Skip to content
Dictate
Get Dictate

Checkout unavailable

We couldn’t open checkout.

Still stuck? Email support@dictates.app.

Email support
How it worksPrivacyPricingFAQ Account

Compare

vs Wispr Flowvs Superwhispervs MacWhispervs Apple Dictation

Alternatives, ranked

Superwhisper alternatives

Great app. A lot of knobs.

Superwhisper offers local and cloud models, API keys, per-mode settings, and a lifetime tier. If that feels like too much setup, start here.

Five alternatives ranked by setup effort. Dictate is our app and our #1 pick.

Comparing head-to-head instead? See Dictate vs Superwhisper.

  1. Our pick

    Setupsubscribe + sign in

    Dictate

    Dictate is ours. Hold a key, speak, and release to insert text at your cursor in native apps, browsers, Electron apps, or terminals. The models run on our servers, so there is nothing to download or tune.

    Pricing is one flat $8 a month. Audio travels over TLS, is transcribed, then discarded. History stores text, never recordings. Unused subscriptions are refunded.

    Audio leaves your Mac and transcription needs a connection. If that is a deal-breaker, stay with Superwhisper or choose VoiceInk.

    $8/month, one plan · Download Dictate

  2. Managed, pricier

    Setupcreate an account

    Wispr Flow

    Like Dictate, Wispr Flow handles transcription for you with no local models to manage.

    It is listed at $15 a month as of mid-2026. See our Wispr Flow alternatives page for a fuller comparison.

    Listed at $15/month

  3. Local, one-time

    Setupdownload a model first

    VoiceInk

    VoiceInk runs local Whisper models on your Mac, with optional cloud providers. It uses one-time pricing and is GPL open source.

    You still choose and download a model, and performance depends on your Mac. Paid builds start around $25 as of mid-2026; check their site for current tiers.

    One-time purchase, open source

  4. Files, not fields

    Setupdownload a model

    MacWhisper

    MacWhisper transcribes recordings locally using Whisper models and one-time pricing.

    Live push-to-talk is not its core job. If you need file transcription, though, it may be your best fit. See MacWhisper alternatives for live dictation.

    One-time purchase

  5. Free, built in

    Setupalready installed

    Apple Dictation

    Press the shortcut and speak. It is already installed, free, and good for short replies or searches.

    Longer passages expose its limits: sessions can stop after a pause, punctuation varies, and corrections use the keyboard.

    Free

The honest call

What you give up by leaving

Superwhisper keeps audio on-device. Dictate does not.

Dictate sends audio over TLS, transcribes it on our servers, then discards it. History stores text, never recordings. If that does not work for you, stay local with Superwhisper or VoiceInk. See Dictate vs Superwhisper.

FAQ

What people ask before they switch away from Superwhisper.

Is Superwhisper’s lifetime plan worth it?

Third-party listings reported the lifetime tier around $249.99 as of mid-2026. Check Superwhisper’s site because prices move. That equals roughly two and a half years of Dictate at $8 a month.

What’s the easiest Superwhisper alternative to set up?

Dictate is the simplest paid option: subscribe, sign in, and speak. There are no models or API keys. Apple Dictation is already installed and free, but can stop after a pause and its punctuation varies.

Is there a free Superwhisper alternative?

Apple Dictation is free and already installed. VoiceInk is GPL open source, so developers can also build it with Xcode at no cost.

Which alternatives keep audio on-device like Superwhisper?

VoiceInk can run local Whisper models, and MacWhisper also runs models locally. Dictate sends audio over TLS to our servers, transcribes it, then discards it. If on-device processing is required, stay with Superwhisper or another local tool.

Does Dictate work offline?

Transcription needs a connection, though the subscription check works offline. If you need dictation with no Wi-Fi, use a local tool.

Subscribe. Sign in. Talk. That’s the setup.

$8/month flat. Cancel any time; unused subscriptions refunded in full.

Subscribe · $8/month

Checkout unavailable

We couldn’t open checkout.

Still stuck? Email support@dictates.app.

Email support
See how it works