OpenWhispr vs Superwhisper

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

Superwhisper

• People who want dictation that runs on-device and offline
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
• Users who want to choose their own voice and language models

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.

Superwhisper

• AI-powered modes, cloud voice models, file transcription and speaker separation all need Pro.
• The Free plan is limited to 2 modes, and those run without AI processing.
• Cloud voice models send audio to hosted servers; only the local models keep audio on the device.
• A Linux version is listed as coming soon and is not yet available.

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.

Superwhisper

Dictation in any app

Speak and have the text typed into whatever app is in front of you, such as Slack, Gmail, Notion or a code editor. More than 100 languages and dialects are supported.

Local models that work offline

Whisper models run entirely on your device and are free to use without limits, so dictation works with no connection and audio is not uploaded.

Cloud voice models on Pro

Pro adds hosted voice models such as S1-Voice, Nova and Scribe, along with real-time transcription. With these models audio is sent to hosted servers.

Modes

A mode sets how speech is processed, from plain transcription to AI modes that rewrite it for a context such as email. Free allows 2 modes without AI; Pro is unlimited.

Meetings and file transcription

Records meetings and produces notes, and Pro adds system audio recording, speaker separation and transcription of audio or video files.

Custom vocabulary

Add names and terms the models tend to get wrong, plus text replacements. Both are included on the Free plan.

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.

Superwhisper

• Free$0

  Unlimited dictation with local Whisper models, custom vocabulary, text replacements and up to 2 modes.

• Pro$8.49

  per month, or $84.99 per year

  Cloud voice models, AI-powered modes, unlimited modes, file transcription, system audio recording and speaker separation.

• Pro Lifetime$249.99

  one-time payment

  The same Pro features as the subscription, paid once. One license covers Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Seat-based licensing with SSO and centralized deployment for teams.

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.

Superwhisper

• Annual discount

  About 17% less with the yearly plan

  Pro costs $84.99 a year against $8.49 a month, which Superwhisper describes as a saving of about 17%.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Pro license for $249.99

  A one-time payment of $249.99 buys Pro for life, with the same features as the subscription. All individual plans have a 30-day refund window.

• Education

  40% off for students and educators

  Verified students, faculty and academic institutions get 40% off list price. The discount is requested by email from an institutional address before purchasing.

• Nonprofit

  40% off for nonprofits

  Verified non-profit and charitable organizations get 40% off list price, requested by email before purchasing.