Wispr Flow is good, but your voice goes to its servers, it needs an account, and it costs $12–15 a month. If any of that is why you're looking, here are the alternatives, starting with the one we make.
Checked October 2026 · Prices in each maker's currency
Side by side
“Speech runs” is where your voice becomes text. Ticked: it can stay on your Mac.
| App | Price | Speech runs | Source | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 TypeVoice | $79 once (2 Macs); 7-day trial | On your Mac, always | Open, GPL v3 | English |
| Superwhisper | Free tier; Pro $84.99/yr or $249.99 lifetime | Local or cloud | Closed | 100+ |
| MacWhisper | Free tier; Pro €64 once | Local; optional cloud | Closed | 100 |
| VoiceInk | $25–49 once | Local; optional cloud keys | Open, GPL v3 | Many (by model) |
| Apple Dictation | Free, built in | On device (Apple silicon, supported languages) | Closed | Dozens |
| Handy | Free | On your computer | Open, MIT | Several (by model) |
| FluidVoice | Free | On your Mac | Mostly open (GPL v3) | Many (by model) |
The alternatives
Hold a key, talk, and clean text lands in any app. Fillers, stutters and restarts are fixed on your Mac; names come out right through a sound-matched Dictionary. No account, no cloud, no subscription. We make it, so weigh our view accordingly.
A big toolbox: custom AI modes, local and cloud speech models, meeting recording and file transcription. Most AI rewriting uses cloud models on Pro.
The go-to for files: batch transcription, speaker labels, YouTube links, SRT export, meeting capture. Dictation is included but isn't its main job.
Open source, local by default, with a wide model menu, per-app modes and optional cloud providers using your own keys. Rewards people who like to tinker.
Already on your Mac. Good for a sentence here and there. No custom vocabulary or filler removal, and it stops after 30 seconds of silence.
A small open-source push-to-talk tool that does one job. Optional AI post-processing is off by default. Fewer niceties, no cost.
Fast local models and an optional on-device AI download for rewriting and voice commands. Sends anonymous usage analytics by default; you can turn the detailed ones off.
Which one
TypeVoice is the better pick ifFree for 7 days · $79 once · Runs entirely on your Mac
All names are trademarks of their owners; we're not affiliated with any of them. Facts come from each maker's own site, docs or repository as of October 2026. Something out of date? Write to support.
Questions
For everyday dictation that never leaves your Mac and is paid once, TypeVoice. For the lowest price with lots of options, VoiceInk. For free, Handy or FluidVoice. For transcribing recordings, MacWhisper.
Yes: Apple's built-in Dictation, Handy and FluidVoice are free. Superwhisper and MacWhisper have free tiers. TypeVoice is free for 7 days, then $79 once.
TypeVoice ($79), MacWhisper Pro (€64) and VoiceInk ($25–49) are one-time purchases. Superwhisper sells a $249.99 lifetime licence besides its subscription.
No. Wispr Flow's own docs say transcription always occurs in the cloud, so it needs an internet connection.