VoiceInk vs Superwhisper: open source vs the bigger toolkit

If you only dictate on a Mac and want local transcription for a one-time price, VoiceInk is the better buy: $25 to $49 once, open source, with a long list of local models. Superwhisper is the better choice if you need it on Windows, iPhone and Android too, want meeting recording on your Mac, or would rather start on a free plan.

We make Sayburst, and we cover it briefly at the end. The VoiceInk and Superwhisper details here are from tryvoiceink.com, the VoiceInk docs, VoiceInk on GitHub, superwhisper.com and Superwhisper's plans page, checked October 31, 2026. We didn't test either app hands-on for this page.

#Side by side

#Price: one-time vs freemium

VoiceInk sells one license, paid once: $25 for one Mac, $39 for two, $49 for three, each with lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee. There's a free trial download, though the site doesn't say how long it lasts. Because the code is GPL-3.0 on GitHub, you can also build it yourself for free; the paid version adds automatic updates and priority support and funds development.

Superwhisper starts free (unlimited local Whisper dictation, custom vocabulary, replacements, up to two non-AI modes) and charges for Pro: $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year, or $249.99 once. Students, educators and non-profits can ask for 40% off. A 3,000-word Pro trial comes first. Breakdown: Superwhisper pricing.

So VoiceInk's three-Mac license costs less than six months of Superwhisper Pro billed monthly, and about a fifth of its lifetime license. Superwhisper's free plan wins if you never want to pay at all and don't need Pro.

#Models and where they run

Both are built around local models, which is why they're often compared.

VoiceInk's catalog is long: Parakeet V2, V3 and Ultra, Whisper from Tiny to Large v3 Turbo, Cohere Transcribe, SenseVoice Small for Chinese, Japanese, Korean and English, Nemotron models, and Apple's own Speech framework on macOS 26 or later. You can import any whisper.cpp model too. If you want cloud transcription, you bring your own key for providers like Groq, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, AssemblyAI or Mistral. VoiceInk notes local models aren't reliable on Intel Macs and recommends Apple silicon; its site lists macOS 14.4 or later and its GitHub page says macOS 15.

Superwhisper's free plan is Whisper only, and Superwhisper says nothing you dictate on it leaves the device. Pro adds local Parakeet and Cohere Transcribe plus managed cloud voice models, so you don't need your own keys. It supports 100+ languages and can translate into English.

If you care which model you're running, VoiceInk gives you more to choose from without paying extra. Our Parakeet vs Whisper benchmark shows how the two main families behave on Apple silicon.

#AI cleanup and context

• VoiceInk has a built-in on-device enhancement model, VoiceInk Refine, or you connect OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, Cerebras, OpenRouter or Mistral. Context awareness can include selected text, clipboard text or text from the active window. Modes apply automatically by app or website, and there's a voice assistant mode and a Markdown journal for quick notes.
• Superwhisper puts AI into modes on Pro: Super Mode reads what's on screen, Mail formats email, and you can write your own. Context awareness, realtime transcription, speaker separation and system audio recording are Pro features too.

#Which should you pick?

• VoiceInk if you're Mac-only, want to pay once and little, value open source, or want the widest choice of local models.
• Superwhisper if you need Windows, iPhone or Android under one license, want meeting recording on your Mac, or prefer a free plan with an optional upgrade.

#A third option: Sayburst

Sayburst shares VoiceInk's basic deal (local, Mac-only, pay once) and aims at a slightly different thing: making sure dictation lands cleanly and never gets lost. It's $29 once for one Mac or $49 for three after a 7-day free trial. Speech runs on your Mac with Parakeet v3 by default or Whisper for 99 languages, and models are checksum-verified when they download.

Dictation itself is the usual hold fn, talk, release:

"So the, uh, the print run is booked for the ninth, and the proofs need to be signed off by, um, Wednesday."

So the print run is booked for the 9th, and the proofs need to be signed off by Wednesday.

Then there's rewriting what's already on the page. Select a sentence like "Send the files by 5pm or we miss the print deadline", hold the rewrite shortcut and say "make this friendlier", and the selection is replaced in place with a softer version from your writer, which can be Sayburst Writer on your Mac.

If text can't be typed because you switched apps or focus landed in a password field, Sayburst keeps it and offers it back. It's closed source, with no meeting recorder and no Windows or phone app. Comparisons: Sayburst vs VoiceInk, Sayburst vs Superwhisper, and the rest on /compare.

Our take

VoiceInk is the value pick for Mac-only users: open source, many local models, $25 to $49 once. Superwhisper is the pick for people who work across Windows and phones or want meetings and a free plan. Sayburst is the alternative if you want local dictation that cleans up your speech and never drops a word, for $29 once.

Questions people ask

Is VoiceInk better than Superwhisper?

For a Mac-only user who wants local dictation and a one-time price, VoiceInk is the better value at $25 to $49 once, and it's open source. Superwhisper is better if you want Windows and Android apps, meeting recording or a free plan.

Is VoiceInk free?

VoiceInk is open source under GPL-3.0, so you can build it yourself for free. The ready-made app is $25 for one Mac, $39 for two or $49 for three, paid once, with a free trial and a 14-day money-back guarantee.

How much does Superwhisper cost compared with VoiceInk?

Superwhisper has a free plan; Pro is $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 for a lifetime license. VoiceInk's one-time prices run from $25 to $49, at most about a fifth of Superwhisper's lifetime price.

Do VoiceInk and Superwhisper work offline?

Yes, with local models. VoiceInk transcribes on your Mac with models like Parakeet and Whisper. Superwhisper's free plan uses local Whisper models, and Pro adds local Parakeet as well as optional cloud models.