Compare
Compare dictation and read-aloud apps
Pick the apps you are weighing. The chart ranks what each costs over the years you choose, on its cheapest published plan. The table shows where your voice goes, which devices it runs on and what it does with your words. We make SpeechBee, so every other app's facts link to its own site.
How to read this comparison
Dictation apps split into two camps. Cloud apps such as Wispr Flow, Typeless, Willow and Aqua Voice send your audio to their servers and use AI to polish what you said. Local apps such as SpeechBee, VoiceInk, MacWhisper, Spokenly and OpenWhispr transcribe on your own device, so they keep working offline. superwhisper lets you choose either.
Price models differ just as much. Subscriptions keep costing every year, while one-time licenses stay flat, so the cheapest app in year one is often not the cheapest by year three. Pick the time you expect to keep using the app and the ranking above updates.
Apps to compare
Cost over 3 years, cheapest first
SpeechBee$99One-time
superwhisper$249.99One-time · + free tier
Aqua Voice$288Yearly · + free tier
Wispr Flow$432Yearly · + free tier
Typeless$432Yearly · + free tier
Over 3 years: SpeechBee $99, superwhisper $249.99, Aqua Voice $288, Wispr Flow $432, and Typeless $432.
Side by side
| App | Where it processes | Works offline | Platforms | Dictation | Reads text aloud | Removes filler words | How you pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SpeechBee | On device | Yes | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Yes | Yes | English, German, Spanish, French | Monthly, Yearly, One-time |
| Wispr Flow Full comparison | Cloud | No | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Yes | No | Through AI rewriting | Free, Monthly, Yearly |
| superwhisper Full comparison | Local or cloud | Yes | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Yes | No | Through AI rewriting | Free, Monthly, Yearly, One-time |
| Typeless Full comparison | Cloud | No | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android | Yes | No | Through AI rewriting | Free, Monthly, Yearly |
| Aqua Voice | Cloud | No | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Yes | No | Through AI rewriting | Free, Monthly, Yearly |
Sources: SpeechBee speechbee.app/#pricing, speechbee.app/privacy · Wispr Flow wisprflow.ai/pricing, wisprflow.ai/privacy · superwhisper superwhisper.com, superwhisper.com/vs/wispr-flow/pricing · Typeless typeless.com/pricing, typeless.com/privacy · Aqua Voice withaqua.com/pricing, withaqua.com/info/privacy
How we count: for each length of time we take the cheapest published way to keep using the app, whether monthly, yearly or a one-time license, before tax. Free tiers have limits, so apps with a paid plan are priced on that plan. Prices change; each app's sources are linked in the table.
Who each app suits
- SpeechBee. Apple users who want dictation that stays on the device and works offline, plus natural voices that read text back. $79 a year or $99 once for Mac, iPhone and iPad. We make it.
- Wispr Flow. People who also use Windows or Android, want AI to polish their speech, or need team features. $144 a year on annual billing, cloud only.
- superwhisper. Power users who want to choose between local and cloud models and build custom modes. $84.99 a year or $249.99 once.
VoiceInk. The cheapest one-time license: $25 for one Mac, with public source code. Dictation only.
Spokenly. Free local dictation if you are happy to pick your own models. Local+ is $19 once.
MacWhisper. Transcribing audio files and meetings on your Mac, with dictation as a side feature. Pro is €64 once.
OpenWhispr. Open-source dictation that also runs on Linux. Free with local models; Pro is $80 a year.- Typeless. AI rewriting, translation and editing by voice across every platform. $144 a year, cloud.
Willow. A usable free plan on a smaller model. Pro is $144 a year; mostly cloud.- Aqua Voice. Fast dictation of prompts and code using what is on your screen. $96 a year, cloud.
Apple Dictation. Occasional dictation for free, built into every Mac, iPhone and iPad.- Dragon Professional. Windows users who rely on voice commands. Not sold for Mac; third-party sellers list about $699.
Speechify. Listening to books, PDFs and scanned pages with a large voice library. About $139 a year.
ElevenReader. Natural voices and audiobooks, with a generous free plan of 10 hours a month. Ultra is about $99 a year.
NaturalReader. Reading in the browser with MP3 export. Paid plans from $79 a year.
Voice Dream. An accessible reading library on iPhone and iPad. Free download with in-app purchases.
Questions
Which dictation app is cheapest over three years?
Apple Dictation is free, and Spokenly and OpenWhispr have free local plans. Among paid licenses, VoiceInk is $25 once for one Mac and SpeechBee is $99 once for Mac, iPhone and iPad. Wispr Flow Pro, Typeless Pro and Willow Pro each cost $432 over three years on yearly billing.
Which dictation apps work offline?
SpeechBee, VoiceInk and MacWhisper transcribe on your device. superwhisper, Spokenly and OpenWhispr do too with their local models. Wispr Flow, Typeless and Aqua Voice need a connection; Willow lists an on-device offline mode.
Which app both dictates and reads text aloud?
SpeechBee does both on your device. Speechify Premium also lists voice typing next to its reader.
How are the costs worked out?
For each length of time we take the cheapest published way to keep using the app, monthly, yearly or once, in US dollars before tax. Apps with free tiers are priced on their paid plan, because free tiers have limits.
How current are these prices?
Every price comes from the app's own site, linked under the table, and was checked on 13 October 2026. We recheck monthly.
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.