- Superwhisper vs Aqua Voice
- Wispr Flow vs Willow Voice
Sources
- Wispr Flow — Pricing
- Wispr Flow Help Center — Supported devices and system requirements
- Wispr Flow Help Center — What to expect from Flow: accuracy and known limitations
- Wispr Flow Help Center — Security and privacy overview
- Wispr Flow — Trust Center
- Aqua Voice — Pricing
- Aqua Voice — llms.txt product summary
- Aqua Voice — FAQs
- Aqua Voice — Privacy Policy
- Aqua Voice — Terms of Service
- Aqua Voice Blog — Aqua Voice is SOC 2 compliant
- Aqua Voice Blog — Aqua Voice is ISO 27001 certified
- Aqua Voice Blog — Aqua Voice is GDPR and HIPAA compliant