---
title: "Wispr Flow vs Aqua Voice (2026): two cloud AI dictation apps compared"
description: "Wispr Flow and Aqua Voice both turn speech into polished text in the cloud. Prices ($144 vs $96 a year), free plans, context features, privacy settings, student discounts and platforms, side by side."
url: "https://speechbee.app/compare/wispr-flow-vs-aqua-voice"
---

# Wispr Flow vs Aqua Voice

Wispr Flow and Aqua Voice are the two best-known cloud AI dictation apps. Both run on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, both use context to get words right, and both process speech on their servers. They differ on price, free allowance and focus. Here is how they compare.

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

> ### The short answer
>
> - **Pick Wispr Flow** for a bigger free allowance, polished everyday writing with no setup, a meeting Notetaker, and team features.
> - **Pick Aqua Voice** for a cheaper Pro plan, real-time text, developer tools such as MCP and a CLI, and a bigger student discount.
>
> We make SpeechBee, an on-device alternative to both. Facts about Wispr and Aqua come from their own sites.

## Side by side

| | Wispr Flow | Aqua Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Paid price | Pro $15/mo or $144/yr | Pro $10/mo or $96/yr; Max $30/mo or $288/yr |
| Free plan | 2,000 words a week on desktop, 1,000 on mobile | 1,000 words |
| Student discount | 3 months free, then 50% off | 70% off Pro and Max |
| Where speech is processed | Wispr's servers, always | Aqua's servers |
| Uses screen context | App name and text box always; active window with Context Awareness on | Yes, to get terms and code syntax right |
| Training on your data | Only if you allow it | Transcripts may be stored to improve the product unless Privacy Mode is on |
| Extras | Notetaker for meetings, Command Mode | Realtime Mode on Max, MCP, CLI, API |
| Teams | Shared workspace, SSO, SCIM, HIPAA with a BAA | Business plan with SSO, SCIM, Zero Data Retention |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android |

## Price

**One year, in US dollars**

- Wispr Flow Pro, yearly: $144
- Aqua Voice Pro, yearly: $96
- SpeechBee Yearly: $79

Aqua's Pro plan is $48 a year cheaper than Wispr's. Aqua's Max plan, with Realtime Mode, costs more than either. Wispr's free plan lasts longer: 2,000 words a week on desktop against Aqua's 1,000 words in total.

## What each is best at

**Wispr Flow** is built to make everyday writing better with no setup. It cleans up rambling speech, adapts tone to the app, and adds a Notetaker for meetings. Its team plans are the more established of the two.

**Aqua Voice** leans toward people who dictate technical text, especially prompts for AI coding tools. It uses what's on your screen to get code and library names right, shows text as you speak, and offers MCP, CLI and API access.

## Privacy

Both send your speech to their servers, and neither works offline. Wispr lets you opt out of model training and controls cloud storage of history in its settings; see [Wispr Flow privacy](https://speechbee.app/compare/wispr-flow-privacy). Aqua's Privacy Mode stops transcript data being kept to improve the product, and its Business plan offers Zero Data Retention; see our [Aqua Voice review](https://speechbee.app/compare/aqua-voice-review).

## If you want dictation that stays on your device

SpeechBee, which we make, transcribes on your Mac, iPhone or iPad. Audio is never uploaded, it works offline, and it never reads your screen. It removes filler words, learns names from a dictionary, and reads selected text aloud. It is $79 a year or $99 once. It doesn't run on Windows or Android, has no team plan, and keeps your wording by default rather than rewriting it.

## Questions

### Is Aqua Voice cheaper than Wispr Flow?

Yes, for Pro: $96 a year against $144. Aqua's Max plan, $288 a year, costs more.

### Which has the better free plan?

Wispr Flow's: 2,000 words a week on desktop and 1,000 on mobile, against Aqua's 1,000 words.

### Do Wispr Flow and Aqua Voice work offline?

No. Both transcribe on their own servers.

### Which is better for coding?

Aqua Voice markets itself more to developers, with screen context for code, MCP and a CLI. Wispr Flow also works in code editors and terminals. See [dictation for developers](https://speechbee.app/guides/dictation-for-developers).

## Keep comparing

- [Aqua Voice review](https://speechbee.app/compare/aqua-voice-review)
- [Wispr Flow review](https://speechbee.app/compare/wispr-flow-review)
- [Wispr Flow vs SpeechBee](https://speechbee.app/compare/wispr-flow-vs-speechbee)
- [Aqua Voice alternatives](https://speechbee.app/compare/aqua-voice-alternatives)

## Sources

All checked on 12 October 2026.

- [Wispr Flow pricing](https://wisprflow.ai/pricing), [data controls](https://wisprflow.ai/data-controls), [privacy](https://wisprflow.ai/privacy) and [students](https://wisprflow.ai/students)
- [Aqua Voice pricing](https://withaqua.com/pricing) and [privacy policy](https://withaqua.com/info/privacy)
- SpeechBee facts from our [homepage](https://speechbee.app/) and [privacy policy](https://speechbee.app/privacy)