Aqua Voice is an AI dictation app for Mac, Windows and iOS, made by Aqua Voice, Inc., a San Francisco company. Aqua describes it as "AI-native dictation" where you "hold one key, talk into any text field" and get formatted text. Audio is processed in the cloud, using Aqua's own Avalon speech model in its default mode. New users get 1,000 free words, and unlimited use needs a subscription.
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.
This profile is built from Aqua's own pages. We have not tested Aqua Voice, and nothing here is a judgement of its quality or accuracy.
Aqua Voice quick facts
| What Aqua's pages say | |
|---|---|
| Maker | Aqua Voice, Inc., per its privacy policy. Its product summary says it was founded in 2023 and is based in San Francisco. |
| Platforms | macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows 10 and 11, and iOS; Android has a waitlist (pricing). |
| Where speech is processed | In the cloud. Instant mode uses Aqua's own Avalon model; Realtime mode streams audio to a third-party realtime speech provider (product summary). |
| Price model | Subscription. As of 3 October 2026: Pro $10 a month or $8 a month billed annually; Max $30 a month or $24 billed annually; Business $24 per seat a month or $19 billed annually, minimum 2 seats (pricing). |
| Free tier | A one-off allowance: "1,000 free words" with the Avalon model and no credit card. Aqua's FAQ treats it as the free trial. |
| Notable documented features | Custom Instructions, an expanded custom dictionary, Realtime Mode, a "Send it" voice command (Max), Deep Context (optional screen reading for names and technical terms), Local History and Privacy Mode. |
| Privacy documents | Privacy policy (effective 29 July 2026), terms of service, a Vanta-hosted Trust Center, and posts on its SOC 2 report and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificate. |
| Source availability | Commercial app. Aqua calls Avalon its "proprietary speech-recognition model", and its pages do not describe the app as open source. |
What does Aqua Voice do?
Aqua lets you hold a key, speak, and have formatted text appear in whatever text field you are using. Your audio goes to Aqua's cloud and is transcribed by Avalon, a speech model Aqua built itself and says it trained on "human-computer interaction speech", meaning prompts, code and email. That focus shows in its feature list: Deep Context can read what is on screen to get names and technical terms right, and Custom Instructions and a custom dictionary shape the output.
The paid tiers differ by feature. Pro gives unlimited words, Custom Instructions and an expanded dictionary. Max adds Realtime Mode, where you see words as you speak, and a "Send it" voice command. Business adds centralized billing, SSO/SAML, SCIM, advanced reporting and Zero Data Retention for teams.
Two defaults matter. Aqua's product summary says Deep Context is "off until you enable it, and its data is never stored". Privacy Mode is off by default; Aqua's privacy policy says that with it off, "we may securely store transcript data on our servers to the extent necessary to improve the product", and with it on, "transcript data is not collected". Our Aqua Voice safety guide covers both.
Who is Aqua Voice for?
Based on Aqua's own pages, it suits people who:
- dictate prompts, code comments, technical writing or email, the kinds of speech Aqua says Avalon was trained on;
- want formatted text in any app on a Mac, Windows PC or iPhone;
- want to see words appear as they speak (Realtime Mode on Max);
- are allowed to use a cloud service, and will turn on Privacy Mode or have a team plan enforce it;
- buy for a team that wants SSO, SCIM and Zero Data Retention, and a vendor with a SOC 2 Type II report and an ISO 27001 certificate.
Who may want something else?
These reasons come from Aqua's own pages:
- You need dictation without a connection. Aqua's FAQ says "Cloud dictation needs an internet connection. Offline availability varies by platform, app version, and mode."
- Audio must not leave the device. Both transcription modes run in the cloud.
- You want a free plan to stay on. The 1,000 free words are an allowance, and Aqua's FAQ treats them as the trial.
- You want to pay once or expect refunds. Aqua lists monthly and annual billing only, and its terms say fees paid are non-refundable except where the terms say otherwise.
- You use Android. It is on a waitlist.
How does Aqua Voice compare?
- Price and the free allowance: Aqua Voice pricing
- Privacy and audits: Is Aqua Voice safe?
- Other options: Aqua Voice alternatives for Mac
- Head to head: SuprFlow vs Aqua Voice, Wispr Flow vs Aqua Voice and Superwhisper vs Aqua Voice
- Problems: Aqua Voice not working and How to cancel Aqua Voice
Where does SuprFlow fit?
SuprFlow, which publishes this page, takes a different trade-off: local speech on the Mac with an on-device model, and one payment ($125 lifetime access for up to 5 Macs you own, a 7-day refund on a first purchase, no subscription). Default formatting is local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. Optional cloud formatting sends transcript text, not audio, to the provider you pick.
SuprFlow is the wrong choice if you want free words to try first, Windows or iPhone apps, live words on screen as you speak, screen-aware context, team SSO, or a vendor with a SOC 2 report and ISO certificate. Aqua lists those and SuprFlow has none of them. Aqua Pro is also cheaper than SuprFlow for the whole first year.
Questions people ask
Is Aqua Voice free?
Only to start. As of 3 October 2026, Aqua's pricing page gives 1,000 free words with no credit card, and its FAQ calls this the free trial. After that, unlimited words need Pro. See Aqua Voice pricing.
Is Aqua Voice safe?
Aqua says it has a SOC 2 Type II report and an ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificate, and that Deep Context data is never stored. Audio is processed in the cloud, and transcripts may be stored to improve the product unless you turn on Privacy Mode. Is Aqua Voice safe? has the details.
Does Aqua Voice work offline?
Not for cloud dictation. Aqua's FAQ says "Cloud dictation needs an internet connection" and that offline availability varies by platform, app version and mode. Check your own version before relying on it.
How much is Aqua Voice?
As of 3 October 2026, Pro is $10 a month or $8 a month billed annually ($96 a year), Max is $30 a month or $24 billed annually, and Business is $24 per seat a month or $19 billed annually. Aqua Voice pricing has a three-year cost table.
Related guides
- Aqua Voice pricing
- Is Aqua Voice safe?
- Aqua Voice alternatives for Mac
- SuprFlow vs Aqua Voice
- What is AI dictation?
- Where does my dictation go?