Dictation & voice typing

What is the best dictation app for Mac and Windows? Wispr Flow has the largest following and works on every major device, Superwhisper suits people who want offline dictation, and VoiceOS goes further by carrying out tasks by voice.

Wispr Flow types cleaned-up, punctuated text into any app on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, removing filler words and mid-sentence corrections. It scores 4.8 on the UK App Store from 2,516 ratings, 4.5 on Google Play from 11,000, 4.75 on Product Hunt from 81 and 4.5 on G2 from 19.

Superwhisper types formatted text into any app on the same four platforms and lets you choose between cloud and local models. It scores 4.9 on Product Hunt from 22 reviews and 4.3 on the App Store from 102 ratings, though it has many settings and modes to learn.

VoiceOS adds an Agent Mode that sends emails, replies in Slack and finds files on Mac and Windows. It is very new, with a single Product Hunt score of 5.0 from 3 reviews, and has no phone app yet.

Which dictation app is free? Superwhisper's free plan has no word cap at all, Wispr Flow's free plan allows 2,000 words a week on desktop, and VoiceOS has no free plan.

Superwhisper's free version gives unlimited dictation using local Whisper models, plus meeting recording and transcription, and new users get 3,000 words of Pro free. Wispr Flow's free plan covers dictation on all its platforms in more than 100 languages, with 2,000 words a week on desktop and 1,000 on mobile and no card needed. VoiceOS offers a 7-day trial of Pro, which needs a card.

Wispr Flow vs Superwhisper: which is better value? Superwhisper is cheaper, at $84.99 a year against Wispr Flow's $144, and it is the only one of the two sold as a lifetime licence.

Prices as the makers give them: - Superwhisper Pro: $8.49 a month or $84.99 a year, or $249.99 once for a lifetime licence - Wispr Flow Pro: $15 a month or $12 a month billed yearly, per user; the UK App Store lists it at £15 a month or £143.99 a year - Wispr Flow Growth: $23 per user a month, or $18 billed yearly, adding SSO and HIPAA enforcement - VoiceOS Pro: $29.99 a month, or $11.99 a month billed yearly

Superwhisper's licence covers unlimited Macs and Windows PCs plus your phones, and every individual plan has a 30-day refund window. Wispr Flow's Pro plan includes its bot-free Notetaker for meetings at no extra cost. Superwhisper notes that App Store and Google Play prices are higher than buying on its own site.

Does dictation software work offline? Superwhisper does, with local models that keep audio and text on your device, while Wispr Flow always transcribes in the cloud.

Superwhisper's offline models run well only on Apple Silicon Macs, which matters for older Intel machines and for Windows users. Wispr Flow processes data in the US and has no offline mode, and model training is on by default for Free and Pro users until switched off. VoiceOS says audio is not stored on its servers by default and is not used for training. For lawyers, clinicians and anyone handling sensitive work, a fully local setup is the cautious choice.

How do students get dictation apps cheaper? All three makers state a student discount: 50% off Wispr Flow Pro, 50% off VoiceOS Pro and 40% off Superwhisper.

Wispr Flow gives students and educators 50% off Pro, and some student accounts can claim a free annual plan; non-profit, military, senior and accessibility discounts need verification. Superwhisper's 40% discount covers verified students, educators and non-profits buying on superwhisper.com. VoiceOS halves Pro for students and also offers 50% off to people building VoiceOS integrations. Yearly billing then cuts the price further on all three, by 20% on Wispr Flow and by well over half on VoiceOS.