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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pay nothing, stay offline | Handy or Spokenly Free | Handy is free and MIT-licensed; Spokenly Free is unlimited with offline Whisper and Parakeet models. |
| Pay once, one Mac | Sorimac ($9.99) | One-time, on-device, Apple Silicon and macOS 15+ only. Full refund within 14 days, plus a 3-day trial. |
| Pay once, two or three Macs | VoiceInk ($39 or $49) | One purchase covers two or three Macs; Sorimac is one license per Mac. |
| Readable source code | Handy (MIT) or VoiceInk (GPL-3.0) | Both publish their code on GitHub. Sorimac is closed source. |
| Windows or Linux too | Handy or Spokenly | Both list macOS, Windows and Linux. Sorimac is Mac only. |
| Transcribe audio and video files | MacWhisper (Pro €64 once) | File work is its focus. Sorimac and Handy do live dictation only. |
| Every device on one license | Superwhisper itself | Its license covers Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, on as many devices as you own. |
Sources, checked October 21, 2026: Superwhisper home and pricing, Handy site and GitHub README, Handy site, Spokenly pricing, VoiceInk home and pricing, MacWhisper home and plans, Apple: Dictate messages and documents on Mac. Sorimac facts: our FAQ. "Not listed" means the official page does not say.
The free pick if you want open source. MIT license, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and keeps your voice on the computer. You hold a shortcut, speak and release; there is no file transcription.
The free pick if you want polish without code. Free is $0 forever with unlimited offline use; Local+ is $29 once for extra styles and settings sync; Pro is $99.99 a year for cloud models and AI cleanup.
The cheapest pay-once option for a single Apple Silicon Mac. $9.99 once, Qwen3-ASR on the Mac by default, with always-on, push-to-talk or wake word start and voice commands. It does not fit if you need Intel, Windows, a phone app, AI rewriting or files.
The pay-once pick for several Macs or an iPhone. $25 for one Mac, $39 for two, $49 for three; GPL-3.0; macOS 14.4+ and an iOS app; 14-day money-back.
The pick when your audio is already recorded. Free version, Pro €64 once, with exports and subtitles. Dictation is there too, but files are the center.
Worth a try before you buy anything. Free with macOS and processed on the device on Apple silicon, but it stops after 30 seconds without speech.
Handy and Spokenly Free cost nothing. Among paid one-time apps, Sorimac is $9.99 for one Mac and VoiceInk is $25 (official sites, checked October 21, 2026).
Handy and Spokenly both list macOS, Windows and Linux. Sorimac, VoiceInk and MacWhisper are Apple-only.
MacWhisper is built for audio and video files; Pro is €64 once. Superwhisper also transcribes files in Pro. Sorimac and Handy do live dictation only.
If you use it on a Mac plus Windows or a phone, $249.99 once for every device can beat switching. If you only dictate on one Mac, a $9.99 or $25 one-time app costs less.
3-day free trial. Pay $9.99 once, use it forever. Updates included. Apple Silicon, macOS 15+.
Sorimac