MacWhisper vs Spokenly

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

Spokenly

• People who want unlimited free dictation that runs offline
• Users who already pay for speech or LLM API keys
• Developers who talk to coding agents on a Mac

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.

Spokenly

• Without Pro, cloud models need your own provider API keys, and the provider bills you for usage.
• Meeting recording, Agentic Actions and the MCP server are Mac features; the MCP server ships only in the macOS sideload build.
• There is no Android app; the site offers a waitlist.
• The Team price needs at least 2 seats.

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.

Spokenly

Dictation in any app

Hold a shortcut, speak and release, and the text is typed wherever the cursor is, in 100+ languages with automatic detection. On iPhone it works through a custom keyboard.

Free local models

Whisper and Parakeet models run on the device at no cost and with no usage limits. Local Only Mode blocks network requests so audio stays on the machine.

Cloud models, your keys or Pro

Use cloud engines by connecting your own keys from providers such as OpenAI, Deepgram and Groq, or subscribe to Pro for managed models like GPT-4o Transcribe, Deepgram Nova 3 and Soniox.

AI Instructions and modes

Modes with AI Instructions fix grammar, remove filler words and format text for the app in use. Pro hosts this processing; otherwise it runs on your own LLM key or Apple Intelligence.

Meeting recording on Mac

Records the microphone and system audio without a bot joining the call, saves the recording to History, and transcribes it afterward with a local or cloud model.

Voice input for coding agents

The macOS sideload build includes an MCP server so Claude Code, Codex and Cursor can ask for spoken answers, plus Agentic Actions for voice-controlled Mac automation.

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.

Spokenly

• Local Models$0

  Unlimited offline dictation with on-device Whisper and Parakeet models. No account needed.

• Your API Keys$0

  All local features plus cloud and real-time transcription through your own OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq or other keys. The provider bills usage.

• Pro$8.33

  per month, billed yearly ($99.99), or $9.99 billed monthly

  Managed high-accuracy cloud models, hosted AI text cleanup, settings sync across devices and priority support, with no API keys to set up.

• Team$6.99

  per seat / month, or $69.99 per seat / year

  Full Pro for each member on one subscription, 2-seat minimum. Shown as a permanent 30% off the $9.99 and $99.99 Pro prices.

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).

Spokenly

• Annual discount

  2 months free with yearly billing

  Pro costs $99.99 a year against $9.99 a month, which the pricing page describes as 2 months free.

• Education

  50% off Pro for students

  Verified students get 50% off Pro by signing in with an academic email address and contacting support to claim it.

• Other savings

  30% off Pro for teams of 2 or more

  Team seats cost $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year each, 30% below the individual Pro price for the life of the subscription. The minimum is 2 seats.