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Whisper apps for Mac

Whisper is OpenAI's open speech recognition model, and it runs well on Apple silicon. A whole family of Mac apps is built on it. Some are for transcribing recordings, some for dictating into any app, and some do both. Here is how to tell them apart.

By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Prices checked on 12 October 2026

  • MacWhisper
  • superwhisper
  • VoiceInk
  • Spokenly
  • OpenWhispr
  • SpeechBee
On this page
  1. What "a Whisper app" means
  2. Whisper apps at a glance
  3. MacWhisper
  4. superwhisper
  5. VoiceInk
  6. Spokenly
  7. OpenWhispr
  8. SpeechBee
  9. Questions
  10. Keep comparing
  11. Sources

What "a Whisper app" means

OpenAI released Whisper as an open model, so anyone can build an app around it, and on an Apple silicon Mac it runs on your own computer. That gives Whisper apps two things cloud dictation can't: your audio doesn't leave the Mac, and they work offline once the model has downloaded.

Whisper is not the only local model any more. Several apps now also offer NVIDIA's Parakeet models, which cover fewer languages. Many apps let you pick.

Whisper apps at a glance

AppBest forPricePlatforms
MacWhisperRecordings, meetings, subtitlesFree, Pro €64 onceMac, iPhone, iPad
superwhisperDictation with AI modesFree tier, Pro $8.49/mo, $84.99/yr or $249.99 onceMac, Windows, iPhone, Android
VoiceInkPaying once$25 for 1 MacApple silicon Mac, iPhone
SpokenlyFree local dictationFree, Pro $99.99/yrMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone
OpenWhisprOpen sourceFree, Pro $80/yrMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone
SpeechBeeSimple dictation plus Read Aloud$9/mo, $79/yr or $99 onceMac, iPhone, iPad

MacWhisper

The best Mac app for transcribing recordings. Drag in audio or video, record calls without a bot joining, label speakers, and export subtitles or documents, all with local models. It includes system-wide dictation too. There is a free version and Pro costs €64 once. It is now on iPhone and iPad as well.

superwhisper

The power user's dictation app. Its free tier includes unlimited local Whisper models and meeting recording. Pro adds modes that pass your speech through an AI model such as GPT or Claude to rewrite it for each app, plus file transcription and translation. superwhisper says its offline models run best on Apple silicon. See superwhisper pricing.

VoiceInk

A focused local dictation app with custom words, text replacements and filler removal, and public source code. $25 once for one Mac, $39 for two, $49 for three, with a 14-day refund. It needs Apple silicon and macOS 14.4 or later, and there is an iPhone app.

Spokenly

Runs local Whisper and Parakeet models free, with no word cap and no account, and a local-only mode that blocks network requests. Pro, $99.99 a year, adds managed cloud models, AI cleanup and sync.

OpenWhispr

Open source under the MIT license, on Mac, Windows, Linux and iPhone. Local dictation is free and unlimited, and the free plan includes some cloud words and meeting recording. Pro is $80 a year.

SpeechBee

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.

SpeechBee is our app. By default it uses NVIDIA's Parakeet model, which covers 25 languages. On Mac you can switch to Whisper Large v3 Turbo for up to 99 languages. Either way, speech is transcribed on your device and your audio is never uploaded.

It is built for dictation without setup: hold a key, talk, and your words appear at the cursor with filler words removed, names fixed from your dictionary and snippets expanded. It keeps your wording, with no AI modes. It also reads selected text aloud with natural local voices, which no other app here does. One plan covers Mac, iPhone and iPad: $9 a month, $79 a year or $99 once, after 7 days free. It needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later. It doesn't transcribe files or meetings.

Local dictation and Read Aloud. 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

What is the best Whisper app for Mac?

It depends on the job. MacWhisper is best for recordings and meetings, superwhisper for AI-shaped dictation, VoiceInk for a cheap one-time price, Spokenly and OpenWhispr for free local dictation, and SpeechBee for simple dictation with Read Aloud.

Is there a free Whisper app for Mac?

Yes. Spokenly and OpenWhispr offer free local dictation, superwhisper's free tier includes unlimited local Whisper models, and MacWhisper has a free version for transcribing files.

Do Whisper apps work offline?

Yes, when they run the model locally. After the model downloads, transcription happens on your Mac with no internet needed.

Do I need an Apple silicon Mac to run Whisper?

It runs best on Apple silicon. superwhisper recommends cloud models on Intel Macs, and VoiceInk and SpeechBee require Apple silicon.

Is Whisper better than Apple Dictation?

Whisper supports many languages and runs entirely on your Mac in these apps. Apple Dictation is free and built in. Apps built on Whisper or Parakeet add things Apple Dictation lacks on Mac, such as a custom dictionary.

Keep comparing

Sources

All checked on 12 October 2026.