MacWhisper vs Monologue

MacWhisper

• Transcribing interviews, lectures and podcasts without uploading files
• Mac users who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
• Producing .srt or .vtt subtitles from audio and video

Monologue

• People who work across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
• Recording meetings without a bot joining the call
• Handing voice notes and transcripts to AI agents

MacWhisper

• Mac only on the desktop, and it needs macOS 14 or later. The iPhone and iPad app is a separate App Store product called Whisper Transcription.
• The Pro price is set in euros, and checkout runs through Gumroad.
• License keys work only in the direct-download version; the App Store edition is sold by subscription and has fewer AI provider options.
• Speaker recognition (with local models, M-series Macs only), batch transcription, integrations and most export formats require Pro.

Monologue

• Apple devices only: Monologue does not offer Windows or Android apps.
• The free trial stops at 1,000 dictation words and 10 recorded notes; after that a Pro or Every subscription is needed.
• Local transcription works only on Apple silicon Macs, and smart formatting still needs an internet connection.
• The web app reviews and organizes notes but cannot record new ones.

MacWhisper

Local file transcription

Transcribes audio and video files such as mp3, wav, m4a, mov and mp4 with models that run on the Mac, so recordings are processed offline and do not leave the computer.

System-wide dictation

Dictate into any text field on the Mac. Free includes dictation; Pro adds a higher-quality mode, automatic grammar improvement and dictation with AI prompts.

Meeting and app audio recording

Records Zoom, Teams, Webex, Skype and Discord calls in the background, or the audio of any Mac app, and transcribes the result.

Speaker recognition and batch jobs

Pro labels different speakers automatically, transcribes many files in one batch and can transcribe YouTube and other media URLs.

Subtitle and document export

Free exports .txt plus .srt and .vtt subtitles. Pro adds .md, .pdf, .html and .docx and can translate subtitles automatically.

AI summaries and chat

Summarize or chat with a transcript by connecting your own provider, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, xAI or local models through Ollama.

Monologue

Dictation in any app

Hold a shortcut on Mac, or use the Monologue keyboard on iPhone and iPad, and speech becomes formatted text in the app in front of you, with self-corrections removed. Over 100 languages.

Modes and custom instructions

Modes change the writing style to suit the app, such as chat, email, notes or code. Custom instructions and a personal dictionary handle tone, names and acronyms.

Voice Notes

Record longer thoughts or conversations and get a speaker-separated transcript and a summary. Notes sync across devices and can be reviewed in a web app.

Bot-free meeting notes

On Mac, a note can record the microphone and system audio together, capturing both sides of a call without a bot joining. Meeting notes are part of Monologue Pro.

Local transcription on Mac

Apple silicon Macs can download a local model that transcribes speech with no connection. Smart formatting still uses the online service, so offline output is a raw transcript.

MCP, CLI and Notes API

Saved notes can be read by AI agents through a hosted MCP server, searched from a command-line tool, or pulled into other software with a read-only public API.

MacWhisper

• MacWhisper Free€0

  Microphone recording, file transcription in 100 languages, system-wide dictation and export to .txt, .srt and .vtt.

• MacWhisper Pro€65

  one-time payment, 1 license for personal use

  Lifetime updates. Adds speaker recognition, batch transcription, more export formats, higher-quality dictation and integrations.

• 5 licenses (Pro)€269

  one-time payment (€54 per license)

  Five Pro licenses bought together. Larger packs of 10, 20 and 50 licenses are also sold.

Monologue

• Free trial$0

  1,000 dictation words and 10 recorded notes, with offline transcription, context-aware formatting and 100+ languages.

• Monologue Pro$12

  per month, billed annually ($144), or $15 billed monthly

  Unlimited dictation, unlimited recorded notes and bot-free meeting notes on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

• Every bundle$24

  per month, billed annually ($288), or $30 billed monthly

  Every's paid subscription includes Monologue Pro along with its Cora, Spiral, Proof and Sparkle apps and its AI newsletter.

MacWhisper

• Lifetime license

  Pro is a one-time €65 license

  MacWhisper Pro is a pay-once license at €65 that includes lifetime updates, with no subscription on the direct-download version. The Gumroad listing promises a refund if you ask within 7 days.

• Education

  25% off for students on request

  The Gumroad listing says students, journalists and nonprofits can email support, describe their work and get 25% off.

• Nonprofit

  25% off for nonprofits on request

  Nonprofits are covered by the same offer as students and journalists: email support with details of your work to get 25% off.

• Other savings

  Volume packs from €54 per license

  Pro license packs lower the unit price: 5 licenses for €269 (€54 each), 10 for €490 (€49 each), 20 for €899 (€45 each) and 50 for €2,199 (€44 each).

Monologue

• Annual discount

  Save 20% with annual billing

  Monologue Pro is $144 a year, charged as one payment, which works out to $12 a month against $15 on monthly billing.