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What does MacWhisper do best?
MacWhisper is a transcription app first. Drag in an interview, a lecture, a voice memo or a video and you get text back, made on your Mac with local Whisper models. It reads mp3, wav, m4a, ogg, opus, mov and mp4 files, supports 100 languages, and exports subtitles as .srt and .vtt. All of that is in the free version, and nothing has to leave your Mac to do it.
MacWhisper Pro is a one-time license, listed at €64 with lifetime updates on its site at the time of writing. Pro adds automatic meeting recording for Zoom, Teams, Webex, Skype, Chime and Discord, with no bot joining, plus batch transcription, speaker recognition, YouTube links, watched folders and more export formats. There's system-wide dictation too. Its Gumroad page lists macOS 14 or later, recommends an M-series Mac and says it also works on Intel.
So if files are your main job, MacWhisper is hard to beat, and you may not need to switch at all. People usually look around for other reasons: they mostly dictate and want an app built for that, they want something free and open source, or they want meeting notes with summaries written for them.
We make Koi, so read this with that in mind. And to be clear up front: Koi does not transcribe audio or video files. It's on this list for live dictation, its screen assistant and recording calls. We didn't run tests or benchmarks. Every fact about another app comes from that app's own website, checked October 7, 2026.
The list
8 MacWhisper alternatives, by what you need
1. Superwhisper
Best for: Dictation first, with files and meetings in the same app
Superwhisper is the closest all-rounder. The free tier types into any app, records and transcribes meetings, supports 100+ languages and gives unlimited use of local Whisper models, which work offline. It also lets you enter names, abbreviations and special terms once so they come out right, and its modes change tone and formatting for an email, a message or a document.
File transcription is a Pro feature, alongside cloud models, your own API keys and translation into English. Pro is $8.49 a month at the time of writing, on Superwhisper's site, with yearly and lifetime options. One license works on as many of your devices as you like, across Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Its FAQ says Intel Macs work best with the cloud models. More in our Superwhisper alternatives guide.
2. VoiceInk
Best for: Open source dictation you pay for once
VoiceInk transcribes your voice with local models, so your audio never leaves the Mac. It removes filler words, formats longer notes and emails, rewrites selected text when you tell it how, and keeps a dictionary of names and product terms. The code is on GitHub for anyone to read.
It's $25 once for one Mac at the time of writing, $39 for two and $49 for three, with a 14-day refund. It needs an Apple silicon Mac and macOS 14.4 or later. Its site is about dictation and doesn't list file transcription, so it replaces MacWhisper's dictation, not its file work.
3. Spokenly
Best for: Free local dictation with no account, on Mac, Windows, Linux and iPhone
Spokenly's local Whisper and Parakeet models are free with no usage limits, and you don't need an account to use them. A local-only mode blocks every network request. On a Mac it can also record a meeting's microphone and system audio without a bot, then transcribe the saved recording. Its command-line tool transcribes audio and video files to text, SRT, VTT, Markdown or JSON.
You can bring your own API keys for cloud engines, or pay for Pro's managed cloud models: $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year on Spokenly's pricing at the time of writing.
4. Aiko
Best for: Simple, private file transcription for a one-time price
Aiko, by Sindre Sorhus, does one thing: turns audio and video into text on your device. On a Mac it uses Whisper's large v2 model, supports audio in 100 languages and exports to formats like JSON, CSV and subtitles. It's $24 once, and one purchase covers its Mac, iOS and visionOS apps.
It's deliberately small. There's no built-in batch mode (its site shows a Shortcuts workaround) and no editing inside the app. You can try the full app free for 14 days through TestFlight.
5. Buzz
Best for: Free, open source file transcription, including on Windows and Linux
Buzz transcribes and translates audio offline with Whisper. It takes audio and video files or YouTube links, can transcribe your microphone live, identifies speakers, and exports TXT, SRT and VTT. It also has a watch folder and a command-line interface, much like MacWhisper Pro.
The open source version is free on GitHub for Mac, Windows and Linux. Its readme says Buzz now needs Apple silicon on a Mac; the last version for Intel Macs is 1.4.5. On a Mac you download the .dmg from SourceForge, so setup is a little more hands-on.
6. Koi
Best for: Live dictation, an AI that sees your screen, and calls recorded on your Mac
Koi is not a file transcriber. If that's what you need, stop at the five above. Koi is for talking instead of typing. Press Fn + ⌥ in any app and talk: words appear while you speak and tidy themselves up. Speech is turned into text on your Mac with Whisper (Small built in, Base and Large v3 Turbo a download away), so it works offline, picks up 57 languages by itself, and is unlimited on every plan, Free included.
Press Fn + ⌃ on a call and Koi records it on your Mac: your microphone as You, the Mac's sound as Them, plus a video of the screen. No bot joins, and the audio and video stay on your Mac. Turn on call notes and the transcript's words go to Koi's AI, which writes a summary and your to-dos. Free includes 2 recorded calls a month, Pro ($20 a month) 10, Max and Lifetime ($99 once) no limit. Hold Fn + ⌘ to talk to Koi, an assistant that can see your screen if you let it and edit text in any app; those calls use cloud AI models. Mac only, and it needs an account (just an email).
7. Wispr Flow
Best for: Polished cloud dictation across Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android
Wispr Flow cleans up as you talk, learns your names and jargon, and has a dictionary and snippets for things you type often. It runs on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and its Notetaker records meetings on Mac and Windows without a bot.
The big difference from MacWhisper: Wispr's privacy page says transcription always happens in the cloud. Free is 2,000 words a week on desktop, and Pro is $15 per user a month at the time of writing. Our Wispr Flow alternatives page compares it with the local options.
8. Granola
Best for: AI meeting notes when the cloud is fine
If you used MacWhisper Pro mainly for meetings, Granola, the AI notepad, is a different take: it listens through your computer's audio, so no bot joins, and turns your rough notes into full meeting notes. It runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
Granola's security page says audio is transcribed by cloud providers and isn't kept, while notes and transcripts are stored on its servers. Basic is free with limited history; Business is $14 per user a month on Granola's pricing. See our Granola AI alternatives for more.
Comparison
MacWhisper alternatives compared
What each app says it does, from its own site. “Not listed” means the app's site doesn't mention it, not that it can't.
| Files | Live dictation | Meetings | Offline | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacWhisper | Yes, free | Yes | Pro | Yes | Free; Pro €64 once |
| Superwhisper | Pro | Yes | Yes, free | Local models | Free; Pro $8.49 a month |
| VoiceInk | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | Yes | $25 once |
| Spokenly | Command line | Yes | Record, then transcribe | Local models | Free local; Pro $9.99 a month |
| Aiko | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | $24 once |
| Buzz | Yes | Live captions | Not listed | Yes | Free, open source |
| Koi | No | Yes, any app | You and Them, with video | Dictation and calls | Free; Pro $20 a month |
| Wispr Flow | Not listed | Yes | Notetaker | No, cloud | Free 2,000 words a week; Pro $15 |
Head to head
MacWhisper vs Superwhisper: which is better?
They overlap, but they start from opposite ends. MacWhisper is built around files: transcription of audio and video is in the free version, subtitles export straight away, and the paid upgrade is a one-time license. Meeting recording, batch work and speaker recognition come with Pro.
Superwhisper is built around dictation. Its modes and vocabulary shape what you say into the app you're in, and meeting recording is in the free tier. But file transcription needs Pro, which is a monthly or yearly subscription, or a lifetime license. Superwhisper also has apps for Windows, iOS and Android.
- Mostly transcribing recordings, subtitles or podcasts? MacWhisper.
- Mostly dictating into other apps, on more than one device? Superwhisper.
- On an Intel Mac? Superwhisper says its local models run really well only on Apple silicon, while MacWhisper says it also works on Intel.
Meetings
What replaces MacWhisper Pro for recording meetings?
MacWhisper Pro notices when a Zoom, Teams or Discord call starts, records it without a bot and transcribes it with local models, with speaker recognition on M-series Macs. If that's the part you rely on, here is how the others handle a call:
- Superwhisper includes meeting recording and transcription on its free tier.
- Spokenly records your microphone and the Mac's sound, saves it to History, and transcribes it afterwards with local or cloud models.
- Koi records with Fn + ⌃: You and Them in turns, a video of the screen with both sides' sound, all kept on your Mac. It doesn't name each speaker. With call notes on, it writes a summary and your to-dos from the transcript's words, using a cloud AI model.
- Wispr Flow's Notetaker and Granola name speakers and write summaries, but both work in the cloud.
Koi, MacWhisper, Spokenly, Wispr Flow's Notetaker and Granola all record from your Mac instead of joining the call, so nobody sees a bot. Koi doesn't announce itself either. Tell people you're recording, and check the rules where you and they are.
Before you switch
What to check before leaving MacWhisper
- Export what you want to keep. MacWhisper exports .txt, and Pro adds .md, .pdf, .html and .docx, plus .srt and .vtt subtitles.
- Check your Mac. VoiceInk and the latest Buzz need Apple silicon, and VoiceInk needs macOS 14.4 or later. Koi needs macOS 14 or later and runs on Intel too.
- Check your languages. MacWhisper, Aiko and Superwhisper list about 100. Koi detects 57.
- Check where audio goes. Local apps keep it on your Mac. Wispr Flow and Granola send it to the cloud to be transcribed.
- Check the price model. MacWhisper, VoiceInk and Aiko are paid once. Superwhisper, Spokenly Pro and Wispr Flow are subscriptions. Koi has both.
Free
Is there a free MacWhisper alternative?
First, MacWhisper itself is free for file transcription. You only pay for Pro features. If you want something else that costs nothing:
- Buzz is free and open source, and transcribes audio and video files offline on Mac, Windows and Linux.
- Spokenly's local models are free with no account, and its command-line tool handles files.
- Superwhisper's free tier includes dictation, meeting recording and local Whisper models, but not file transcription.
- Koi Free has unlimited offline dictation and 2 recorded calls a month, but no file transcription.
Aiko isn't free, but its 14-day trial is the full app, which is enough to clear a backlog of recordings and decide.
Whisper on Mac
How does Whisper transcription work on a Mac?
Whisper is OpenAI's open speech model. Because the model is open, apps can run it right on your Mac, with no audio sent anywhere. That's what MacWhisper, Aiko, Buzz and the local modes of Superwhisper and Spokenly do, and it's what Koi uses for dictation and recorded calls.
Whisper comes in sizes. In Koi, Small is built in, Base is lighter, and Large v3 Turbo is the most accurate. Aiko uses large v2 on a Mac. Bigger models ask more of your Mac, which is why several of these apps point to Apple silicon: VoiceInk and the latest Buzz need it, and Superwhisper recommends cloud models on Intel. Koi runs on Apple silicon and Intel.
If your voice should never leave the Mac, local Whisper is the way to go. Our list of offline dictation apps for Mac covers the ones that work with no internet at all.
Choosing
Which MacWhisper alternative should you pick?
- Transcribing files for free, on any computer? Buzz.
- Transcribing files with the least fuss, paid once? Aiko.
- Dictation, meetings and files in one subscription? Superwhisper.
- Dictation only, paid once, open source? VoiceInk.
- Free local dictation with no account? Spokenly.
- Live dictation, an AI that sees your screen, and calls kept on your Mac? Koi.
- Meeting notes that write themselves, and the cloud is fine? Granola.
Most of these have a free tier or a trial. Run the same recording or the same day of writing through two of them and keep the one you stop thinking about.
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