---
title: "VoiceInk vs superwhisper (2026): price, privacy and which to pick"
description: "VoiceInk is open-source local dictation for Mac at $25 once. superwhisper is $8.49 a month or $249.99 lifetime, with local or cloud models on four platforms. A side-by-side with real prices."
url: "https://speechbee.app/compare/voiceink-vs-superwhisper"
---

# VoiceInk vs superwhisper

Both can transcribe on your Mac with local models, so your audio stays there. VoiceInk is a small, open-source Mac app you buy once for $25. superwhisper costs more and does more: cloud models, Windows and Android, meetings and files. Which matters depends on how much of that you would use.

By the SpeechBee team. Prices checked on 13 October 2026.

> ### The short answer
>
> - **Pick VoiceInk** if you dictate on an Apple silicon Mac, want your audio to stay on it, and would rather pay $25 once than subscribe.
> - **Pick superwhisper** if you also work on Windows or Android, want cloud models alongside local ones, or record meetings and transcribe files.
> - **Pick neither** if you want private dictation on Mac, iPhone and iPad plus text read aloud. That is [SpeechBee](#a-third-option-speechbee), which we make.

## Side by side

| | VoiceInk | superwhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $25 once for 1 Mac, $39 for 2, $49 for 3 | $8.49/mo, $84.99/yr, or $249.99 lifetime |
| Free option | Free trial | Unlimited local Whisper models, plus 3,000 words of Pro to try |
| Refunds | 14-day money-back guarantee | 30-day refund on all plans |
| Where speech is processed | On your Mac | Your Mac with local models, or a cloud model you pick |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes, with local models |
| Platforms | Apple silicon Mac (macOS 14.4 or later), iPhone | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android |
| Source code | Public | Closed |
| Modes and AI editing | Modes, structured notes and emails, voice editing of selected text | Custom modes per task or app, your choice of voice and language model |
| Meetings and files | Not listed | Meeting recording and notes; audio and video files on Pro |

**What it costs over time** Over three years, VoiceInk is still $25 for one Mac. superwhisper's cheapest path is its $249.99 lifetime license.

| App | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| VoiceInk | $25 (One-time) | $25 (One-time) | $25 (One-time) |
| superwhisper | $84.99 (Yearly) | $169.98 (Yearly) | $249.99 (One-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.

## Price: VoiceInk is much cheaper to own

VoiceInk sells a one-time license: $25 for one Mac, $39 for two and $49 for three, with lifetime updates and a 14-day refund window. There is no subscription.

superwhisper Pro is $8.49 a month or $84.99 a year, and a lifetime license is $249.99. Its free tier is generous in its own way: local Whisper models with no word cap. You pay for cloud models, file transcription and your own API keys.

If all you want is local dictation on one Mac, VoiceInk costs about a tenth of superwhisper's lifetime license.

## Privacy: both can keep your audio on the Mac

VoiceInk transcribes with local models such as Parakeet and Whisper, and says your voice is processed on your Mac. Its source code is public, so anyone can check what it does.

superwhisper can do the same with its local models. It can also send audio to a cloud model you choose, and then your words go to that provider. The choice is per mode, so you decide where each kind of dictation goes. superwhisper notes that local models run best on Apple silicon.

## Everyday feel

VoiceInk is focused. Hold the shortcut, talk, and the text appears in the app you are using. Its modes can turn a spoken ramble into a short email or a structured note, and you can select text and say how it should change.

superwhisper is the bigger toolbox. Custom modes can be tied to apps, each with its own voice model and language model, and Super Mode reads your screen for context. If you like tuning, it rewards you. If you do not, VoiceInk has less to learn.

## Platforms

VoiceInk is a Mac app first and needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14.4 or later. It also has an iPhone app. superwhisper lists apps for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and one Pro license works on all your devices. If you use a Windows PC at work, that settles it.

## Which one should you pick?

Choose **VoiceInk** if:

- You dictate on one to three Apple silicon Macs.
- You want to pay once, and pay little.
- You like that the code is public.

Choose **superwhisper** if:

- You need dictation on Windows or Android as well.
- You want cloud models for some jobs and local ones for others.
- You record meetings or transcribe audio and video files.

## A third option: SpeechBee

SpeechBee is our own app, and every fact here is on [our homepage](https://speechbee.app/). Like both apps above, it transcribes on your device, and dictation keeps working with Wi-Fi off once the model has downloaded. Hold a key, talk, let go, and the text appears at the cursor with the filler words gone.

It also reads. Select text on your Mac and press a key, and a natural local voice reads it aloud. Neither VoiceInk nor superwhisper does that.

SpeechBee runs on Apple silicon Macs, iPhone and iPad, not Windows or Android, and it has no meeting recorder. It costs $9 a month, $79 a year, or $99 once, with the first 7 days free and every feature on every plan.

[Compare any apps in the interactive tool](https://speechbee.app/compare/tool)

## Questions

### Is VoiceInk better than superwhisper?

For local dictation on a Mac at the lowest price, yes. VoiceInk is $25 once and open source. superwhisper is better if you need Windows or Android, cloud models, meeting recording or file transcription.

### Is VoiceInk cheaper than superwhisper?

Yes. VoiceInk is $25 once for one Mac. superwhisper Pro is $8.49 a month or $84.99 a year, and its lifetime license is $249.99. superwhisper's local models are free to use without Pro.

### Do VoiceInk and superwhisper work offline?

Both do with local models. VoiceInk is built around local models. superwhisper also offers cloud models, which need a connection.

### Does VoiceInk work on Windows?

No. VoiceInk is for Apple silicon Macs, with an iPhone app. superwhisper lists Mac, Windows, iOS and Android.

### Is VoiceInk open source?

Yes. VoiceInk links to its source code from its website. superwhisper is closed source.

## Keep comparing

- [VoiceInk alternatives](https://speechbee.app/compare/voiceink-alternatives)
- [VoiceInk vs SpeechBee](https://speechbee.app/compare/voiceink-vs-speechbee)
- [superwhisper alternatives](https://speechbee.app/compare/superwhisper-alternatives)
- [Wispr Flow vs superwhisper](https://speechbee.app/compare/wispr-flow-vs-superwhisper)

## More on dictation

- [Every dictation guide and comparison](https://speechbee.app/guides/voice-typing-mac)
- [Wispr Flow vs VoiceInk](https://speechbee.app/compare/wispr-flow-vs-voiceink)
- [Wispr Flow vs Willow](https://speechbee.app/compare/wispr-flow-vs-willow)
- [Free speech to text on Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/free-speech-to-text-mac)
- [Mac dictation not working](https://speechbee.app/guides/mac-dictation-not-working)
- [Apple Dictation vs Whisper](https://speechbee.app/compare/apple-dictation-vs-whisper)
- [Every read-aloud guide and comparison](https://speechbee.app/guides/read-text-aloud)

## Sources

Checked on 13 October 2026.

- [VoiceInk pricing](https://tryvoiceink.com/pricing)
- [VoiceInk homepage](https://tryvoiceink.com/), for features and platforms
- [superwhisper](https://superwhisper.com/), features, plans and FAQ
- [superwhisper yearly and lifetime prices](https://superwhisper.com/vs/wispr-flow/pricing)
- SpeechBee facts from our [homepage](https://speechbee.app/) and [privacy policy](https://speechbee.app/privacy)