TypeWhisper vs VoiceInk

TypeWhisper

• People who want free, open-source dictation that runs on the device
• Users who like to choose and switch between speech engines
• Teams that need auditable code and a non-GPL commercial license

VoiceInk

• Mac users who want speech transcribed on their own machine
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
• People who want to pick their own transcription and AI providers

TypeWhisper

• Prices are listed in euros only. On iPhone and iPad, Premium is an in-app purchase: the US App Store lists $4.99 with no period shown and $89.99 for lifetime.
• Sync Dictionary & Snippets and Learn from Corrections need a Commercial license, sync also needs a Premium sign-in, and Meeting Automation is macOS only.
• Cloud speech and AI providers work only after you add your own API key or login for each one.
• No Android or Linux version is listed, and add-ons vary by platform: the WhisperKit, Parakeet and MCP Client add-ons are not offered for Windows.

VoiceInk

• A Mac license does not cover the iPhone and iPad app, which is licensed separately and is free while in beta.
• Vendor pages disagree on requirements: the pricing page says Apple Silicon and macOS 14.4 or later, the install docs say macOS 15 or later.
• AI enhancement and cloud transcription need your own provider API keys, and those requests leave the Mac.
• Licenses are capped by device count: 1, 2 or 3 Macs on the personal plans and 10 on the Startup License.

TypeWhisper

System-wide dictation

A global hotkey records in push-to-talk or toggle mode and pastes the transcript into the active text field. Rules can set language, engine and behavior per app or website.

Choice of local speech engines

Apple Speech is built in on the Mac, and WhisperKit (99+ languages) and Parakeet TDT v3 (25 European languages) install as add-ons. Windows gets offline transcription through whisper.cpp.

AI workflows

Workflows process the transcript before it is pasted, with templates for translation, formatting, summarization and app-specific cleanup, using Apple Intelligence, Groq, OpenAI, Gemini or another provider.

Dictionary and snippets

Custom terms and corrections fix names and jargon, and trigger phrases expand into longer text with date, time and clipboard placeholders. Learning from your corrections is a Premium feature.

File transcription

Drop audio or video files to transcribe them in batch, or watch a folder, and export the results as SRT or WebVTT subtitles with timestamps.

Add-ons, HTTP API and CLI

The site lists 54 add-ons for speech engines, AI providers and tools such as Obsidian and MCP. An SDK, a local HTTP API and a command-line tool cover custom automation.

VoiceInk

Local transcription

Speech is transcribed by models that run on the Mac, including Parakeet and Whisper, so audio is processed on the device. Onboarding starts with the Parakeet V3 model.

Modes and triggers

A Mode sets the transcription model, language, AI enhancement and output, and can switch automatically by app, website, spoken trigger phrase or shortcut.

AI enhancement with your own keys

Optionally send the transcript to a provider you connect, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini or Groq, to clean up, rewrite or draft a reply. VoiceInk Refine does cleanup locally.

Dictionary and Smart Replace

Add names and custom vocabulary, expand a short spoken phrase into exact text, and let Auto Learn pick up corrections you make.

File transcription and history

Queue existing audio and video files for transcription, and search, replay, export or retry earlier results in a history stored on the Mac.

Assistant Mode

Ask a question by voice and carry on the conversation inside the recorder window, using the AI provider you have connected.

TypeWhisper

• Free (GPLv3 / OSS)€0

  Core dictation, local engines, workflows, add-ons, history, snippets and APIs, including internal use at work. Community support on Discord.

• IndividualFrom €5

  per month, or from €99 one-time (lifetime)

  Commercial license for up to 3 devices with Sync Dictionary & Snippets, Learn from Corrections and non-GPL terms. Pay what you want above the listed price.

• TeamFrom €19

  per month, or from €299 one-time (lifetime)

  Everything in Individual for up to 10 devices under one license, aimed at small teams.

• EnterpriseFrom €99

  per month, or from €999 one-time (lifetime)

  Everything in Team with unlimited devices and priority support, for company-wide rollouts.

VoiceInk

• Solo$25

  one-time payment, 1 Mac

  Lifetime access on 1 macOS device, with lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee.

• Personal$39

  one-time payment, up to 2 Macs

  The same lifetime license on up to 2 macOS devices, aimed at a desktop Mac plus a MacBook.

• Extended$49

  one-time payment, up to 3 Macs

  The same lifetime license on up to 3 macOS devices.

• Startup License$159

  one-time payment, up to 10 Macs

  A team license bought in one checkout that works on up to 10 Macs.

TypeWhisper

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime commercial license from €99

  Each commercial tier can be bought once instead of monthly: from €99 for Individual, €299 for Team and €999 for Enterprise. Lifetime covers future updates in the same product line.

• Education

  Student discount on request

  The pricing FAQ invites students to email hello@typewhisper.com for a discount. The amount is not published.

• Nonprofit

  Nonprofit discount on request

  The same FAQ invites non-profits to get in touch by email and says there is usually room for a fair discount. No figure is given.

VoiceInk

• Lifetime license

  One-time license from $25

  Every plan is a single payment with lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee: $25 for 1 Mac, $39 for 2, $49 for 3 and $159 for 10.

• Education

  Student discount on request

  The site's FAQ says student discounts are available by contacting the developer with a student ID. The amount is not published.

• Other savings

  Creator Bonus: up to 100% back for sharing

  Public posts about VoiceInk earn 30% back at 1,000 total views, 50% at 2,000 and a full refund at 10,000. People who have not bought yet get a 30% discount instead.