MacWhisper vs VoiceInk
We give MacWhisper a 3.2 GPA and VoiceInk a 3.0, out of 4.0. MacWhisper grades higher on the free plan. VoiceInk grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
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
VoiceInk
Open-source Mac dictation with local models and a one-time price
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAMacWhisperVery good | 3.0GPAVoiceInkVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is €65 once with lifetime updates, and no subscription on the direct-download version. That's less than a year of a typical dictation app. Buying five drops it to €54 a license. | A$25 once for 1 Mac, $39 for 2 or $49 for 3, with lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee. That's about three months of a typical dictation subscription, and then you're done paying. |
| Free plan and trial | AMacWhisper Free records from the mic, transcribes audio and video files in 100 languages, includes system-wide dictation and exports .txt, .srt and .vtt. Plenty of people could stop there. | CNo free plan. There's a 7-day free trial of the Mac app, started during onboarding, and the listing doesn't say whether it asks for a card. The source code is published, but the packaged app is what's sold. |
| Features | AFile transcription, dictation anywhere on the Mac, and recording of Zoom, Teams, Webex and Discord calls. Pro labels speakers, runs batches, takes YouTube links and exports .docx and .pdf. You can chat with a transcript through your own AI provider. | ALocal Parakeet and Whisper models, Modes that switch by app, website, trigger phrase or shortcut, and a dictionary with Smart Replace that learns from your fixes. It also transcribes audio and video files and keeps a searchable history on the Mac. |
| Ease of use | BThere's no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is as high as we go. One thing to know before buying: license keys only work in the direct-download version, not the App Store edition. | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is as high as we go. Onboarding sets you up with the Parakeet V3 model. AI clean-up through a cloud provider means adding your own API keys. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 14 or later. It does send transcripts to Obsidian, Notion, Zapier, Make and n8n. The iPhone and iPad app is a separate App Store product called Whisper Transcription. | CMac, plus an iPhone and iPad app that's licensed separately and free while in beta. So Apple only. It does take keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, Mistral, Deepgram, ElevenLabs and OpenRouter. |
| Best for | transcribing files on a Mac without uploading them | pay-once Mac dictation that stays on the Mac |
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 VoiceInk. How we grade
Where they differ
- MacWhisper starts at €65 one-time, per license. VoiceInk starts at $25 one-time, for 1 Mac.
- MacWhisper has a free plan. VoiceInk does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only VoiceInk lists an iOS app.
- VoiceInk is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| MacWhisper | VoiceInk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | €65 one-time, per license | $25 one-time, for 1 Mac |
| 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 | 7-day free trial of the Mac app, started during onboarding. |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Good Snooze | Prakash Joshi (Pax) |
| Price read from | goodsnooze.gumroad.com | tryvoiceink.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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).
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.
