FeatherweightCompare
Mac dictation apps, side by side.
Every popular way to talk instead of type on a Mac: how much room it takes, what it costs, where your voice goes, and who it suits best.
| App | On your Mac | Built on | Speech to text | Platforms | Price | Free to try |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Featherweight Dictation | 4.6 MB | Native | In the cloud; audio and words never stored | Mac (macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel) and Windows (10 and 11) | $19 a month | 5 days or 3,000 words, no card |
| Wispr Flow | 535 MB | Electron | In the cloud | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Pro: $15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly | 2,000 words a week on desktop |
| Superwhisper | 200 MB | Native + models | On your Mac (free) or in the cloud (Pro) | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Pro: $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once | Unlimited local dictation; 3,000 words of Pro to start |
| MacWhisper | 266 MB | Native + models | On your Mac, or cloud services you choose | Mac; iPhone and iPad as Whisper Transcription | Pro: €64 once | A free version with basic dictation |
| Aqua Voice | 596 MB | Electron | In the cloud | Mac, Windows, iPhone | Pro: $10 a month, or $8 a month billed yearly | 1,000 words |
| Willow Voice | 121 MB | Native | In the cloud; an offline mode is optional | Mac, Windows, iPhone | Pro: $15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly | A free Basic plan, on a lighter model |
| VoiceInk | 116 MB | Native + models | On your Mac, or cloud services you choose | Mac with Apple silicon; an iPhone app sold separately | $25 once for 1 Mac ($39 for 2, $49 for 3) | A 7-day trial; free to build from source |
| Apple Dictation | Part of macOS | Built in | On your Mac in 22 languages on Apple silicon; otherwise Apple's servers | Mac, iPhone, iPad (built in) | Free | Free, built in |
Which one fits you
Each of these is good at something. Pick by what matters most to you.
Featherweight Dictation
Choose it if you want dictation that cleans up your words and lays them out for each app, in a native app that takes 4.6 MB and uses no CPU at rest, for $19 a month.
Try it freeWispr Flow
Choose it if you also dictate on iPhone or Android, or want to edit text by voice and take meeting notes.
Wispr Flow vs Featherweight DictationSuperwhisper
Choose it if you want speech models running on your own Mac, custom AI modes to shape the output, or file and meeting transcription.
Superwhisper vs Featherweight DictationMacWhisper
Choose it if you mostly transcribe recordings, meetings, videos or podcasts, want it all on your Mac, and prefer to pay once.
MacWhisper vs Featherweight DictationAqua Voice
Choose it if you want dictation that reads what's on your screen for context, or need it on iPhone too.
Aqua Voice vs Featherweight DictationWillow Voice
Choose it if you want a free plan, an offline mode, or an assistant that writes polished text from a rough description.
Willow Voice vs Featherweight DictationVoiceInk
Choose it if you want dictation that runs on your Mac without the internet, open source, for a one-time price.
VoiceInk vs Featherweight DictationApple Dictation
Choose it if you want free dictation with nothing to install, offline on Apple silicon. On macOS 27 with an M3 or newer Mac, it also polishes English text.
Apple Dictation vs Featherweight Dictation
Questions people ask
What is the best dictation app for Mac?
It depends on what you need. For dictation that cleans up and lays out your words in any app, in the smallest app: Featherweight Dictation (4.6 MB, $19 a month). On phones too: Wispr Flow. Offline, with local models: Superwhisper or VoiceInk. For transcribing recordings: MacWhisper. Free and built in: Apple Dictation.
Which of these dictation apps is the lightest?
Featherweight Dictation, at 4.6 MB on disk (a 3.6 MB download). The others we measured take 116 MB (VoiceInk) to 596 MB (Aqua Voice), before any speech models. Apple Dictation is part of macOS.
Which Mac dictation apps work offline?
Apple Dictation (on Apple silicon, in 22 languages), Superwhisper and VoiceInk with local models, MacWhisper, and Willow Voice's optional offline mode. Featherweight Dictation, Wispr Flow and Aqua Voice need the internet.
What is the cheapest alternative to Wispr Flow?
Among subscriptions, Aqua Voice Pro ($8 to $10 a month) and Superwhisper Pro ($8.49); Wispr Flow Pro itself is $12 to $15. VoiceInk ($25 once for one Mac) and MacWhisper (€64 once) are one-time purchases, and Apple Dictation is free. Featherweight Dictation is $19 a month: the lightest, not the cheapest.
Which dictation app is best for coding and AI prompts?
Any app that types into Cursor, Claude and ChatGPT will work. Featherweight Dictation knows AI prompt boxes: it keeps your exact words, gives a separate ask its own line where you pause, and turns spoken symbols into characters, so "user underscore id" becomes user_id.
Do dictation apps keep my voice?
It varies. Featherweight Dictation never stores your audio or your words. Check each app's privacy page: some use your data to improve their models unless you turn it off.
Lighter than every app above.
Free for 5 days or 3,000 words. Then $19 a month.
Download for Mac