Best dictation apps for Mac
Eight apps that turn your speech into text on a Mac, what each one costs, and who each one suits. Every price was read on the company's own website.
Last updated · October 22, 2026
| Feature | VocType | Wispr Flow | Superwhisper | Aqua Voice | VoiceInk | MacWhisper | Willow Voice | Apple Dictation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac and Windows | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Mac (Apple Silicon), iOS | Mac, iOS | Mac, Windows, iOS | Built into macOS |
| Where speech is turned into text | Cloud | Cloud | Your device or cloud | Cloud | Your Mac (local AI models) | Your Mac, or cloud services you choose | Cloud | Depends on language and settings |
| Free option | No. 30-day free trial on both plans | 2,000 words a week on desktop | Free local models | 1,000 free words | Free trial | MacWhisper Free, with Pro features paid once | Basic: a lighter model, 20 Scribe uses a week | Free, built in |
| Monthly price | $9 | $15 | $8.49 | $10 | No subscription | No subscription | $15 | Free |
| Yearly price | $70 | $144 | $84.99 | $96 | No subscription. $25 once for 1 Mac | No subscription. €64 once for Pro | $144 | Free |
Prices in US dollars unless another currency is shown. Sources, from each company's own website: Wispr Flow pricing, checked October 21, 2026; Superwhisper pricing, checked October 21, 2026; Aqua Voice pricing, checked October 21, 2026; VoiceInk pricing, checked October 21, 2026; MacWhisper pricing, checked October 22, 2026; Willow Voice pricing, checked October 22, 2026; Apple Dictation guide, checked October 21, 2026. Wispr Flow and Aqua Voice and Willow Voice show their yearly plan as a monthly rate; the yearly price here is 12 times that rate.
The short list
- Best for typing by voice in every app on a budget: VocType, $70 a year.
- Best free option to keep using: Apple Dictation, built into macOS.
- Best if you want the same app on your phone: Wispr Flow, Aqua Voice or Willow Voice.
- Best if you want to choose where speech is processed: Superwhisper.
- Best if you would rather pay once: VoiceInk or MacWhisper.
- Best for transcribing files and meetings: MacWhisper.
How we picked
We make VocType, so we list it first. We have tried to be fair to the others, and every app has a line on who should pick it over ours. Here is what we did, and what we did not do:
- We included apps that type what you say into other Mac apps, plus the dictation that comes with macOS.
- We read each price, free option and platform list on the company's own website on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026. The source for each app is linked under the table and in its section.
- We hide a price once it is more than 90 days old, so you never see an old number presented as current.
- We have not run speed or accuracy tests across these apps. This page ranks them by fit for different people, not by test scores.
What to decide before you pick
Cloud or on your Mac
Cloud apps send your recording to a server, which turns it into text. Others can run a speech model on your Mac. VocType, Wispr Flow, Aqua Voice and Willow Voice work in the cloud. Superwhisper, VoiceInk and MacWhisper can process speech on your Mac. Apple Dictation does either, depending on your language and settings.
Subscription or one payment
Most of these apps charge monthly or yearly. VoiceInk and MacWhisper sell a license you pay for once. Apple Dictation is free.
Mac only, or your phone too
VocType runs on Mac and Windows. If you want to dictate on your phone with the same app, check the Platforms row in the table.
A free option, or a free trial
Several apps have a free option you can keep using. VocType has a 30-day free trial on both plans, with a card required up front, and no free option after that.
1. VocType
Press Option + Space to start recording and press it again to stop. VocType pastes the text at your cursor in the app you are using: email, Slack, docs, a code editor, a terminal or an AI chat box. It keeps every transcript in History so you can copy it again, and lets you retry one that failed. Add names and jargon to the Personal Dictionary so they come out spelled your way. A recording can run up to 30 minutes.
- Platforms: Mac and Windows
- Where speech is turned into text: Cloud, so it needs an internet connection
- Price: $9 a month or $70 a year, after a 30-day free trial on both plans
Pick it if you dictate every day into many apps and want one hotkey that works the same everywhere, at a low yearly price. Developers: see dictation for developers.
2. Wispr Flow
- Platforms: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
- Where speech is turned into text: Cloud
- Free option: 2,000 words a week on desktop
- Monthly price: $15
- Yearly price: $144
- Source: Wispr Flow pricing
Pick it if you want a free allowance to keep using, the same app on your phone, or team plans with admin controls.
3. Superwhisper
- Platforms: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
- Where speech is turned into text: Your device or cloud
- Free option: Free local models
- Monthly price: $8.49
- Yearly price: $84.99
- Source: Superwhisper pricing
Pick it if you want to choose whether speech is turned into text on your Mac or in the cloud, and start with free models on your Mac.
4. Aqua Voice
- Platforms: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
- Where speech is turned into text: Cloud
- Free option: 1,000 free words
- Monthly price: $10
- Yearly price: $96
- Source: Aqua Voice pricing
Pick it if you want a cloud app with Windows and phone apps too, and want to try it with a small free allowance first.
5. VoiceInk
- Platforms: Mac (Apple Silicon), iOS
- Where speech is turned into text: Your Mac (local AI models)
- Free option: Free trial
- Monthly price: No subscription
- Yearly price: No subscription. $25 once for 1 Mac
- Source: VoiceInk pricing
Pick it if you would rather pay once than subscribe, and want speech turned into text on your Mac.
6. MacWhisper
- Platforms: Mac, iOS
- Where speech is turned into text: Your Mac, or cloud services you choose
- Free option: MacWhisper Free, with Pro features paid once
- Monthly price: No subscription
- Yearly price: No subscription. €64 once for Pro
- Source: MacWhisper pricing
Pick it if you mostly transcribe recordings, files and meetings, and dictate into other apps now and then.
7. Willow Voice
- Platforms: Mac, Windows, iOS
- Where speech is turned into text: Cloud
- Free option: Basic: a lighter model, 20 Scribe uses a week
- Monthly price: $15
- Yearly price: $144
- Source: Willow Voice pricing
Pick it if you want a cloud app with a basic free option, plus Windows and iPhone apps.
8. Apple Dictation
- Platforms: Built into macOS
- Where speech is turned into text: Depends on language and settings
- Free option: Free, built in
- Monthly price: Free
- Yearly price: Free
- Source: Apple Dictation guide
Pick it if you dictate a few sentences now and then and want something free that is already on your Mac.
Who should pick another app instead of VocType
- You need speech turned into text without an internet connection. VocType is cloud only.
- You do not want to pay at all. Apple Dictation is free, and several apps above have a free option.
- You want the same app on your phone. VocType runs on Mac and Windows only today.
- You mostly transcribe audio files or meetings rather than type by voice. MacWhisper is built for that.
- You want to control your Mac by voice. Apple's Voice Control does that; none of these apps is built for it.
Compare two apps in depth
- VocType vs Wispr Flow: prices, platforms and the free options side by side.
- Wispr Flow alternatives: for people who want something cheaper or different.
- Is Apple Dictation good enough? When the free option is all you need.
- Apple Dictation alternatives: what macOS already does, and the apps to try next.
Ready to try it? Start your 30-day free trial on both plans.