MacWhisper vs Willow
We give MacWhisper a 3.2 GPA and Willow a 3.4, out of 4.0. MacWhisper grades higher on value for money. Willow grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, 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
Willow
AI voice dictation that formats text and matches your style
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAMacWhisperVery good | 3.4GPAWillowVery 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. | BPro is $12 a user a month billed annually, or $15 month to month. That's the dear end of typical for dictation. It buys the stronger Frontier Pro model, style memory, unlimited Scribe and longer dictations. |
| 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. | ABasic is free with no card and unlimited dictation, which most people could happily stay on. The trade is a lighter speech model, limited personalisation and 20 Scribe uses a week. |
| 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. | AIt drops filler words, fixes punctuation and shapes the text in 100+ languages. You can set different writing styles for different apps, and Scribe writes a message from a spoken description. A dictionary picks up names and jargon by itself. |
| 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. Download, speak into any text field, done. No card and no plan to choose before you start. |
| 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. | BMac, Windows and iPhone. But the listing shows no integrations, an API only turns up on the custom-priced Enterprise plan, and Android is still marked as coming soon. That keeps it off the A. |
| Best for | transcribing files on a Mac without uploading them | dictation that ends up sounding like you |
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 Willow. How we grade
Where they differ
- MacWhisper starts at €65 one-time, per license. Willow starts at $12 per user / month, billed annually.
- Only Willow lists Windows and iOS apps.
- MacWhisper can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- MacWhisper also covers transcription.
At a glance
| MacWhisper | Willow | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €65 one-time, per license | $12 per user / month, billed annually |
| 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. | Basic plan: unlimited dictation on the lighter Frontier Mini model, limited personalization and 20 Scribe uses a week. No credit card required. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Good Snooze | Willow Care, Inc. |
| Price read from | goodsnooze.gumroad.com | willowvoice.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 4, 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
Willow
- People who want dictated text to sound like their own writing
- Replacing typing in chat, email and coding tools
- Teams with HIPAA or zero-data-retention requirements
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.
Willow
- The free Basic plan uses a weaker speech model, with limited personalization and 20 Scribe uses a week.
- There is no Android app yet; the download page lists Android as coming soon.
- Enforced privacy mode and enforced HIPAA compliance need Business, and SSO/SAML needs Enterprise.
- The help center lists offline dictation as a Pro feature.
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.
Willow
- Dictation in any app
- Speak into any text field, with Slack, Gmail, Cursor, Notion and iMessage given as examples. Willow says text can appear in as little as 200 ms and lists 100+ languages.
- Automatic formatting
- Removes filler words, fixes punctuation and structures what you said, so the result needs less editing than a raw transcript.
- Style matching
- Learns how you write and adapts the tone of its output, and lets you pick different writing styles for different apps. Style memory is part of Pro.
- Scribe
- Instead of dictating word for word, describe what you want to say and Scribe writes it in your style. Basic allows 20 uses a week; Pro is unlimited.
- Personal dictionary and shortcuts
- A dictionary learns names and technical terms automatically, and shortcuts can be saved for reuse. Teams can share both across members.
- Privacy mode and compliance
- Willow states SOC 2 Type II certification and HIPAA compliance. The Business plan enforces privacy mode, with zero data retention, across the team.
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.
Willow
Basic$0
Unlimited dictation on the Frontier Mini model, limited personalization and 20 Scribe uses a week.
Pro$12
per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
Unlimited use of the Frontier Pro model, priority transcription, style memory, unlimited Scribe and longer dictations.
Business$28
per month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro, plus enforced privacy mode with zero data retention, enforced HIPAA compliance and admin and team controls.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds SSO/SAML, invoice or purchase-order billing, MSA and DPA, advanced dashboards, an API and dedicated support.
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).
Willow
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
The pricing page shows a 20% saving on annual billing: Pro is $12 per user per month instead of $15, and Business is $28 a month instead of $35.
- Education
30% off Pro for students and educators
Students and educators can get 30% off Willow Pro. They email proof of eligibility to support and receive a promo code once verified.
- Nonprofit
30% off Pro for nonprofit staff
Non-profit staff and volunteers qualify for the same 30% discount on Willow Pro after emailing proof of their affiliation.
- Other savings
30% off Pro for military and veterans
Active duty military and veterans qualify for 30% off Willow Pro after verification by email.
