Dictation apps for the Mac compared
Local or cloud, free or subscription, plain dictation or AI post-processing: this overview puts five dictation apps for the Mac side by side. Everything said about the other apps comes from the vendors' own pages.
As of 10 October 2026. This page is written by the developer of inlaut, one of the five apps.
In short
- Apple Dictation is part of macOS and needs no installation.
- Wispr Flow post-processes your text with AI and also runs on Windows, iPhone and Android. Speech recognition happens in the cloud.
- Superwhisper lets you choose between local and cloud models and offers AI modes in its Pro version.
- MacWhisper is mainly a tool for transcribing files, videos and meetings; the direct version can also dictate system-wide.
- inlaut does one thing: dictation into any app, entirely on the Mac, free, open source and without an account. It speaks English and German.
The overview
| Feature | inlaut | Apple Dictation | Wispr Flow | Superwhisper | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where is speech recognised? | On the Mac | On the Mac or on Apple's servers, depending on language and device; Keyboard settings show which | In the cloud; for Europe in the United States, according to the vendor | Your choice: local models on the device or cloud models (cloud in Pro only) | On the Mac by default; cloud services optional (Pro) |
| Internet needed? | No. Only for the one-time model download and update checks | Apple says you “may need” one; depends on language and device | Yes | Not with local models, once downloaded | Not with local models, once downloaded |
| Account | None | Part of macOS | Sign-in required | Pro uses a licence key; the vendor doesn't say for the free version | Pro uses a licence key; otherwise not stated by the vendor |
| Price | Free | Part of macOS | Free up to 2,000 words per week (desktop); Pro $15 per month or $144 per year | Free with local Whisper models and two modes without AI; Pro $8.49 per month, $84.99 per year or $249.99 once | Free version; Pro €64 once, according to the website |
| Source code | Open (GPL-3.0) | Part of macOS | Proprietary (terms of service) | Proprietary (terms) | Commercial licence |
| Dictation into any app | Yes. Hold a key or hands-free | Yes | Yes | Yes. Toggle or hold a key | Yes, in the direct version; not in the App Store version, according to the vendor |
| Systems | Mac with Apple silicon, macOS 26 or later | Macs running a current macOS | Mac from macOS 12 (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac from macOS 14 (M-series recommended, Intel works), iPhone and iPad |
| Languages | English, German, also mixed in one sentence | 63 language variants according to Apple | More than 100; one language per dictation | More than 100, depending on the model | More than 100, depending on the model |
| AI post-processing | No, plain dictation | Automatic punctuation; in macOS 27 a more advanced dictation for English (Macs with M3 or later and 12 GB) | Yes: clean-up, rewording, voice commands for editing, styles per app category | Yes, in Pro: AI modes for messages, mail, notes and custom modes | In Pro with your own API key |
| Your own terms | Replacements | Apple documents no custom vocabulary for standard Dictation; Voice Control takes up to 1,000 terms | Dictionary and snippets | Vocabulary and replacements, also in the free version | Global replacements |
| Other strengths | Voice commands “new line” and “new paragraph” | Emoji by voice, punctuation commands | Team features, meeting notes; SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 according to the vendor | File transcription and meeting mode (Pro) | Transcribing files, videos and meetings is the focus; speaker recognition, subtitle export |
| Provider | Tobias Marks, Germany | Apple Inc., USA | Wispr AI, Inc., San Francisco, USA | SuperUltra, Inc. (terms governed by the law of Delaware, USA) | Jordi Bruin / Good Snooze, Netherlands |
Prices as stated by the vendors; taxes and regional prices may differ. Where a vendor says nothing about a point, the table says so.
What this page does not compare
Recognition quality. It depends on your voice, accent, language, microphone and the model you choose, and we don't have a fair test of all five apps under the same conditions. All five can be tried for free. Your own trial with the kind of text you write tells you the most.
Which app fits when
You don't want to install anything: macOS dictation is already there. Keyboard settings show whether it works locally on your Mac.
You want the text polished right away, or you also dictate on your phone and on Windows: Wispr Flow and Superwhisper offer AI post-processing and run on several platforms.
You want to transcribe recordings, videos or meetings: that is MacWhisper's focus; Superwhisper (Pro) transcribes files too.
You simply want to dictate, in English or German, without an account and without speech leaving your Mac: that is what inlaut is built for. It deliberately does less than the others: no AI post-processing, no file transcription, and only Macs with Apple silicon and macOS 26.
Sources
All statements were checked on the vendors' pages on 10 October 2026.
- Apple Dictation: Use Dictation on your Mac, Ask Siri, Dictation & Privacy, macOS feature availability, Custom vocabulary (Voice Control), Apple Intelligence
- Wispr Flow: Pricing, Data Controls, What is Flow, Supported devices, Languages, Trust Center, Terms of Service
- Superwhisper: Plans, Voice models, Sensitive data, Voice to text for Mac, Download, Terms
- MacWhisper: macwhisper.com, Gumroad, Dictation, MacWhisper vs. Whisper Transcription, Mac App Store
- inlaut: source code on GitHub, privacy
Notes
inlaut is not affiliated with Apple, Wispr AI, SuperUltra or Good Snooze. The names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to identify the products. Prices and features change; the vendors' own information is authoritative.
Something is out of date or missing? Write to hallo@inlaut.de and we'll correct it.