Vs. · Willow Voice
Dictate vs Willow Voice
Both apps transcribe in the cloud and insert text at your cursor. Dictate has one $8 plan; Willow has free, Pro, Team, Business, and Enterprise tiers. Dictate is our app.
Side by side
| Dimension | Dictate | Willow Voice |
|---|---|---|
| One flat price As of mid-2026: Free, Pro at $15/month, Team at $12/user with 3 seats minimum, Business at $35/user, and custom Enterprise. | $8/month, one plan | Four tiers + Enterprise |
| Audio discarded after transcription Dictate sends audio over TLS, transcribes it, then discards it. History stores text only. | Yes | Unknown, see vendor docs |
| Same privacy behavior on every plan Willow lists zero-retention privacy mode for Business as of mid-2026. We could not verify other tiers. | Yes | Unknown, see vendor docs |
| No word caps or session limits Willow Free allows 2,000 words a week and 5-minute sessions as of mid-2026. Paid plans are unmetered. | Yes | On paid plans |
| Inserts text at your cursor Both apps insert speech at the cursor. Dictate uses hold, speak, release. | Yes | Yes |
| A dropped connection can’t lock you out Dictate’s subscription check is a signed ticket cached on your Mac. Transcription itself still needs the network. | Yes | Unknown, see vendor docs |
| AI polish / formatting step Both apps run a cleanup pass after transcription. Auto-formatting is the headline feature on Willow’s site (mid-2026). | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier Willow offers a free tier. Dictate starts at $8 and refunds unused subscriptions. | No | Yes |
| Windows and iPhone apps Willow lists both alongside its Mac app (site, mid-2026). Dictate is Mac-only. | No | Yes |
| SOC 2 / HIPAA paperwork On Willow’s Business tier as of mid-2026. Dictate has no compliance tier, because it has no tiers. | No | Yes |
Cells marked “Unknown, see vendor docs” mean we couldn’t verify the capability from public sources at time of writing. We’d rather say “we don’t know” than guess.
The pricing page test
Willow prices checked in mid-2026. Confirm them before buying.
Willow Voice receipt
Total: depends on seats and tier
Monthly prices, as of mid-2026. Pro drops to $12 on annual billing.
The honest call
Choose Willow Voice if…
You need Windows or iPhone apps, SOC 2 Type II or HIPAA paperwork, or a free tier. Willow offers those as of mid-2026; Dictate does not.
Dictate instead offers one flat price and discards audio after transcription. For more options, see Willow Voice alternatives or side-by-side with Wispr Flow, another $15-a-month option as of mid-2026.
FAQ
What people ask before picking between the two.
Is Dictate cheaper than Willow Voice?
Yes. Willow Pro costs $15 a month, or $12 billed annually, as of mid-2026. Dictate costs $8 monthly. Willow also has a free tier capped at 2,000 words a week.
Do both apps send audio to the cloud?
Yes. Dictate sends audio over TLS, transcribes it on our servers, then discards it. Willow is also cloud-based. Its Business tier advertises zero-retention mode; check Willow’s policy for other tiers.
Does Dictate have a free tier like Willow?
No. Dictate costs $8 a month. Unused subscriptions are refunded in full; after any transcription, the month is non-refundable.
Can I use either app on Windows or iPhone?
Willow lists Windows and iPhone apps on its site as of mid-2026. Dictate is Mac-only.
Which app is more accurate?
We have not benchmarked them. Accuracy depends on your microphone, accent, and vocabulary. Test both with your own material.
Skip the tier math.
$8/month flat. Cancel any time; unused subscriptions refunded in full.