OpenWhispr vs Spokenly

OpenWhispr

• Open-source dictation on Mac, Windows or Linux
• Unlimited free local transcription with a paid cloud option
• Teams that need SSO, audit logs and compliance documents

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

OpenWhispr

• The Free plan caps OpenWhispr Cloud at 2,000 words a week and meeting recordings at 5 hours a month.
• The iPhone and iPad app, device sync, Agent mode and API and MCP access all start on Pro.
• Chat over your data needs Business, and SSO, SCIM and audit logs are limited to Enterprise.
• Local model speed depends on your hardware, and cloud processing needs an internet connection.

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.

OpenWhispr

Dictation in any app

Press a hotkey, speak, and the text appears at the cursor in any application on macOS, Windows or Linux, in 100+ languages with auto-detection.

Local models or cloud

Whisper and NVIDIA Parakeet models run on the device for free and work offline. Cloud processing uses OpenWhispr Cloud or your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini or Groq keys.

Bot-free meeting notes

Captures the computer's audio during a Zoom, Google Meet or Teams call without a bot joining, then turns your rough notes and the transcript into decisions and action items.

Audio file transcription

Drop in MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC and other audio files to get a transcript, processed on the device by default, then summarize it or extract action items.

Voice instructions and Agent mode

Spoken instructions such as "clean this up" or "draft an email to Mike" rewrite or generate text. Agent mode is included from the Pro plan.

Custom dictionary

Add names, jargon and technical terms the models tend to miss. The dictionary also learns new words from the corrections you make.

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.

OpenWhispr

• Free$0

  Unlimited local models and your own API keys, 2,000 OpenWhispr Cloud words a week, 5 hours of meeting recordings a month and a custom dictionary.

• Pro$6.67

  per user / month, billed annually ($80), or $8 billed monthly

  Unlimited cloud transcription, Agent mode, 20 hours of meeting recordings a month, device sync, API and MCP access, and the iPhone and iPad app.

• Business$13.33

  per user / month, billed annually ($160), or $16 billed monthly

  Everything in Pro plus unlimited meeting recordings, chat over your data, basic team management and priority support.

• EnterpriseCustom

  SSO and SAML, SCIM provisioning, audit logs, org-wide retention controls, custom data processing agreements and dedicated support.

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.

OpenWhispr

• Annual discount

  2 months free with annual billing

  Pro is $80 a year against $8 a month, and Business is $160 per user a year against $16 a month.

• Education

  40% off for 12 months for students and teachers

  People using OpenWhispr for their studies or classroom get 40% off for 12 months by emailing support with proof of status. The same offer covers military service and assistive use.

• Nonprofit

  40% off for 12 months for non-profits

  Non-profit work qualifies for 40% off for 12 months. Email support with proof of status to receive a personal code.

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.