Looking for MacWhisper alternatives? Compare all the best voice dictation apps for Mac including pricing, features, and use cases.
The best MacWhisper alternatives are Retext (for on-device dictation next to your snippets), Wispr Flow, and Monologue. Your best choice depends on whether you want cloud AI rewriting, dictation on other platforms, or transcription and polish that stay on your Mac.
Native Mac text expander with built-in voice dictation. Hold right Option, speak, and your words land at the cursor, polished on your Mac (beta) if you like.
Dictation and polish on your Mac come with every plan. See the pricing page.
Dictation and polish on your Mac, plus 5 snippets
Cloud-based AI dictation that turns speech into polished text in any app, on desktop and mobile
AI dictation from Every for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch that formats text to fit the app you're in
Dictation app with a choice of local or cloud models and customizable AI modes
Open-source, local-first dictation app for Mac that you buy once
Cloud dictation on its own Avalon speech model that types into any app on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android
AI dictation for Mac, Windows and iPhone that formats what you say for emails, documents, code editors and chat
Nuance's long-running speech recognition for Windows, with cloud versions for business. There's no current Dragon app for Mac.
The dictation built into every Mac. Turn it on in Keyboard settings and speak into any text field.
Dictation for Mac, Windows, Linux and iPhone with free local models, optional cloud models and AI modes
| Feature | Retext | MacWhisper | Wispr Flow | Monologue | Superwhisper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice Dictation | |||||
| AI Cleanup & Rewriting | Beta | ||||
| Audio File Transcription | Not available | Not available | Not available | ||
| Privacy & Local Storage | |||||
| Snippet Expansion | Not available | Not available | |||
| Team Sharing | Not available | Not available | |||
| Cross-Platform |
| Product | Pricing Model | Price | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retext | Freemium | Dictation and polish on your Mac come with every plan. See the pricing page. | Dictation and polish on your Mac, plus 5 snippets |
| MacWhisper | One-Time | Pro €64 one-time (listed in euros), with lifetime updates; also sold through the App Store | Free forever, with file transcription, .srt/.vtt and .txt export, and system-wide dictation |
| Wispr Flow | Per Seat | Pro $15/user/month, or $12/user/month billed annually; Growth and Enterprise plans for teams | 2,000 words a week on desktop, limited weekly use on mobile |
| Monologue | Flat Rate | Pro $15/month or $144/year; included in Every's paid bundle | Trial with 1,000 dictation words and 10 notes |
| Superwhisper | Freemium | Pro $8.49/month, $84.99/year, or $249.99 lifetime; one license covers all your devices | Unlimited dictation with local models, up to 2 modes without AI |
| VoiceInk | One-Time | One-time $25 (1 Mac), $39 (2 Macs) or $49 (3 Macs), with lifetime updates | Free trial; source code is free to build yourself |
| Aqua Voice | Freemium | Pro $10/month billed yearly or $12 monthly; Max $19/month yearly or $24 monthly; Business $19/seat/month yearly or $24 monthly | 1,000 words to start, no credit card |
| Willow | Freemium | Pro $15/user/month, or $12 billed yearly; Business $35/month, or $28 billed yearly; Enterprise on request | Unlimited dictation on the lighter Frontier Mini model, 20 Scribe uses a week |
| Dragon | Per Seat | No public price; Nuance sells Dragon Professional v16 and its cloud products through sales and volume licensing | |
| macOS Dictation | Free | Free, built into macOS | Included with macOS |
| Spokenly | Freemium | Local+ $29 one-time; Pro $12/month billed yearly ($144) or $15 month to month | Unlimited local dictation with Whisper or Parakeet, no account; cloud and AI with your own API keys |
Retext, Wispr Flow, Monologue, Superwhisper and VoiceInk. The right one depends on whether you want cloud AI rewriting, dictation on other platforms, or transcription and polish that stay on your Mac.
Retext, Wispr Flow, Monologue, Superwhisper, VoiceInk, Aqua Voice, Willow, macOS Dictation and Spokenly have a free plan or trial. Check each one's limits in the pricing table above.
Most dictation and AI features sit behind Pro; The Gumroad and App Store versions differ; AI cleanup needs your own API keys or a local model.
Yes. MacWhisper's free option: free forever, with file transcription, .srt/.vtt and .txt export, and system-wide dictation. Paid: Pro €64 one-time (listed in euros), with lifetime updates; also sold through the App Store.
Download Retext, turn on Voice Dictation in Settings, and hold right Option to talk.
Sources
MacWhisper, checked October 28, 2026: MacWhisper features and pricing · MacWhisper on Gumroad
Wispr Flow, checked October 28, 2026: Wispr Flow pricing · Wispr Flow privacy · Wispr Flow Notetaker
Monologue, checked October 28, 2026: Monologue · Monologue on the App Store
Superwhisper, checked October 28, 2026: Superwhisper · Superwhisper plans · Superwhisper text replacements
VoiceInk, checked October 28, 2026: VoiceInk · VoiceInk file transcription · VoiceInk source code
Aqua Voice, checked October 28, 2026: Aqua Voice pricing · Aqua Voice comparison page · Aqua Voice privacy policy · Aqua API
Willow, checked October 28, 2026: Willow · Willow pricing · Willow on Wispr Flow vs Willow
Dragon, checked October 28, 2026: Dragon product lineup · Dragon Professional (Windows) · Dragon Anywhere Mobile · The Register on Dragon for Mac ending (2018)
macOS Dictation, checked October 28, 2026: Apple: Use Dictation on Mac · Apple: Commands for dictating text · Apple: Siri and Dictation privacy
Spokenly, checked October 28, 2026: Spokenly · Spokenly pricing · Spokenly file transcription
Prices and features change. Check each vendor's site before you buy.