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Aqua Voice review

Aqua Voice is fast, cloud-based AI dictation that uses what's on your screen to get technical words right. It has a small free plan, Pro from $8 a month, and a Max plan for power users. Here is what it does, what it costs, and when another app is a better fit.

By the SpeechBee team, who make a competing app. Facts checked on 12 October 2026

  • Aqua Voice
  • SpeechBee
On this page
  1. What Aqua Voice is
  2. What it does well
  3. Where it falls short
  4. Price
  5. Privacy
  6. Who should use Aqua Voice
  7. Who should pick something else
  8. Questions
  9. Keep comparing
  10. Sources

What Aqua Voice is

Aqua Voice is AI dictation for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. You talk, and it writes in real time, refining the text as you go. It looks at what is on your screen to get code syntax, library names and everyday terms right, which is why it is popular for dictating prompts into AI coding tools. It runs its own transcription model, Avalon, and offers an MCP server, a command-line tool and an API.

What it does well

  • Technical vocabulary. Using screen context, it aims to get names and code terms right without you adding them first.
  • Live text. Max's Realtime Mode shows words as you speak.
  • Developer extras. MCP, CLI and API access are unusual in a dictation app.
  • Compliance paperwork. SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified, with GDPR and HIPAA compliance. Aqua asks you to contact it to confirm which plans cover protected health information.
  • A big student discount. 70% off Pro and Max with a school email.

Where it falls short

  • It runs in the cloud. Your speech is transcribed on Aqua's servers, so it needs a connection.
  • The free plan is a trial in practice. 1,000 words is a few minutes of talking.
  • It reads your screen. That is how the context feature works. Some people and employers won't want that.
  • No lifetime option. Every paid plan is a subscription.

Price

PlanMonthlyBilled yearlyWhat you get
Free$0$01,000 words, Avalon model
Pro$10/mo$8/mo ($96/yr)Unlimited words, custom instructions, expanded dictionary
Max$30/mo$24/mo ($288/yr)Everything in Pro, Realtime Mode, "Send it" voice command, early access
Business$24/seat/mo$19/seat/moEverything in Max, SSO and SCIM, shared dictionaries, Zero Data Retention, minimum 2 seats
One year, in US dollars
  • Aqua Voice Max, yearly$288
  • Aqua Voice Pro, monthly$120
  • Aqua Voice Pro, yearly$96
  • SpeechBee Yearly$79

Students get 70% off Pro and Max, which brings Pro to $2.40 a month billed yearly. Aqua accepts .edu and international academic email domains.

Privacy

Aqua's privacy policy says that with Privacy Mode turned off, it may store transcript data on its servers to improve the product. With Privacy Mode on, transcript data is not collected, though session metadata is. Business plans add Zero Data Retention. Aqua says it does not sell personal information and never shares transcripts or audio with advertising platforms.

If you dictate confidential material, turn on Privacy Mode or consider an app that transcribes on your device.

Who should use Aqua Voice

  • Developers dictating long prompts into AI coding tools.
  • People who move between Mac, Windows and phones.
  • Students, given the 70% discount.
  • Teams that need SSO, SCIM and zero data retention.

Who should pick something else

  • You want speech processed on your device and working offline. SpeechBee, which we make, transcribes on your Mac, iPhone or iPad, never uploads your audio, and never reads your screen. It is $79 a year or $99 once and adds Read Aloud. It runs on Apple devices only, and it doesn't use screen context, so you add technical terms to its dictionary once.
  • You want to pay once. VoiceInk is $25 for one Mac. superwhisper Lifetime is $249.99.
  • You want free. Spokenly and OpenWhispr offer free local dictation, and superwhisper's free tier includes unlimited local Whisper models.

All of these are compared in Aqua Voice alternatives.

Voice to text
New message

Hi Maya, I'll send the revised proposal tomorrow morning.

SpeechBee's listening indicator on Mac
Hold your key, talk, let go. The text lands at the cursor.
Text to speech
Article

Most people read faster than they speak. SpeechBee reads the sentence you selected out loud, while you keep working.

SpeechBee's Read Aloud player on Mac
Select text, press your reading key, listen.

Dictation that stays on your device. Free for 7 days.

Voice to text and Read Aloud on your Mac, iPhone and iPad. After the week, $9 a month, $79 a year, or $99 once. Every plan has every feature.

Download for MacGet it for iPhone & iPad

Questions

How much does Aqua Voice cost?

Pro is $10 a month, or $8 a month billed yearly ($96 a year). Max is $30 a month, or $24 a month billed yearly. There is a free plan with 1,000 words.

Is Aqua Voice free?

There is a free plan with 1,000 words and the Avalon model, with no credit card required. Unlimited words need Pro.

Does Aqua Voice have a student discount?

Yes. 70% off Pro and Max when you sign up with a school email address.

Does Aqua Voice work offline?

No. It transcribes on Aqua's servers. For offline dictation on a Mac, use an app that runs on your device, such as SpeechBee, VoiceInk or Spokenly.

Is Aqua Voice private?

Aqua offers a Privacy Mode. With it off, Aqua may store transcript data to improve the product. Business plans add Zero Data Retention.

Is Aqua Voice worth it?

If you dictate a lot of technical text and are happy with cloud processing, many people find Pro worth $8 to $10 a month. If you want privacy by design or a one-time price, look at local apps.

Keep comparing

Sources

All checked on 12 October 2026.