Steno vs. Wispr Flow, SuperWhisper and Apple Dictation
Four ways to dictate on a Mac: two subscription apps with AI features, the Dictation built into macOS, and Steno, which is free and open source. This comparison sets out plainly what each one costs, where your speech is processed and what it does for meetings.
By Thesimpleex · · 4 min read
To be upfront: Steno is my own project. Everything about the other apps comes from their own websites as of September 29, 2026. The sources are listed at the end. Prices and features may change.
At a glance
| Feature | Steno | Wispr Flow | SuperWhisper | Apple Dictation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free up to 2,000 words a week, Pro $15 a month ($12 billed yearly) | Free version, Pro $8.49 a month | Included in macOS |
| Speech recognition | On your Mac | Always in the cloud | Local or cloud, your choice | On device or by Apple, depending on Mac and language |
| Works offline | Yes, after the one-time model download | No | Yes, with local models | Only with on-device processing |
| Meetings | Microphone and Mac sound with timestamps, saved as Markdown on your Mac | Notetaker for Mac and Windows, notes stored by Wispr | Meeting recording, also in the free version | No |
| AI rewriting | No, the text stays as you said it | Yes, removes filler words and formats | Yes, custom AI modes | No |
| Source code | Open (MIT license) | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Platforms | Mac with Apple silicon | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
As of September 29, 2026. Prices in US dollars as stated by each vendor.
Wispr Flow
Wispr Flow turns speech into polished writing: it removes filler words, adds punctuation and formats the text. According to Wispr, transcription always happens in the cloud, and there is no offline mode. Whether Wispr stores your recordings and uses them for training can be switched off in the settings. The free version is limited to 2,000 words a week on desktop; Pro costs $15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly. Its Notetaker records meetings on Mac and Windows, and the notes are stored in Wispr's cloud.
SuperWhisper
SuperWhisper combines local Whisper models with cloud models and custom AI modes. With local models it works without an internet connection, best on Apple silicon Macs according to the developer. Even the free version dictates into any app and can record meetings. Pro costs $8.49 a month and adds cloud models, your own API keys, translation and transcription of audio and video files, among other things. SuperWhisper does not publish its source code.
Apple Dictation
Dictation is built into macOS and costs nothing. On Apple silicon Macs, speech can be processed on the device; according to Apple, the Keyboard settings show whether that applies to you. There is no time limit, and dictation stops after 30 seconds of silence. It offers no word list for names and technical terms, and no meeting notes. For a closer look at Dictation versus Whisper, see Dictate on a Mac without the cloud.
Steno
Steno is free and open source under the MIT license. Hold a key, speak, release: the text appears at the cursor, in any app. Whisper Large v3 Turbo runs with whisper.cpp on your Mac's GPU, and after the one-time model download it works without an internet connection. Steno transcribes meetings from the microphone and the Mac's sound, with timestamps, notes and screenshots, saved as a Markdown file in a folder on your Mac. A personal dictionary fixes names and technical terms. There is deliberately no AI that rewrites your text. Steno runs only on Apple silicon Macs and is not notarized by Apple, so you allow the first launch once.
Which one fits you?
Nothing should leave your Mac, and you don't want to pay: Steno.
You also work on Windows or on your phone: Wispr Flow or SuperWhisper.
You want AI to smooth and rephrase your text: Wispr Flow or SuperWhisper.
You only dictate the odd sentence: Apple Dictation is often enough.
Sources
- Wispr Flow: pricing
- Wispr Flow: data controls
- SuperWhisper: home page with pricing
- Apple: use Dictation on Mac
Steno is free and open source. You can download Steno for Mac, see what it does on the Steno home page, or read the source code on GitHub.