We make Sorimac, one of the options below, so read us as an interested party. Facts about other apps come from their official pages, checked .
| If you need | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| File transcription on Windows or a phone | Superwhisper Pro | Pro transcribes audio and video files, on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, from $8.49 a month. |
| Meeting notes for a team | Otter.ai | Free Basic has 300 minutes a month and 3 file imports in total; Pro is $16.99 a month or $8.33 a month yearly. |
| Live dictation at the cursor | Sorimac ($9.99) | Speech in, text at the cursor, plus Mac voice commands. No file import, no subtitles, no export. |
| Live dictation, free | Apple Dictation or Spokenly Free | Apple's is built in; Spokenly Free is unlimited and offline. Neither is a file tool. |
| Live dictation on several Macs, pay once | VoiceInk | $39 covers two Macs, $49 three, once. |
| Subtitles and exports on a Mac | Stay on MacWhisper Pro | None of the live dictation apps here make subtitles or Word and PDF exports. |
Sources, checked October 21, 2026: MacWhisper home and plans, MacWhisper on Gumroad, Superwhisper home and pricing, Otter.ai pricing, Spokenly pricing, Apple: Dictate messages and documents on Mac, VoiceInk home and pricing. Sorimac facts: our FAQ. "Not listed" means the official page does not say.
The closest swap if files must stay part of the job. Free plan for dictation; file transcription is in Pro at $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once, with a 30-day refund.
A different kind of tool: shared meeting transcripts. Plans are per user and the free tier caps file imports at 3 for life. Its pricing page does not say where audio is processed, so check that if privacy is why you used MacWhisper.
Only if you were using MacWhisper mainly for dictation. $9.99 once, on-device, with always-on, push-to-talk or wake word start. Recorded interviews and podcasts are out of scope; it needs Apple Silicon and macOS 15.
Free live dictation, already installed. On-device on Apple silicon; stops after 30 seconds of silence.
Free and offline, on more platforms. Unlimited Whisper and Parakeet models at $0; its pricing page does not mention file transcription.
Pay-once live dictation with an iOS app. $25 to $49 once for one to three Macs, macOS 14.4+, open source under GPL-3.0.
For file transcription, Otter's free Basic plan allows 3 file imports in total and 300 minutes a month (otter.ai, checked October 21, 2026). For live dictation, Apple Dictation and Spokenly Free cost nothing.
Superwhisper Pro transcribes files and runs on Windows. Otter has a Windows desktop app. MacWhisper and Sorimac are Apple-only.
No. Sorimac does live dictation and voice commands only. If you transcribe recordings, keep MacWhisper or use Superwhisper Pro.
MacWhisper, Superwhisper's offline models, Spokenly's local models, VoiceInk and Sorimac run recognition on the device. Otter's pricing page does not say.
3-day free trial. Pay $9.99 once, use it forever. Updates included. Apple Silicon, macOS 15+.
Sorimac