Compare
Aqua Voice vs SpeechBee
SpeechBee is our own app. Aqua Voice is built for speed and for people who dictate into ChatGPT, Cursor and terminals, and it reads your screen to get names right. SpeechBee keeps your voice on the device and never looks at your screen.
By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Prices checked on 13 October 2026
Aqua Voice
SpeechBee
On this page
Side by side
| Aqua Voice | SpeechBee | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free 1,000 words; Pro $8/mo yearly or $10 monthly; Max $24 or $30 | $9/mo, $79/yr, or $99 once |
| Where speech is processed | Aqua's servers | On your device |
| Works offline | No | Yes, after a one-time model download |
| Uses your screen | Yes, for names and syntax | No, it never reads your screen |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| What happens to your words | Refined as you speak | Filler words removed, your wording kept by default |
| Transcripts kept | May be stored to improve the product unless Privacy Mode is on | Never stored; recent history in memory only |
| Read text aloud | No | Yes, natural local voices |
| Teams | Business with SSO, SCIM and zero data retention | No team plan |
1 year
- Aqua Voice$96Yearly · + free tier
- SpeechBee$79Yearly
2 years
- Aqua Voice$192Yearly · + free tier
- SpeechBee$99One-time
3 years
- Aqua Voice$288Yearly · + free tier
- SpeechBee$99One-time
Cheapest published way to keep each app: monthly, yearly or a one-time license. US dollars before tax, prices checked on 13 October 2026.
Where your voice goes
Aqua transcribes on its servers and uses what is on your screen to spell names and code correctly. Its privacy policy says it may keep transcripts to improve the product unless you turn on Privacy Mode; the Business plan adds zero data retention.
SpeechBee transcribes on your device. Audio is processed in memory, never uploaded and never recorded, and it does not look at your screen. It keeps working on a plane.
What happens to your words
Aqua refines your words as you speak, which helps when you are writing prompts and want tidy text fast. Max adds a live Realtime mode and a "Send it" command.
SpeechBee keeps your sentence. It removes "um" and "uh", applies spoken formatting in English on the Mac, and spells names from your dictionary. Optional on-device AI cleanup is available on Macs with Apple Intelligence, off by default.
Reading, not just writing
Hi Maya, I'll send the revised proposal tomorrow morning.
Most people read faster than they speak. SpeechBee reads the sentence you selected out loud, while you keep working.
SpeechBee also reads. Select text in any Mac app and press your reading key, and a natural local voice reads it. Aqua Voice has no text to speech.
Price
Aqua Pro is $8 a month billed yearly ($96) or $10 month to month, and Max is $24 or $30. Students get 70% off. SpeechBee is $9 a month, $79 a year or $99 once, with every feature on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
Try SpeechBee 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.
Questions
Is SpeechBee a good Aqua Voice alternative?
Yes, if you use Apple devices and want dictation that stays on the device, works offline and also reads text aloud. Not if you need Windows or Android, or rely on Aqua's screen context for code.
Does Aqua Voice work offline?
No. It transcribes on Aqua's servers. SpeechBee works offline once its speech model has downloaded.
Which is cheaper?
Over a year, Aqua Pro on yearly billing ($96) and SpeechBee yearly ($79) are close. Over several years, SpeechBee's $99 one-time option costs less.
Keep comparing
Sources
Checked on 13 October 2026.
- Aqua Voice pricing and privacy policy
- SpeechBee facts from our homepage and privacy policy