Ranking 2026 · As of October 9, 2026

Top 5 Wispr Flow alternatives

Wispr Flow is the best-known dictation app right now: it runs on four systems, formats text well and has its own meeting notetaker. Still, many people look for alternatives, above all for privacy. Speech is recognised only in the cloud, data is stored in the US, meeting transcripts stay on Wispr’s servers, and improving the models with user data is on by default. On top of that, the free plan stops at 2,000 words a week and Pro costs $15 a month.

We put together the apps that really compete with Wispr Flow for dictation on the Mac and meeting notes. We compared them only on their public pages and pricing (as of October 9, 2026): where your data goes, working offline and without an account, price, free plan, your own API keys, meetings, notes and languages. Here is the result.

Five apps to use instead of Wispr Flow, in order.

  1. Captylo

    Our product

    Captylo is a Mac app that puts privacy first. Speech recognition runs on your Mac, offline too, and your history with recordings, your meetings and your notes stay in a local database on your disk. In the Free plan nothing leaves your computer until you turn on the cloud yourself. There is no telemetry, and you do not even need an account.

    One app gives you dictation into any program, meeting notes without a bot and voice notes, Polish first, with English and 23 other European languages. Free has no word limit; with your own API key it also gives you the cloud and AI modes for dictation and AI in notes. Pro costs $84 a year (about $7 a month) or $9 a month and adds the cloud with no keys plus the meeting AI: notes with decisions and tasks, questions across all meetings and citations that play the recording. The Pro server streams the data and stores none of the content. The app is open source (GPLv3).

    Key features

    • Speech recognition on your Mac, works offline
    • A local database: history, recordings, meetings and notes on your disk
    • No account and no telemetry in the Free plan
    • Dictation into any Mac app with one hotkey
    • AI modes: cleanup, email, to-do list, English and your own
    • Meeting recording without a bot, a live transcript on your Mac
    • AI meeting notes and questions across all meetings (Pro)
    • Voice notes: a hotkey, dictating into a note, audio import
    • Search across meetings and notes
    • A local MCP server for your AI assistant
    Pricing:
    Free with no word limit and no account, forever. Pro $84 a year or $9 a month, 7 days of Pro free for a new account, no card.
    Best for:
    people who care about privacy: they write a lot, have meetings and want their recordings and notes to stay on their Mac.

    Why it is number 1 here

    • It recognises speech on your Mac, offline too. Wispr Flow does it only in the cloud.
    • Your data stays with you: your history with recordings, your meetings and your notes sit in a local database on your disk, not on servers in the US.
    • In Free nothing leaves your Mac until you turn on the cloud yourself. There is no telemetry, and the Pro server stores none of the content.
    • No account and no word limit in Free, instead of a required account and 2,000 words a week.
    • Your own API key in Free: the cloud and AI modes for dictation, and AI in notes.
    • Polish is its first language, with English and 23 other European languages next to it.
    • Pro for $84 a year instead of $144, and the app is open source (GPLv3).
    Download freeSee pricing

  2. Wispr Flow

    Pro: $144 a year or $15 a month

    Wispr Flow is a dictation app by Wispr AI, a company based in San Francisco. It runs on the Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android: you dictate into any app, and Flow drops filler words, builds lists and matches the style to the app as you speak. Speech is always recognised in the cloud, so dictation needs an internet connection, and data is processed and stored in the US. Improving the models with user data is on by default in Free and Pro (you can turn it off).

    The free plan is 2,000 words a week on a computer and 1,000 on a phone. Pro costs $15 a month or $144 a year, and the Growth plans for teams start at $23 per seat a month. You need an account. Notetaker comes with it: it records meetings on the Mac and Windows without a bot, writes summaries and answers questions about your meetings. Meeting transcripts and summaries stay in Wispr’s cloud with no way to opt out, and the audio is deleted after 7 days.

    Key features

    • Dictation into any app on the Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android
    • Styles per app (English only) and context from the screen
    • A dictionary that learns names, and snippets
    • Command Mode and Transforms with your own prompts (beta)
    • Notetaker without a bot, with questions about meetings (Ask Wispr, beta)
    • A hosted MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Cursor

    Strengths

    • One account for the Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android
    • Team features: a shared dictionary, SAML SSO, SCIM, SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001
    • Meetings linked to your calendar and Slack, import from Granola and Otter

    Limits

    • Cloud only: no dictation without internet, data goes to the US
    • Improving the models with your data is on by default in Free and Pro
    • The free plan is 2,000 words a week on a computer, an account is required
    • No own API key and no audio file transcription
    • English-level quality is claimed for 7 other languages
    Pricing:
    Free 2,000 words a week; Pro $15 a month or $144 a year; Growth $23 or $33 a month per seat; Enterprise on request.
    Best for:
    teams that dictate on Macs, Windows PCs and phones, need admin controls, SSO and Slack, and are fine with working in the cloud.

    When to stay with Wispr Flow

    • You dictate on Windows, iPhone or Android, on an Intel Mac or on macOS older than 14.4.
    • You roll dictation out to a team and need a shared dictionary, SAML SSO, SCIM, admin controls or a HIPAA BAA.
    • Your meeting notes must flow into your calendar, Slack and shared links, or you are moving your history from Granola or Otter.
    • You want to ask about your meetings from ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini in the browser, through a hosted MCP server.

    Website: wisprflow.ai · facts from the public offer, as of October 9, 2026

  3. Superwhisper

    Pro: $84.99 a year or $249.99 once

    Superwhisper is a dictation app by SuperUltra, a company based in Toronto, Canada. It runs on the Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and recognises speech locally or in the cloud, depending on the mode you pick. The free plan gives you unlimited dictation on local Whisper models, up to two modes without AI, a vocabulary and text replacements.

    Pro costs $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once and covers all your devices. AI modes, screen context, call audio recording, speaker labels, file transcription and your own API keys for text models all need Pro. On the Mac it has a CLI with a local MCP server, and the maker says it does not train models on user data.

    Key features

    • Dictation into any app, locally or in the cloud
    • AI modes and your own modes with a choice of model (Pro)
    • Super Mode with the app and selected-text context (Pro)
    • Meeting recording without a bot and speaker labels (Pro)
    • Audio and video file transcription (Pro)
    • A CLI and a local MCP server on the Mac

    Strengths

    • Free, unlimited and offline dictation on Whisper models
    • One licence for the Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, lifetime too
    • The maker says it does not train models on user data

    Limits

    • AI modes, call recording and your own keys need Pro
    • Offline AI only with the S1-mini model, which is English only
    • Speaker labels are not included in AI summaries
    • The iPhone app is English only
    Pricing:
    Free with local Whisper; Pro $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once; 40% off for students.
    Best for:
    people who want a wide choice of models, also work on Windows or a phone, or prefer to pay once.

    Top 5 Superwhisper alternatives

    Website: superwhisper.com · facts from the public offer, as of October 9, 2026

  4. Monologue

    Pro: $144 a year or $15 a month

    Monologue is a dictation app by Every, a US company, released in September 2025. It runs on the Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch: you dictate into any app, record voice notes and, in Pro, meetings without a bot. Speech is recognised in the cloud by default (the maker recommends that setting). On Apple silicon Macs a local model can be turned on, but offline it gives you raw text with no formatting.

    Pro costs $15 a month or $144 a year and comes with an Every subscription. Without a paid plan there is a one-time trial of 1,000 dictated words and 10 notes. You need an account to use it. The audio, transcripts and summaries of notes and meetings are stored on Monologue’s servers. AI assistants can read them through a hosted MCP server, the Notes API or a CLI.

    Key features

    • Dictation into any app, with modes per app
    • Meeting notes without a bot, with a summary and speakers (Pro)
    • Voice notes on the Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
    • A hosted MCP server, a Notes API, a CLI and webhooks
    • A local model on Apple silicon Macs (25 languages)

    Strengths

    • One subscription for the Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
    • Included with an Every subscription
    • Its privacy policy says it does not train models on your audio or transcripts

    Limits

    • Free is only a one-time trial: 1,000 words and 10 notes
    • Needs an account, even to download the app
    • Meeting notes are Pro only and stored in Monologue’s cloud
    • The interface is English only
    Pricing:
    Pro $15 a month or $144 a year (included with Every); a trial of 1,000 words and 10 notes.
    Best for:
    people who dictate on the Mac and iPhone, record notes from their watch or already pay for Every.

    Top 5 Monologue alternatives

    Website: monologue.to · facts from the public offer, as of October 9, 2026

  5. Aqua Voice

    Pro: $96 a year or $10 a month

    Aqua Voice is a dictation app by Aqua Voice, Inc., a US company from Y Combinator (Winter 2024). It runs on the Mac, Windows, iOS and, since October 2026, Android. Speech is recognised in the cloud by its own Avalon model, and on the Mac and Windows there is no offline mode. Polish is on its list of 49 languages, with the maker’s note that accuracy varies between languages.

    The free plan is 1,000 words in total, no card needed. Pro costs $10 a month or $8 billed yearly ($96), Max $30 or $24, and Business from $19 per seat. You need an account. Aqua can edit selected text by voice and has an MCP server, a CLI and an API. Privacy Mode is off by default, so transcripts may be stored to improve the product.

    Key features

    • Dictation into any app, its own Avalon model in the cloud
    • Editing selected text by voice (Edit Mode)
    • Custom instructions (Pro), Realtime and computer control (Max, beta)
    • An MCP server, a CLI and a speech-to-text API
    • Mac, Windows, iOS and Android

    Strengths

    • Runs on the Mac, Windows, iOS and Android
    • Polish is named on its list of languages
    • SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and HIPAA, 70% off for students

    Limits

    • The free plan is 1,000 words in total, not per month
    • Cloud only, no offline mode on the Mac and Windows
    • Privacy Mode is off by default
    • No meeting notes and no Polish interface
    Pricing:
    Free 1,000 words in total; Pro $10 a month ($8 billed yearly); Max $30 ($24 yearly); Business from $19 per seat.
    Best for:
    people who dictate on several systems, Windows and Android included, and do not need meeting notes.

    Top 5 Aqua Voice alternatives

    Website: aquavoice.com · facts from the public offer, as of October 9, 2026

Your data stays on your Mac.

In the Free plan nothing leaves your computer until you turn on the cloud yourself. Your history with recordings, your meetings and your notes sit in a local database on your disk, the app has no telemetry, and you do not even need an account.

That is what our privacy policy says

CaptyloWispr Flow
Speech recognised on your MacYes, by default; the cloud only if you turn it onNo, always in the cloud
History, meetings and notes on your diskYes, in a local database on your diskNo: Wispr’s cloud in the US (dictation history by default, meeting transcripts always)
The maker keeps none of your contentYes: in Free nothing leaves your Mac, the Pro server stores none of the contentNo; improving the models with your data is on by default in Free and Pro
Works offlineYes, by defaultNo, dictation needs internet
Works without an accountYes, Free needs no accountNo, an account is required

Captylo and Wispr Flow in detail.

Feature by feature, from the public pages of both apps.

CaptyloWispr Flow
Privacy and data
Speech recognised on your MacYes, by default; the cloud only if you turn it onNo, always in the cloud
History, meetings and notes on your diskYes, in a local database on your diskNo: Wispr’s cloud in the US (dictation history by default, meeting transcripts always)
The maker keeps none of your contentYes: in Free nothing leaves your Mac, the Pro server stores none of the contentNo; improving the models with your data is on by default in Free and Pro
Works offlineYes, by defaultNo, dictation needs internet
Works without an accountYes, Free needs no accountNo, an account is required
Price
Paid planPro: $84 a year or $9 a monthPro: $144 a year or $15 a month; Growth from $216 a year
Free planNo word limit, forever2,000 words a week on a computer, 1,000 on a phone
Dictation
Dictation into any appOne hotkey, text at your cursorMac, Windows, iPhone and Android
Your own API key in the free planYes: cloud and AI modes for dictation, AI in notesNot offered on the pricing page or in the docs
AI modes and your own promptsCleanup, email, to-do list, English and your ownStyles (English only), Transforms with your own prompts (beta)
Meetings and notes
Meeting recording without a botYes, with a live transcript on your Mac (Free)Yes, on the Mac and Windows; Free has a weekly limit
AI meeting notesIn Pro: decisions and tasks, 6 templatesYes: decisions and next steps
Questions across all meetingsIn Pro: one meeting or all, with sourcesYes (Ask Wispr, beta), sources link to meetings
Citations that play the recordingIn Pro: [12:34] plays that momentNo: sources open the text, audio is deleted after 7 days
Voice notesA hotkey, dictating into a note, audio importScratchpad on the computer, Flow Notes on iPhone
Polish
Polish speech recognitionYes, Polish is the first languageNot named among “100+ languages”; full quality claimed for 7, Polish not included
Polish interfaceYes (and English)Website and iPhone app in English only
Openness and platforms
Access for your AI assistant (MCP)A local server: meetings and notes (Free)Hosted server: meetings and notes, no dictation history
Open source appYes, GPLv3No
PlatformsmacOS 14.4+ (Apple silicon)macOS 12+, Windows, iPhone, Android

Facts about Wispr Flow come from the maker's public website, as of October 9, 2026. Their offer may change; Captylo's is always current. wisprflow.ai/pricing

Prices side by side.

Every plan from the public pricing pages, no asterisks.

Captylo

  • Free$0, foreverDictation and meetings on your Mac with no limit and no account, cloud and AI with your own key
  • Pro$84 a year or $9 a monthCloud and AI with no keys, the meeting AI, fair use: 20 h of cloud and 3 million AI tokens a month

Prices include VAT. A new account gets 7 days of Pro free, no card.

Wispr Flow

  • Free$02,000 words a week on a computer, 1,000 on a phone; Notetaker with a weekly limit
  • Pro$15 a month or $144 a yearUnlimited dictation, Notetaker up to 150 meetings a week
  • Growth$23 a month or $216 a year per seatEverything in Pro plus SAML SSO; without Notetaker
  • Growth + Notetaker$33 a month or $312 a year per seatNotetaker “unlimited” (the docs say up to 150 meetings a week)
  • EnterpriseOn requestSCIM, audit logs, MDM, model training locked off

From the public pricing page of Wispr Flow, as of October 9, 2026. wisprflow.ai/pricing

What a year costs.

The same year of work, in US dollars.

  1. Captylo Free$0 a year
  2. Captylo Pro, yearly$84 a year
  3. Wispr Flow Pro, yearly$144 a year
  4. Wispr Flow Pro, monthly$180 a year
  5. Wispr Flow Growth + Notetaker, yearly$312 a year

Prices from the public pricing pages, as of October 9, 2026.

Questions we hear most.

Short and concrete, from the public pages of both apps.

What is the best Wispr Flow alternative?

If privacy matters to you, the strongest candidate is Captylo: speech recognition on your Mac, your history, meetings and notes in a local database, a free plan with no word limit and no account, and Pro for $84 a year. Also worth a look: Superwhisper (local models and a lifetime licence), Monologue (Mac, iPhone and Apple Watch) and Aqua Voice (Windows and Android too).

Does Captylo send my recordings to the cloud?

Not unless you turn it on. In the Free plan speech recognition, your history with recordings, meetings, notes and search all run on your Mac, and the data sits in a local database on your disk. The app has no telemetry and you need no account. When you turn on the cloud in Pro, Captylo’s server streams the data and stores none of the content. Wispr Flow always recognises speech in the cloud and keeps meeting transcripts on servers in the US.

How is Captylo different from Wispr Flow?

Both dictate into any app and record meetings without a bot. Wispr Flow always recognises speech in the cloud, runs on the Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android and needs an account. Captylo runs on the Mac, recognises speech on the device (the cloud is optional), keeps your data on your disk, needs no account in Free and lets you use your own API key.

Which languages does Wispr Flow handle well?

Wispr Flow says it dictates in more than 100 languages and claims English-level quality for German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Hindi and Thai. Its Styles work in English only. Notetaker lists 22 languages, with summary headings and speaker labels staying in English. Captylo is built Polish first, with English and 23 other European languages.

Which is cheaper: Captylo or Wispr Flow?

Dictation in Captylo Free has no word limit and costs nothing, while Wispr Flow Free gives you 2,000 words a week on a computer. Captylo Pro costs $84 a year or $9 a month, Wispr Flow Pro $144 a year or $15 a month.

Can I use Captylo next to Wispr Flow?

Yes. Captylo Free needs no account, so you can download it and compare on your own texts. Just set different hotkeys: Wispr Flow uses Fn by default, Captylo the right Option key.

Where do the facts about Wispr Flow come from?

From the public pages of wisprflow.ai and its help centre at docs.wisprflow.ai (pricing, features, Notetaker, data and privacy), as of October 9, 2026. Their offer may change, so the source is linked under the table.

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