Superwhisper vs Whisper Notes (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Superwhisper: it is second in our ranking of voice dictation apps, and they share a 2.8 GPA.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Superwhisper grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. Whisper Notes grades higher on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Superwhisper
Voice-to-text app with offline models and custom AI modes
Whisper Notes
Offline transcription for iPhone and Mac, bought once
Which one is for you
Pick Superwhisper if
- Fits if you want dictation that runs on your own device and works offline
- Works for people who'd rather choose their own voice and language models
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want AI rewriting for free, as AI-powered modes need Pro
- Not for you if you're on Linux or want a web app; Linux is listed as coming soon and there's no web version
- Tight if you're staying free and want more than 2 modes, because unlimited modes are Pro
- Watch out: cloud voice models send audio to hosted servers; only the local models keep it on your device
- Pricey if you buy lifetime, at $249.99, about two and a half years of the subscription
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
| 2.8GPASuperwhisperGood | 2.8GPAWhisper NotesGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $8.49 a month or $84.99 a year, which is the middle of the road for dictation apps, and one license covers Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. The $249.99 lifetime is an extra way to pay, not a cheaper one: it's about two and a half years of the subscription. | 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 | AUnlimited dictation with any local Whisper model, plus custom vocabulary and text replacements, free for good. There's no word cap on the thing you came for. New users also get 3,000 words of Pro before it drops back to Free. | BThe Mac app from the website is free for 5,000 words a week. The iPhone app is a paid purchase. |
| Features | BDictation into whatever app is in front of you in more than 100 languages, local models offline, cloud models on Pro, modes that rewrite speech for a context such as email, meeting recording with speaker separation and file transcription. The full dictation job is here, but nothing a rival doesn't also do. | 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 | C4.38 from 836 App Store ratings, which is middling. Speaking and having it typed is simple enough; choosing between voice models and setting up modes is where it asks more of you. | BNo store rating on record. An app you install and use, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with one license across all of them. No web app, and the listing has no integrations or API on record at all. Linux is still listed as coming soon. | CApple only: iPhone, iPad and Mac. The vendor says no Windows or Android version is planned. |
| Best for | offline dictation on your own device | 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: Superwhisper and Whisper Notes. How we grade
Where they differ
At a glance
| Superwhisper | Whisper Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $8.49 per month, billed monthly ($84.99 billed yearly) | $7.99 one-time on the App Store; Mac app from the website $14 one-time |
| Free plan | Unlimited dictation with any local Whisper model, custom vocabulary, text replacements and up to 2 modes without AI processing. | Mac app from the website: Fn voice typing and Whisper Large V3 Turbo, free for 5,000 words a week. |
| Free trial | New users get 3,000 words of access to all Pro features, then the app falls back to the Free plan. | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | SuperUltra, Inc. | Whisper Notes |
| Price read from | superwhisper.com | whispernotes.app |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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, Superwhisper or Whisper Notes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Superwhisper starts at $8.49 per month, billed monthly ($84.99 billed yearly), 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, Superwhisper or Whisper Notes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Superwhisper and Whisper Notes have a free plan.
Which platforms do Superwhisper and Whisper Notes run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Superwhisper lists Windows and Android apps. Both list macOS and iOS apps. 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.