Mac dictation apps compared
Dictation apps differ in four ways that matter: what they cost and how they charge, what you can use before paying, whether your audio is processed on your Mac or on a server, and which devices they run on. This page lays those facts side by side. Every competitor cell comes from that maker's own public page, linked below. We make WhisprDesk, so read this as one maker's summary and check the sources yourself.
Last checked October 24, 2026. We re-check every quarter and whenever a price changes.
| WhisprDesk Source: This site | Wispr Flow Source: wisprflow.ai/pricing | Superwhisper Source: superwhisper.com | MacWhisper Source: macwhisper.com | VoiceInk Source: tryvoiceink.com | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price model | $24.99 one-time. No subscription. Includes every update we ship for WhisprDesk 1. | Free plan at $0. Pro is $15 per user per month, or $12 on annual billing. | Free plan at $0. Pro is $8.49 per month, with yearly and lifetime options also listed. | Free plan at €0. Pro is €64 once, listed with lifetime updates. | One-time: $25 for 1 Mac, $39 for 2, $49 for 3. Listed as no subscription. |
| Free tier or trial | 7-day trial of the full app. No credit card, no account, no email. The app locks when it ends. 14-day refund window on a purchase. | Free plan with limited usage. The page says you never need a credit card to start. | Free plan with unlimited use of Whisper models. Pro features can be tried for 3,000 words. 30-day refund listed. | Free version listed as free forever. | Free trial offered. Its length and limits are not stated on the page. 14-day money-back guarantee listed. |
| Where transcription runs | On your Mac, with Whisper or NVIDIA Parakeet. Optional AI cleanup sends the transcript text, not audio, to the provider whose key you add. | In the cloud. Its data-controls page (wisprflow.ai/data-controls) says transcription always occurs on the cloud. | Local and cloud models are both listed. | Local models are listed, and you can also switch to models hosted remotely. | On your device. Optional cloud enhancement processes the transcribed text. |
| Works offline | Yes, after a one-time model download. A paid license checks in with our license server about once a week. | Transcription runs in the cloud (see its data-controls page), so it needs a connection. | Yes. The page says it works offline. | Yes. The page lists "Offline" as a feature: process content locally on your Mac. | Not stated in those words on the page. |
| Platforms | Mac. Apple Silicon (M1 or later), macOS 14 Sonoma or later. | Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. | Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. | Mac. | Mac. The page says Apple Silicon and macOS 14.4 or later. |
Where the others are ahead
- Wispr Flow and Superwhisper both list a free plan, and both list Windows, iPhone and Android. WhisprDesk is a Mac app with a 7-day trial.
- Both of those list 100 or more languages. WhisprDesk's Whisper engine covers 58 or more, and its Parakeet engine supports 25.
- Wispr Flow lists a Notetaker for meeting notes, including limited access on its free plan.
- MacWhisper lists meeting recording, speaker recognition and subtitle export. WhisprDesk does not list those.
Where WhisprDesk fits
WhisprDesk suits people who want dictation that runs on their Mac, one price with no subscription, and nothing to sign up for. The trial is the full app for 7 days with no card and no account. It runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later on Apple Silicon. If you need Windows, a phone app, or a permanent free plan, one of the others may suit you better.
See local versus cloud dictation for what that difference means in practice, or how the free trial works.
Wispr Flow, Superwhisper, MacWhisper and VoiceInk are trademarks of their respective owners. Information is taken from their public websites as of October 24, 2026. We are not affiliated with them. Spotted something out of date? Email support@whisprdesk.com and we will correct it within a day.