Superwhisper vs MacWhisper: which one do you need?

Choose by the job. If you mostly talk into emails, chat and documents, Superwhisper is the better fit. If you mostly turn recordings (lectures, interviews, podcasts, calls) into text, MacWhisper is. Both now do a bit of the other's job, so the real question is which one you will use every day.

Both apps run OpenAI's Whisper speech models on your Mac, and both have a free plan. The differences are in where each app started, what it costs, and how many devices it covers.

Superwhisper is built for dictation, MacWhisper for files

Superwhisper is a dictation app first. You press a shortcut, talk, and the text lands at your cursor in whatever Mac app you are using ¹. Its modes (Voice, Super, Message, Email, Note, Meeting and custom modes) decide whether your words are pasted raw or rewritten by a language model ². Meeting recording arrived only recently, in version 3.0 on October 15, 2026 ³.

MacWhisper started as a file transcriber. Its website says you can transcribe any file by dragging and dropping it into the app ⁴. It also records meetings: it lists Zoom, Teams, Webex, Skype and Discord calls transcribed in the background ⁵, and it labels different speakers in a recording ⁶ (the technique is called speaker diarization). It has a dictation feature too, which it says works in any app ⁷.

The price models differ: subscription or lifetime against one fee

Superwhisper's Free plan is unlimited with local Whisper models ⁹. Pro costs $8.49 a month ¹⁰ or $249.99 once ¹¹, and adds cloud models, AI modes, the Parakeet local model and file transcription ¹². A single license covers unlimited Macs and Windows PCs plus your phones ¹³.

MacWhisper lists its Free plan at €0 ¹⁴ and Pro at €64 paid once, including lifetime updates ¹⁵. The two prices are in different currencies and the Superwhisper tiers include different things, so we do not give a single exchange-rate comparison. The rough picture: MacWhisper Pro costs a fraction of Superwhisper's lifetime license, but Superwhisper's license buys AI modes and more devices. Check both prices on the seller pages before you buy, because both change.

Our guide to Superwhisper pricing covers every plan, and the Superwhisper guide has the full table.

Both can keep audio on your Mac, but Superwhisper starts in the cloud

MacWhisper says it uses local models and that no audio, text or other data leaves the device ¹⁶. It also lets you switch to AI models hosted remotely if you choose ¹⁷, so "local" is a setting you control, not a guarantee for every feature.

Superwhisper's audio stays on your device only after you pick a local model ¹⁸. Out of the box it uses cloud models ¹⁹. If privacy matters most, both apps need a quick check of the model settings. Our question on whether Superwhisper works offline shows how to confirm it, and on-device speech recognition explains what "local" means.

When it depends

• You dictate all day and also use Windows or a phone. Superwhisper. MacWhisper is a Mac app.
• You transcribe interviews, lectures or podcast episodes. MacWhisper. Batch files, speaker labels and exports are its core.
• You want a one-time, low price and mostly use files. MacWhisper Pro.
• You want text rewritten for email or chat as you speak. Superwhisper's AI modes. Our guide to AI dictation cleanup explains what that step changes.
• You need both. Many people run the free plans side by side. Pay only for the one you reach for.

If a different trade-off matters, see how Superwhisper compares with Wispr Flow or with Apple Dictation. Disclosure: Yap, which we make, is another on-device dictation app for Mac and Windows ( download it or see offline dictation on Mac). It is not required for this choice.

What to do

1. Install both free plans. Both cost nothing to try.
2. Spend two days on your real work: dictate emails and messages in each, then drop one real recording into each.
3. Keep the one that fits most of your work. If it is Superwhisper, pick a local model first if audio must stay on your machine.
4. Buy only after a real week of use. Superwhisper refunds website purchases within 30 days ²⁰.

For more detail on models and pricing, read the full Superwhisper guide, and the MacWhisper guide for the other side. The wider field is in our overview of dictation software.