MacWhisper vs Whisper Notes (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MacWhisper grades higher than Whisper Notes: 3.0 against 2.8 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 features. Whisper Notes grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan 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
Whisper Notes
Offline transcription for iPhone and Mac, 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 Whisper Notes if
- Fits if you want offline transcription on an iPhone, iPad or Mac for a one-off price
- Works for people on a Mac who want Fn-key voice typing
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as the vendor says none is planned
- Not for you if you have an older phone: the iPhone app needs iPhone 12 or later on iOS 18
- Tight if you dictate a lot on the free Mac app: 5,000 words a week
- Watch out: the $7.99 App Store app and the $14 Mac licence are separate purchases
- Not for you if you want voice typing on iPhone, as it's in the Mac website app only
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMacWhisperVery good | 2.8GPAWhisper NotesGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$7.99 once on the App Store and $14 once for the Mac licence, each under 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. | BThe Mac app from the website is free for 5,000 words a week. The iPhone app is a paid purchase. |
| 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. | COffline transcription, file and meeting import, exports, on-device summaries and Shortcuts, but voice typing and the assistant belong to the website Mac app only. |
| 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. | BNo store rating on record. An app you install and use, with nothing to set up. |
| 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. | CApple only: iPhone, iPad and Mac. The vendor says no Windows or Android version is planned. |
| Best for | transcribing files on a Mac without uploading them | offline transcription and Mac voice typing |
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 Whisper Notes. How we grade
Where they differ
- Whisper Notes also covers meeting notes.
At a glance
| MacWhisper | Whisper Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €65 one-time, per license | $7.99 one-time on the App Store; Mac app from the website $14 one-time |
| 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. | Mac app from the website: Fn voice typing and Whisper Large V3 Turbo, free for 5,000 words a week. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Good Snooze | Whisper Notes |
| Price read from | goodsnooze.gumroad.com | whispernotes.app |
| 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.
Whisper Notes
- Apple devices only: the vendor says there is no Windows or Android version and none is planned.
- The iPhone app needs iPhone 12 or later on iOS 18; the Mac website app needs Apple silicon.
- Voice typing and the AI assistant belong to the Mac app from the website, not the App Store build.
- The $7.99 App Store price and the $14 Mac website license are separate purchases.
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.
Whisper Notes
- Fully offline transcription
- Recordings and transcripts are processed on the device with Whisper and Parakeet models, and the vendor says they never leave it.
- Fn voice typing on Mac
- Hold Fn in any app, speak and release; the text appears. This comes with the Mac app from the vendor's website.
- Import files and meetings
- Transcribes imported audio and video and, on Mac, records Zoom, Teams and Google Meet calls, with on-device speaker labels.
- Export options
- Exports text with timestamps, SRT subtitles or Markdown; Mac also exports VTT.
- On-device summaries
- The Mac website app can summarize a transcript and answer questions about it using a downloaded local model; iPhone uses Apple Intelligence on supported devices.
- Shortcuts actions
- iPhone exposes actions in the Shortcuts app to start or stop a recording and transcribe a file.
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.
Whisper Notes
iPhone & iPad$7.99
one-time, App Store purchase
Unlimited transcriptions, 100+ languages and free updates; also covers the Mac App Store build.
Mac (website) Free$0
for 5,000 words a week
Mac app from the website with Fn voice typing and Whisper Large V3 Turbo, capped at 5,000 words a week.
Mac (website) license$14
one-time
Removes the weekly word limit on the Mac app from the website.
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).
Whisper Notes
- Lifetime license
One-time purchase, no subscription
The vendor sells the iPhone app for $7.99 once and the website Mac app for $14 once, with updates included.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MacWhisper or Whisper Notes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MacWhisper starts at €65 one-time, per license, and Whisper Notes starts at $7.99 one-time on the App Store; Mac app from the website $14 one-time.
Which has a free plan, MacWhisper or Whisper Notes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both MacWhisper and Whisper Notes have a free plan.
Which platforms do MacWhisper and Whisper Notes run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Whisper Notes lists an iOS app. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.