MacWhisper vs Sotto (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MacWhisper grades higher than Sotto: 3.0 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
MacWhisper grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MacWhisper
Mac transcription and dictation app that runs models locally
Sotto
Mac dictation and voice assistant with local models, bought once
Which one is for you
Pick MacWhisper if
- Fits if you transcribe interviews, lectures or podcasts and don't want the files leaving your Mac
- Makes sense if you'd rather pay €65 once than subscribe, and only need it on a Mac
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows, because it's a Mac app and needs macOS 14 or later
- Not for you if you want one purchase covering your phone, as the iPhone app is a separate product
- Tight if you're staying free and need speakers labelled, batch jobs or .docx and .pdf exports, which are Pro
- Watch out: license keys only work in the direct-download version; the App Store edition is a subscription with fewer AI options
- Watch out: speaker recognition with local models needs an M-series Mac, and the price is set in euros via Gumroad
Pick Sotto if
- Fits if you want to pay once and dictate on up to 3 Macs
- Works for people who want to run dictation on local models and connect their own tools
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows, Linux or a phone, as it's Mac only
- Not for you if you run macOS 14 or earlier, since it needs macOS 15
- Tight if you want to test it first: no free tier or trial
- Watch out: cloud transcription and AI providers need your own API keys, billed by them
- Watch out: Apple Silicon gives the best performance
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMacWhisperVery good | 2.0GPASottoFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is €65 once, with lifetime updates and no subscription on the direct-download version. Dictation apps here mostly charge about $8 a month, so it costs less than a year of those, paid once. Packs of five bring it down to €54 a license. | A$49 once for up to 3 Macs, less than a year of the category's middle subscription ($8.49 a month). |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free version records from the mic, transcribes audio and video files in 100 languages, dictates anywhere on the Mac and exports .txt, .srt and .vtt. Speaker labels, batch jobs, higher-quality dictation and .docx or .pdf are Pro. | FNo free tier and no trial. The licence arrives by email as a key. |
| Features | AIt does more than the dictation apps it's up against. It records Zoom, Teams, Webex and Discord calls or any app's audio in the background, labels speakers, runs batches and exports subtitles it can translate. Summaries run on your own OpenAI, Anthropic or local Ollama model. | BSystem-wide dictation, local models, an assistant, a local REST API and CLI, and bring-your-own provider. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core job. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but it's a Mac app you install and point at a file. Two things to know before buying: license keys only work in the direct-download version, and speaker recognition with local models wants an M-series Mac. | CNo store rating on record. There are models to choose and, for cloud use, API keys to connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac and nothing else, on macOS 14 or later. The iPhone and iPad app is a separate App Store product called Whisper Transcription, so one purchase doesn't cover both. It does push transcripts to Obsidian, Notion, Zapier, Make and n8n. | DMac only, and it needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later. No other platform is listed. |
| Best for | transcribing files on a Mac without uploading them | a one-off Mac dictation app with local models |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: MacWhisper and Sotto. How we grade
Where they differ
At a glance
| MacWhisper | Sotto | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | €65 one-time, per license | $49 one-time, for up to 3 Macs |
| Free plan | MacWhisper Free: record from the microphone, transcribe mp3, wav, m4a, ogg, opus, mov and mp4 files in 100 languages, use system-wide dictation, and export to .txt, .srt and .vtt. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Good Snooze | Kitze |
| Price read from | goodsnooze.gumroad.com | sotto.to |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Sotto
- Mac only; it needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later, and Apple Silicon gives the best performance.
- There is no free tier or trial listed; the license is $49 and arrives by email as a key.
- Cloud transcription and AI providers need your own API keys and are billed by those providers.
- The license covers up to 3 Macs.
Key features
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.
Sotto
- System-wide dictation
- Hold a key and speak; the text lands in the app you are using. The vendor lists 90+ languages with per-language hotkeys.
- Local models
- Whisper and NVIDIA Parakeet models run on the Mac, and after a one-time download dictation works with no internet connection.
- Sotto Assistant
- A voice assistant with 77 built-in Mac tools such as Calendar, Mail and Notes, which can also call your own MCP servers.
- Local REST API and CLI
- The Mac can serve transcription to scripts and other devices over Wi-Fi or Tailscale, with per-device tokens and a sotto command-line tool.
- Bring your own provider
- Optional cloud transcription and AI providers, including OpenAI, Groq and Deepgram, can be used with your own API keys.
- Meetings and automation
- Records system audio, transcribes watched folders, exposes Shortcuts actions and reads text aloud.
Plans
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.
Sotto
Sotto for macOS$49
one-time, for up to 3 Macs
Lifetime license with all future updates; includes the assistant, API server and every model option.
Ways to pay less
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).
Sotto
- Lifetime license
One-time license, no subscription
Sotto's pricing page says one payment covers use on up to 3 Macs with all future updates and no annual renewal.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MacWhisper or Sotto?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MacWhisper starts at €65 one-time, per license, and Sotto starts at $49 one-time, for up to 3 Macs.
Which has a free plan, MacWhisper or Sotto?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only MacWhisper has a free plan. Sotto does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.