FluidVoice vs VoiceInk
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
VoiceInk
Open-source Mac dictation with local models and a one-time price
Where they differ
- FluidVoice is free. VoiceInk starts at $25 one-time, for 1 Mac.
- FluidVoice has a free plan. VoiceInk does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only VoiceInk lists an iOS app.
- VoiceInk can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- VoiceInk also covers transcription.
At a glance
| FluidVoice | VoiceInk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $25 one-time, for 1 Mac |
| Free plan | Completely free and open source under the GPLv3, with no paid tiers. The optional Fluid Intelligence runtime is also free but is not open source. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of the Mac app, started during onboarding. |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Altic | Prakash Joshi (Pax) |
| Price read from | altic.dev | tryvoiceink.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
FluidVoice
- Mac users who want free dictation that stays on the device
- AI text cleanup without a cloud account or API key
- Developers dictating prompts into terminals and code editors
VoiceInk
- Mac users who want speech transcribed on their own machine
- Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
- People who want to pick their own transcription and AI providers
Worth knowing
FluidVoice
- Mac only for now: iPhone and Windows versions are listed as coming soon, with a waitlist.
- It requires macOS 15.0 or later, and Intel Macs are limited to the Whisper and Apple Speech models.
- Fluid Intelligence is a separate, privately maintained runtime and is not part of the open-source code.
- Choosing OpenAI, Groq or another cloud provider for enhancement sends text off the Mac.
VoiceInk
- A Mac license does not cover the iPhone and iPad app, which is licensed separately and is free while in beta.
- Vendor pages disagree on requirements: the pricing page says Apple Silicon and macOS 14.4 or later, the install docs say macOS 15 or later.
- AI enhancement and cloud transcription need your own provider API keys, and those requests leave the Mac.
- Licenses are capped by device count: 1, 2 or 3 Macs on the personal plans and 10 on the Startup License.
Key features
FluidVoice
- System-wide dictation
- Hold one global hotkey and speak, and the text is typed into any text field through macOS accessibility APIs. A live preview overlay shows words as they are recognized.
- On-device speech models
- Nemotron Speech 3.5, Parakeet, Cohere Transcribe, Apple Speech and Whisper models run locally. Language coverage depends on the model, from English only up to 99 languages with Whisper.
- Fluid Intelligence
- An optional local AI runtime, about a 3.5 GB download, runs the Fluid-1 model to strip filler, fix capitalization and format text with no cloud service or API key.
- Write Mode and Command Mode
- Write Mode drafts new text or rewrites a selection in any text field. Command Mode launches apps, runs shortcuts and triggers system actions by voice.
- Per-app prompts
- Assign different prompt sets to different apps so the tone follows the context, for example casual in Slack and formal in Mail.
- Optional cloud AI enhancement
- Post-processing can instead use OpenAI, Groq or a custom provider with your own API key, which is stored in the macOS Keychain.
VoiceInk
- Local transcription
- Speech is transcribed by models that run on the Mac, including Parakeet and Whisper, so audio is processed on the device. Onboarding starts with the Parakeet V3 model.
- Modes and triggers
- A Mode sets the transcription model, language, AI enhancement and output, and can switch automatically by app, website, spoken trigger phrase or shortcut.
- AI enhancement with your own keys
- Optionally send the transcript to a provider you connect, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini or Groq, to clean up, rewrite or draft a reply. VoiceInk Refine does cleanup locally.
- Dictionary and Smart Replace
- Add names and custom vocabulary, expand a short spoken phrase into exact text, and let Auto Learn pick up corrections you make.
- File transcription and history
- Queue existing audio and video files for transcription, and search, replay, export or retry earlier results in a history stored on the Mac.
- Assistant Mode
- Ask a question by voice and carry on the conversation inside the recorder window, using the AI provider you have connected.
Plans
FluidVoice
FluidVoice$0
The full Mac app with every speech model, Write and Command modes and optional Fluid Intelligence. GitHub Sponsors support is optional.
VoiceInk
Solo$25
one-time payment, 1 Mac
Lifetime access on 1 macOS device, with lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Personal$39
one-time payment, up to 2 Macs
The same lifetime license on up to 2 macOS devices, aimed at a desktop Mac plus a MacBook.
Extended$49
one-time payment, up to 3 Macs
The same lifetime license on up to 3 macOS devices.
Startup License$159
one-time payment, up to 10 Macs
A team license bought in one checkout that works on up to 10 Macs.
Ways to pay less
FluidVoice
No public discounts listed.
VoiceInk
- Lifetime license
One-time license from $25
Every plan is a single payment with lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee: $25 for 1 Mac, $39 for 2, $49 for 3 and $159 for 10.
- Education
Student discount on request
The site's FAQ says student discounts are available by contacting the developer with a student ID. The amount is not published.
- Other savings
Creator Bonus: up to 100% back for sharing
Public posts about VoiceInk earn 30% back at 1,000 total views, 50% at 2,000 and a full refund at 10,000. People who have not bought yet get a 30% discount instead.
