Wispr Flow and Willow are close relatives: both are hold-a-key dictation apps that send your speech to a cloud service and return cleaned-up text, and both charge $15 a month for Pro, or $12 a month billed annually. The differences are at the edges. Wispr Flow has an Android app and a meeting Notetaker, and its free plan uses the same service with a weekly word limit. Willow has no Android app yet, starts in a Private Mode that does not use your dictation for training, limits its free plan by model quality, and advertises an offline mode. Pick on those points, then let a 15-minute test decide.
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 this page does not say which one transcribes more accurately. It reports what each company states.
Who should pick which?
- You use an Android phone: Wispr Flow. Willow lists Android as coming soon.
- You want meeting notes in the same app: Wispr Flow, for its Notetaker on Mac and Windows.
- You want the no-training setting to be the default without touching anything: Willow, which says Private Mode is the default. In Wispr Flow you can switch model improvement off, but it starts on for Free and Pro.
- You sometimes have no connection: Willow lists an offline mode; confirm it works on your plan before relying on it. Wispr Flow has none.
- You need ISO 27001 as well as SOC 2 for a vendor review: Wispr Flow lists both.
How do Wispr Flow and Willow compare?
As of 1 October 2026. Wispr Flow details are from its pricing page, system requirements, known-limitations article and security overview. Willow details are from its pricing page, privacy policy, security page, homepage, dictation guide and plans overview.
| Wispr Flow | Willow | |
|---|---|---|
| Where speech is processed | In Wispr's cloud. "An internet connection is required" | Willow's privacy policy says it "uses cloud infrastructure" for dictation. Its site also lists an offline mode "powered entirely by your device" |
| Data location | United States | "Secure cloud infrastructure in the United States" |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android. No iPad or Linux | Mac, Windows, iPhone. Its download page says "Coming soon on Android" |
| Free plan | Same service, limited to 2,000 words a week on desktop and 1,000 on mobile | "Unlimited weaker speech-to-text model (Frontier Mini)", limited personalisation, 20 Scribe uses a week |
| Pro price | $15 per user a month; $12 a month billed annually | $15 a month; $12 a month billed annually |
| What Pro adds | Unlimited dictation, longer Notetaker history, shared dictionary and snippets, priority support | The "smartest" model (Frontier Pro), priority transcription, memory of your writing style, unlimited Scribe, longer dictations |
| Team tiers | Growth from $23 per user a month ($18 annual) with SSO; Enterprise custom | Business $35 a month ($28 annual) with enforced Private Mode; Enterprise custom with SSO |
| Notable features | Cleanup of filler words and self-corrections, dictionary, snippets, 100+ languages, meeting Notetaker | Context-aware formatting, dictionary, 100+ languages, Willow Scribe for drafting from a spoken request |
| How you dictate on Mac | Hold Fn, speak, release; hands-free mode available | Hold Fn, speak, release; double-tap for hands-free |
| Training on your content | "Improve the model for everyone" is on by default for Free and Pro; you can turn it off. Third-party providers cannot train on your data | Private Mode is the default: no retention and no training. "Help Improve Willow" is an opt-in |
| Other privacy controls | Dictation Cloud Storage on or off; local history options | Optional Context Awareness; transcript history stored locally on your device |
| Security documents | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA BAA | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA support with a BAA |
Where do Willow's own pages disagree with each other?
Two points are worth checking in the app before you pay, because Willow's pages describe them differently.
- The free plan's limit. The pricing page describes the free plan as unlimited use of a weaker model. Willow's plans overview, dated 9 July 2026, lists a word limit of 2,000 a week on Free.
- Offline dictation. Willow's homepage and security page mention an offline mode, and the plans overview lists "Offline dictation" under Individual Pro. The privacy policy describes dictation as cloud-processed. If offline use matters, turn Wi-Fi off during a trial and see what happens on your plan.
The checkout screen is the final word.
How do the privacy defaults differ?
Both companies process audio on servers in the United States, and both say their AI providers may not train on your content. The difference is the starting position.
Willow's privacy policy, updated 5 August 2026, says that in Private Mode, the default, Willow "may process voice audio transiently to return a transcription" but does not retain audio or dictated text or use them for training. Retaining recognised text to improve Willow is an optional opt-in.
Wispr's security overview says "Improve the model for everyone" is on by default for Free and Pro, with the choice shown during onboarding, and that Dictation Cloud Storage is a separate setting. Both can be turned off in Settings → Data and Privacy. Is Wispr Flow safe? lists each setting.
Neither default changes the architecture: with either app in its normal mode, your audio leaves the Mac to be transcribed.
Choose Wispr Flow if…
- You need Android, or want one tool on four platforms today.
- You want the meeting Notetaker.
- You prefer a free plan that is the full service with a word cap.
- Your security team asks for an ISO 27001 certificate.
- You want team features on the Pro plan without a minimum number of seats.
Choose Willow if…
- You want no-retention, no-training behaviour as the starting default.
- You prefer a free plan limited by model quality.
- Willow Scribe, which drafts text from a spoken request, appeals to you.
- You want to try its offline mode.
How do you test both in 15 minutes?
Both are free to start, and both use the Fn key by default on a Mac, so test one at a time or change one shortcut.
- Install the first app (3 minutes). Sign in and allow Microphone and Accessibility.
- Dictate a fictional email (2 minutes). "Hi Callum, the venue quote is 7,900 dollars, not 9,700. We have, um, 40 no sorry 45 guests. Can you confirm by Friday the 12th? Thanks, Mei."
- Check five things. Both names, both figures, the guest correction, the date, and the punctuation.
- Dictate into your hardest app (2 minutes). A browser form, a chat app or a code editor.
- Open the privacy settings (2 minutes). In Wispr Flow, look at Settings → Data and Privacy. In Willow, look for Private Mode and Context Awareness. Set them the way you would actually use them.
- Quit the first app and repeat steps 1 to 5 with the second (6 minutes).
Count corrections for each. If they tie, decide on platforms, the Notetaker and the privacy default.
A third option
Both of these apps are cloud services by design. If what you want is speech recognised on the Mac itself, with nothing to pay monthly, that is a different kind of app. SuprFlow is one: a Mac-only app for Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later that runs a speech model on the device and costs $125 once. It has no free tier, no phone or Windows app, no meeting notes and no team console, so it suits a single Mac user, not a cross-device team. Free local options are listed in Free Wispr Flow alternatives, and SuprFlow vs Willow Voice covers that pairing.
Questions people ask
Is Willow cheaper than Wispr Flow?
For one person on Pro, the list price is the same: $15 a month, or $12 a month billed annually. The team tiers differ: Wispr's Growth plan starts at $23 per user a month and Willow's Business plan is $35 a month.
Does Willow or Wispr Flow work offline?
Wispr Flow does not; its docs say transcription needs internet. Willow's site lists an offline mode, while its privacy policy describes cloud processing, so test it on your plan. See Does Wispr Flow work offline?.
Do Wispr Flow and Willow train on my voice?
Willow says not by default; you would have to opt in to "Help Improve Willow". Wispr says model improvement is on by default for Free and Pro and can be switched off, and is locked off on Enterprise.
Related guides
- SuprFlow vs Willow Voice
- Wispr Flow pricing
- Is Wispr Flow safe?
- Wispr Flow vs Typeless
- Best dictation app for Mac
- What a no-training agreement should cover
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 Help Center — What is Wispr Flow?
- Willow — Pricing
- Willow — Privacy Policy
- Willow — Security
- Willow — official site
- Willow — Download
- Willow Help Center — Willow Pricing Plans Overview
- Willow Help Center — Dictating with Willow Voice