VoiceInk vs Superwhisper (2026): Price, Models and Platforms Compared

VoiceInk started out as an indie, open-source answer to Superwhisper. Its GitHub description still calls it an alternative to Superwhisper and Wispr Flow, and a May 2025 release note described its per-app settings as "SuperWhisper Like PowerMode" (VoiceInk releases). By October 2026 the two have grown apart: Superwhisper runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android with one license, while VoiceInk stayed on the Mac, reached version 2.0 and kept its one-time price.

We make LumeVoice, a cloud dictation app, so read this with that in mind; it gets one short section at the end. We haven't used VoiceInk or Superwhisper ourselves. The facts below come from each company's website, documentation, GitHub and store listings, checked on October 20, 2026.

The short verdict#

Pick VoiceInk if you:

• use an Apple Silicon Mac and want to pay once: $25 for one Mac
• want open-source code you can audit or build yourself
• want Parakeet models without paying for Pro (Superwhisper keeps Parakeet and Cohere Transcribe for Pro users)
• already pay an AI provider and want to use your own API keys

Pick Superwhisper if you:

• also use Windows or Android, or an Intel Mac
• want one license for all your Macs, PCs and phones
• want cloud models that work without your own API keys
• record meetings on a Mac
• want a free plan you can keep, or a vendor that will sign a BAA

VoiceInk vs Superwhisper at a glance#

Details as of October 2026, from tryvoiceink.com, VoiceInk's docs and GitHub, and superwhisper.com.

Price: $25 once or a subscription#

VoiceInk is a one-time purchase: $25 for one Mac, $39 for up to two, $49 for up to three, each with lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee (VoiceInk pricing). There's a 7-day free trial, and anyone with Xcode can build the open-source code for free; a self-built copy runs unlocked but doesn't update itself (build guide). The license doesn't include cloud usage, so providers you connect bill you directly, and the iPhone app, free during its beta, is due to become a separate purchase (VoiceInk for iOS).

Superwhisper has a free plan and one paid tier, Pro, at $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once, with the same features whichever way you pay (plans). New users get a 3,000-word taste of Pro before the app falls back to the free plan. Verified students, educators and non-profits get 40% off if they ask before buying on superwhisper.com; buying inside the iPhone or Android app costs more because of store fees. Purchases on its site can be refunded within 30 days (refund policy).

Prices as of October 2026; vendors change them, so check their sites.

VoiceInk's cheapest license costs about the same as three months of Superwhisper Pro paid monthly, and a tenth of its lifetime license. The comparison isn't quite like for like, though: Superwhisper's license covers every computer and phone you own and includes hosted cloud models, while VoiceInk's top tier covers three Macs and leaves cloud costs to you. For a closer look at Superwhisper's plans, see our Superwhisper pricing guide.

Platforms and devices#

VoiceInk is a Mac app. Its pricing page says it works only on Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 14.4 or later, with 8 GB of memory recommended; its installation guide and README say macOS 15 (installation). Its companion app, VoiceInk: AI Dictation, runs on iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later) and is free during its beta, but a Mac license doesn't activate it (iOS and macOS licenses). There's no Windows or Android version, and the developer has said it won't come to Linux (GitHub).

Superwhisper runs on macOS, where its site says offline models run best on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs do better with cloud models; on Windows 10 and 11, on both x64 and ARM64 PCs (Windows guide); as a keyboard on iPhone; and as a floating bubble on Android 13 or later, on phones but not tablets (Android guide). One Pro license covers all of them.

If your life isn't all Apple, this settles it: Superwhisper goes where VoiceInk can't.

Models: local, cloud and who pays#

Both apps let you choose the model behind each mode, and both run models on your own computer.

VoiceInk offers Parakeet (its onboarding starts you on Parakeet V3), Nemotron, Whisper from Tiny to Large v3 Turbo, Cohere Transcribe, SenseVoice and, on macOS 26, Apple's own speech engine, all included in any license (local models). For the cloud, you bring your own API keys for services such as Groq, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, Gemini, Mistral or AssemblyAI, and pay them directly (cloud providers).

Superwhisper gives every user its local Whisper models, including Large v3 Turbo. Pro adds the Parakeet and Cohere Transcribe local models and hosted cloud models you don't need keys for: Superwhisper's own S1-Voice, Deepgram's Nova models and ElevenLabs Scribe (voice models). You can also use your own API keys on Pro.

So the trade is simple. VoiceInk includes more local models for less money; Superwhisper includes cloud models that just work, at a subscription price.

Modes, cleanup and extras#

Modes. Both apps organize everything around modes. VoiceInk Modes pick a model, language, prompt and output, and switch automatically by app, by website, by a phrase you say, or by shortcut (Mode triggers). Superwhisper switches modes by shortcut, from the menu bar, through deep links, or automatically with rules for your active apps and websites (switching modes). On Superwhisper's free plan, you get two modes without AI processing.

Cleanup. VoiceInk's default Dictation Mode removes filler sounds such as um and uh from an editable list and pastes the transcript. AI enhancement does more, using a provider you connect, an Ollama model, or VoiceInk Refine, which removes filler and repetition and resolves self-corrections on an Apple Silicon Mac with 16 GB of memory (VoiceInk Refine). Superwhisper's AI modes, such as Super and Mail, are part of Pro; offline, its S1-mini model formats text in the Message and Mail modes.

Extras. Superwhisper Pro records meetings on macOS in Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Slack without a bot in the call, with speaker labels, and its Mac app plugs into coding agents such as Claude Code and Codex. VoiceInk has an Assistant Mode that answers questions inside its recorder, a Rewrite Mode for selected text, shell-command output, and recording from a mouse button. Both transcribe audio and video files; in Superwhisper that's a Pro feature.

Privacy#

Both can keep your voice on your computer, which is the main reason people choose either one over a cloud app.

VoiceInk transcribes on your Mac with a local model and says it doesn't store transcriptions or audio on its servers (privacy policy). Cloud transcription, AI enhancement and Dictionary Auto Learn (on by default) can send audio or text to providers you've chosen, so for a fully on-Mac setup its docs say to use local options or turn those off (privacy and data).

Superwhisper says your data isn't used to train AI models and isn't retained on its servers (privacy policy). For healthcare work, a local-only setup needs no agreement with Superwhisper; its own cloud models are covered by a BAA you can sign, with zero-data-retention terms upstream; and with your own keys, you sign a BAA with that provider (compliance). Its SOC 2 report is available through its Trust Center under NDA.

The difference: VoiceInk lets you read the code that handles your audio. Superwhisper gives organizations paperwork, a BAA and a SOC 2 report, that VoiceInk's site doesn't offer. See our guide to dictation for legal and medical work for what to check.

Which one fits which job#

• An Apple Silicon Mac and a tight budget: VoiceInk.
• A Mac plus a Windows PC or an Android phone: Superwhisper.
• You want to audit the code: VoiceInk.
• You want cloud models without managing API keys: Superwhisper Pro.
• You record meetings on a Mac: Superwhisper.
• You want to try before paying, with no time limit: Superwhisper's free plan, or build VoiceInk yourself.

Where LumeVoice fits#

LumeVoice is our product, so read this as the maker's view. It differs from both apps on the point that matters most here: LumeVoice transcribes in the cloud and needs an internet connection, so it can't keep your audio on your computer. What it does instead is clean up as you talk, with filler words removed, self-corrections applied and spoken lists formatted, and no models or keys to set up. It runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android with one plan, costs $14.99/mo, $79.99/yr, or $249 lifetime, and every new account gets 3,000 free words, no card required (pricing).

• Choose it over both if you want finished text without configuring modes, models or keys.
• Don't choose it if your audio must stay on your computer or you want to pay as little as possible: VoiceInk and Superwhisper both do the first, and VoiceInk does the second. More in LumeVoice vs VoiceInk, LumeVoice vs Superwhisper and our comparisons page.

Related Guides#

• Best VoiceInk alternatives
• VoiceInk vs Wispr Flow
• Best Superwhisper alternatives for Mac
• Superwhisper vs Wispr Flow
• Best open-source Whisper GUIs for Mac