Best dictation apps for Mac and Windows: ten options compared
No single dictation app is best for everyone. The right one depends on your computer, how much you dictate, whether you need local processing, and what you do after the text lands. This page compares ten options from their own official pages, checked on November 9, 2026, except Apple, Microsoft, Dragon and MacWhisper, which were checked on November 7, 2026. Cue is our product, and we say below when it is the wrong choice.
Start from your situation
You dictate now and then on one computer
Try what is already there first: Apple Dictation on a Mac or Windows voice typing on a PC. Both come with the system, and their pages state no separate price.
You dictate every day, on desktop and phone
Wispr Flow, Superwhisper, Typeless and Aqua Voice each list desktop and phone apps. Willow lists Mac, Windows and iPhone. Compare the free limits and test your own vocabulary.
You need local or offline processing
Superwhisper, MacWhisper and Willow describe offline or local processing on their official pages. Check which plan, language and computer each statement covers.
You rely on voice commands and macros on Windows
Dragon Professional describes custom voice commands, boilerplate text and macros for Windows, and its page shows a licensing contact rather than a public price.
Dictation is only part of your desktop work
Cue combines Dictation with Agent requests that use the context you provide, and with meeting notes that need no bot. It fits when the next step after the text matters as much as the text.
Your main job is transcribing files
MacWhisper centers on transcribing audio, video and meetings on a Mac. Cue covers recording and transcription on Mac and Windows as one part of a wider workflow.
Ten dictation apps at a glance
Each row reports what the vendor's own pages state. "Not stated" means we did not find it on the pages we read. It does not mean the product lacks it.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| App | How its official pages describe it | Platforms listed | Free option | Lowest listed paid price | Processing, as stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cue | A desktop voice agent: Dictation into supported text fields, Agent requests and meeting notes without a bot. | Mac (macOS 13 or later) and Windows (Windows 10 or later) | Cue is free to start. Cue Plus is $19.99/month. | Cue’s published Gemma 4 case study measured a lower-latency on-device text-polish step, while cloud speech-to-text remained in the path. See the Privacy Policy for current data handling. | |
| Wispr Flow | Turns speech into polished writing across your apps. | Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android | Free plan. The homepage says 2,000 words per week, and the pricing page says limited words per week. | Pro at $12 per user per month billed annually, or $15 billed monthly | Its privacy page says transcription happens in the cloud. |
| Superwhisper | Turns your voice into polished text, with local and cloud AI models. | macOS, Windows, iOS and Android | A free tier that does not expire, plus Pro features for the first 3,000 words | Pro at $8.49 per month, $84.99 per year or $249.99 lifetime | Offers offline local models and cloud models. Its FAQ says offline models run best on Apple silicon Macs. |
| Typeless | Voice dictation that turns rough thoughts into clear writing across your apps. | Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android | Free plan with limited words each week; the number is not stated | Pro at $12 per member per month billed yearly, or $30 billed monthly | Says audio is processed in real time and not stored in the cloud. Where it is processed is not stated. |
| Aqua Voice | Transcribes your speech and pastes the text at your cursor. | Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android | 1,000 free words with no credit card | Pro at $10 per month billed annually, or $12 month to month | Not stated for dictation. It offers a Privacy Mode for what is stored on its servers. |
| Willow | Click a field, hold a key and speak, and the text appears there. | Mac, Windows and iPhone. Its pricing page marks Android as coming soon. | Free plan with no credit card. Limits are described without a word count. | Pro at $15 or $12 per user per month; the annual option says it saves 20% | Describes an offline mode that runs on your device. The default path is not stated. |
| MacWhisper | A Mac app for transcribing audio, video and meetings. Its feature list includes system-wide dictation. | Mac. No Windows version is stated. | A free version at €0. Its site shows a table of which features are free and which need Pro. | Pro license at €64, paid once | Says transcription runs locally on the Mac. Optional AI services use your own API keys. |
| Dragon Professional | Speech recognition software with custom voice commands, boilerplate text and macros. | Windows 11, compatible back to Windows 10. No Mac product is listed on the pages read. | Not stated | No public price. Its page says to contact licensing. | Version 16 is an installed product. The Anywhere products are cloud-hosted. |
| Apple Dictation | Built into macOS: speak to enter text where you can type. | Mac, as covered on this page | Comes with macOS; no separate price is stated | Not applicable | Keyboard settings show when general text dictation is processed on your device. Availability varies by language and region. |
| Windows voice typing | Built into Windows: press Windows key + H in a text box. | Windows 11 and Windows 10 | Comes with Windows; no separate price is stated | Not applicable | Needs an internet connection and uses online speech recognition. Fluid dictation on Copilot+ PCs uses on-device models in English locales. |
How to test a dictation app on your own work
- Check the microphone first. A poor signal makes all of them look worse. Run the microphone test and listen to the clip.
- Use three real samples. Dictate a message full of names and jargon, an email with numbers and dates, and a note in any second language you use. Use the same samples in each app.
- Test in the apps you use. Insertion can differ by app and by field, so check your chat tool, email, documents and editor before you commit.
- Time it until the text is ready to send. Include thinking, processing and fixes. The typing speed test gives you a baseline, and a real message gives you the answer.
- Read the privacy terms for your content. Find out what is processed where, what is retained and who the providers are. Local processing on one plan or computer may not apply to another.
- Price it at your volume. A weekly word limit, a fixed word allowance and a yearly price all behave differently. Check the billing period, since the lowest figure is often billed annually.
What this table cannot tell you
Several vendors publish accuracy percentages, speed multiples or language counts. Those are the vendors' own statements, measured in ways the pages do not always explain, so we do not repeat them here as facts. We have not run a side-by-side accuracy test either, including for Cue, so this page does not rank the apps by accuracy. Your own microphone, voice, vocabulary and apps will tell you more than any published number.
Where Cue fits, and where it does not
Dictation is one way to work with Cue. Focus an editable field in a supported app, press the Dictation shortcut, speak, and check the inserted text. The default shortcut is Option on Mac and Right Alt on Windows, and your installed settings take precedence. The same app also takes Agent requests with the context you provide and captures meetings without a bot.
Cue is the wrong choice in these cases:
- You need dictation on a phone. Cue runs on Mac and Windows. Several apps above list iPhone and Android apps.
- You need Linux. The Cue desktop voice agent is published for Mac and Windows. Typeless lists a Linux version.
- You need offline speech-to-text. The on-device step in Cue’s published case study is text polish, and cloud speech-to-text remained in the path.
- You only want text, and nothing else. A dedicated dictation app or the tool built into your system may be simpler.
Official sources
Vendor details were read from these pages on the dates shown. Plans, platforms and processing options change, so check the current page before you decide.
- Wispr Flow homepage, pricing and privacy: platforms, free plan wording, prices and cloud transcription. Checked November 9, 2026.
- Superwhisper homepage and Windows page: platforms, free tier, Pro prices, local and cloud models. Checked November 9, 2026.
- Typeless homepage and pricing: platforms, free plan, prices and audio handling. Checked November 9, 2026.
- Aqua Voice homepage and pricing: platforms, free words, prices and Privacy Mode. Checked November 9, 2026.
- Willow homepage and pricing: platforms, free plan, prices and offline mode. Checked November 9, 2026.
- MacWhisper: features, prices and local transcription. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Dragon overview, Dragon Professional and Dragon Professional Anywhere: locally installed and cloud-hosted products, Windows support, voice commands and licensing contact. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Apple: Dictate messages and documents on Mac: how Dictation works, on-device processing and regional availability. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Microsoft: Use voice typing: Windows key + H, internet requirement, online speech recognition and fluid dictation. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Cue voice typing, Cue pricing and Cue Privacy Policy: Cue's own workflow, public offer and data handling.
Dictation apps FAQ
What is the best free dictation app for Mac?
For occasional dictation, start with Apple Dictation, which is built into macOS. For daily use, compare free plans by their limits: Wispr Flow and Typeless set weekly word limits, Aqua Voice gives a fixed word allowance, Superwhisper keeps a free tier after a Pro trial allowance, and Cue is free to start.
What is the best free dictation app for Windows?
For occasional dictation, start with Windows voice typing: press Windows key + H in a text box. It needs an internet connection and a working microphone. Of the third-party apps on this page that list Windows, all except Dragon Professional state a free option, with the limits shown in the table.
Which dictation apps work offline?
On the official pages we read, Superwhisper, MacWhisper and Willow describe offline or local processing, and Apple and Microsoft describe on-device processing under specific conditions. Confirm the plan, language and hardware you will use before relying on it.
Will a dictation app work in all my apps?
Do not assume so. Insertion can depend on the app, the field and the installed version, including in Cue. Test the apps you use most before you pay for a plan.
Is this comparison independent?
No. Cue publishes this page and Cue is one of the ten options. We describe the others from their own official pages, we have not run a side-by-side accuracy test, and this page does not rank the apps by accuracy.
Is Cue free?
Cue is free to start. Cue Plus is $19.99/month. See the pricing page for what each plan includes.