Mac dictation apps compared
There are more good ways to talk to your Mac than ever. This page compares the popular options on the two things people ask about most, price and where your audio is processed, and says plainly what each one is best at. Yes, we make Whisp, so we have kept to facts you can check.
Popular Mac dictation apps
| App | Price | Where audio is processed | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whisp | $9.99 once (7-day free trial) | On your Mac (Apple Speech) | Mac |
| Wispr Flow | Free tier; Pro $15/mo or $12/mo annually | Cloud | Mac, Windows and more |
| Superwhisper | Free plan; $8.49/mo, $84.99/yr, $249.99 lifetime | Local Whisper or cloud | Mac and more |
| MacWhisper | Free; Pro €64 once | Local, or cloud with your own keys | Mac |
| VoiceInk | $25 / $39 / $49 once (1–3 Macs) | Local | Mac (Apple Silicon) |
| Claude Code /voice | Included with Claude Code | Anthropic’s servers | Inside Claude Code |
Checked November 2, 2026 against: Wispr Flow pricing, Superwhisper plans, MacWhisper, VoiceInk pricing, Claude Code voice dictation, Apple: Use dictation on Mac. Prices change; check each vendor before you buy.
Which one should you choose?
- You want AI-polished writing across Mac and Windows: Wispr Flow.
- You want custom AI modes and to choose your own Whisper or cloud models: Superwhisper.
- You mostly transcribe recordings and meetings: MacWhisper.
- You want open-source, local Whisper dictation on Apple Silicon: VoiceInk.
- You only dictate into Claude Code and are happy with cloud audio: Claude Code’s /voice.
- You want private dictation for prompts and code, with nothing to download, for a one-time $9.99: Whisp.
What about Apple’s built-in Dictation?
macOS Dictation is free and a good starting point. Apple notes that whether requests are processed on-device depends on your Mac and language, and you can check this in Keyboard settings. Whisp adds what developers miss: file-name and acronym cleanup, custom vocabulary, phrase replacements, a searchable history and one shortcut that works the same in every app.
Questions
- What is the cheapest dictation app for Mac without a subscription?
- Among the paid apps in this comparison, Whisp has the lowest one-time price at $9.99, after a 7-day free trial. Apple’s built-in Dictation is free.
- Which Mac dictation apps work offline?
- Whisp, VoiceInk, MacWhisper with local models and Superwhisper with local models can work offline. Wispr Flow and Claude Code’s /voice transcribe in the cloud.