Willow Voice is a cloud dictation app for Mac, Windows and iPhone, with an AI writer called Scribe, an offline mode on Mac and iPhone, and team plans with SOC 2 and HIPAA paperwork. People still look for Willow Voice alternatives, and the reasons are usually specific: there's no Android app yet, Pro is subscription-only, offline mode doesn't reach Windows, or another app's discount fits them better.
Here are seven alternatives, what each is built for, and what it costs as of October 20, 2026. LumeVoice is our product and it's on this list, so weigh our view accordingly. We haven't used Willow; what we say about it comes from its website, help center, blog and App Store listing. For the head-to-head, see LumeVoice vs Willow Voice.
Why look for a Willow Voice alternative?#
- No Android app yet. Willow's download page lists Android as coming soon, and there's no Willow app on Google Play as of October 2026. If you dictate on Android, you need something else for now.
- It's subscription-only. Pro is $15 a month or $144 a year, with no one-time license (Willow pricing). Several alternatives sell a license you pay for once.
- Offline mode doesn't cover Windows. Willow's own blog says its offline mode runs on Mac and iOS, while Windows uses cloud processing (Willow's offline guide), and its help center lists offline dictation as a Pro feature.
- Long dictations hit a time limit. One Willow dictation stops at 5 minutes on the free plan and 8 minutes on paid plans (Willow's time limits). Wispr Flow allows up to 20 minutes per session on desktop.
- Discounts. Willow takes 30% off Pro for students, educators, nonprofits and veterans, with proof. Some alternatives go further, and LumeVoice gives 50% off to anyone who finds typing hard.
- Linux. Willow runs on Mac, Windows and iPhone. Voicy and Spokenly have Linux apps.
Willow Voice alternatives at a glance#
| App | Runs on | Works offline | Free option | Paid price (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LumeVoice | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | No | 3,000 free words, no card required | $14.99/mo, $79.99/year or $249 once |
| Wispr Flow | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | No | 2,000 words a week on desktop; less on phones | $15/month or $144/year |
| Superwhisper | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Yes, with local models on Mac, Windows and iPhone | Unlimited dictation with local models | $8.49/month, $84.99/year or $249.99 once |
| Aqua Voice | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Not stated | 1,000 words | $10/month or $96/year |
| Voicy | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android, Chrome | Yes, on desktop | 30-minute trial | $8.49/month, $82/year or $260 once |
| Spokenly | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone | Yes, with local models | Unlimited dictation with local models | Pro $9.99/month or $99.99/year; Local+ $29 once |
| Apple Dictation, Windows voice typing | Mac and iPhone; Windows | Partly (see below) | Free | Free |
| Willow Voice, for reference | Mac, Windows, iPhone; Android coming soon | Yes, on Mac and iPhone (Pro) | Basic: no word limit, lighter model | $15/month or $144/year |
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Prices as of October 2026; vendors change them, so check their sites.
How we compared them#
This list is based on what each vendor documents and charges, not on hands-on testing: where each app runs, whether it works without a connection, what's free, what it costs, and what it does to your words. We don't publish accuracy scores, because they depend on your microphone, accent and vocabulary. The best test is your own writing, and every app here has a free plan, allowance or trial.
Where LumeVoice Fits
LumeVoice is for people who like how Willow works on a Mac, a PC or an iPhone, and need Android too, or would rather pay once.
- Hold a shortcut and talk: fn on Mac, Ctrl + Win on Windows; the Lume keyboard on iPhone; a floating bubble on Android.
- Cleanup as you talk: filler words and stutters removed, self-corrections applied ("Tuesday, no, Wednesday" becomes "Wednesday"), spoken lists turned into lists.
- One plan for every device, with a $249 Lifetime option.
- The tradeoff: no offline mode, no AI writer like Scribe, and no team plan.
1. LumeVoice#
LumeVoice
Verdict: Best for Android Users and Paying Once
LumeVoice works much like Willow on a computer: hold a shortcut, talk, let go, and finished text appears in whatever app has your cursor. On a Mac it lives in the menu bar (hold fn, the same default key Willow uses), and on Windows in the system tray (hold Ctrl + Win). On iPhone it's the Lume keyboard, and on Android it's a floating bubble over your keyboard, which is the gap Willow hasn't filled yet.
Speech is transcribed in the cloud (Whisper large-v3-turbo on Groq), and a language model then removes filler words and stutters, applies self-corrections, formats spoken lists and fixes grammar.
- Platforms: Mac (macOS 11.5+), Windows 10 and 11, iPhone (iOS 17+), Android
- Extras: custom dictionary, snippets, writing styles, output language, 100 languages, audio and video file transcription on desktop
- Privacy: audio isn't stored after processing, history stays on your device, and nothing you say is used to train models
- Offline: no; it needs an internet connection
- Pricing: 3,000 free words, no card required to start | Pro Monthly $14.99/mo | Pro Annual $79.99/year | Lifetime $249. Students and teachers get 50% off, and anyone who finds typing hard because of a disability, injury or health condition gets 50% off, with no proof needed (accessibility discount). One plan covers all four platforms (pricing).
Skip it if: you rely on Scribe to draft or rewrite text, need offline dictation, or are buying for a team that needs a BAA or single sign-on. LumeVoice has none of those.
2. Wispr Flow#
Wispr Flow
Verdict: Closest Match for Scribe Users and Teams
Wispr Flow is the app most like Willow: polished cloud dictation with per-app styles, a dictionary and snippets, and 100-plus languages. Its Command Mode, a paid feature on Mac and Windows, lets you say how to change selected text or draft a reply (Command Mode). Unlike Willow, it runs on Android, allows 20-minute dictations on desktop and adds a meeting Notetaker on Mac and Windows.
It lists SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification and offers a HIPAA BAA (Wispr Flow privacy). Transcription always happens in the cloud, so there's no offline mode.
- Pricing: Free (2,000 words a week on Mac and Windows, less on phones) | Pro $15 per user per month, or $12 a month billed annually ($144 a year) | Growth from $18 per user per month billed annually. Students with a .edu email who are new to Pro get 3 months free, then 50% off (Wispr Flow pricing).
- Platforms: Mac, Windows, iPhone (iOS 18.3+), Android 13+
Skip it if: price is why you're leaving Willow. Pro costs the same, and there's no one-time license. More in Willow Voice vs Wispr Flow.
3. Superwhisper#
Superwhisper
Verdict: Best for Offline Dictation, Windows Included
Superwhisper can run speech models on your own device, so it keeps working without a connection on a Mac, a Windows PC or an iPhone, and it also has an Android app (Android 13 or later). Its free plan gives unlimited dictation with local Whisper models, custom vocabulary and up to two modes, and Superwhisper says nothing you dictate on that plan leaves your device (Superwhisper plans).
Pro adds cloud models, AI modes, context awareness and file transcription, and one license covers all your devices.
- Pricing: Free | Pro $8.49/month, $84.99/year or $249.99 once. Students, educators and nonprofits get 40% off if they ask before buying.
- Best for: offline dictation on Windows, where Willow's offline mode doesn't reach
Skip it if: you want cleanup that works without choosing models and modes first.
4. Aqua Voice#
Aqua Voice
Verdict: Best Value for Students
Aqua Voice is a cloud dictation app for Mac, Windows, iPhone and, through Google Play, Android. Pro gives unlimited words, custom instructions and a larger dictionary, and Max adds a real-time mode that shows your words as you speak (Aqua Voice pricing).
Its student deal stands out: 70% off Pro and Max with a school email, which brings Pro to $2.40 a month on annual billing. For companies, Aqua lists SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, and a Business plan at $19 per seat per month billed annually.
- Pricing: Free (1,000 words) | Pro $8/month billed annually ($96/year) or $10 month to month | Max $24/month billed annually or $30 month to month
- Worth knowing: Aqua doesn't mention an offline mode, and there's no one-time license
Skip it if: you'd rather pay once, or you need to dictate without a connection.
5. Voicy#
Voicy
Verdict: Best for Linux and the Browser
Voicy reaches more places than any other app here: Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension. Its desktop apps also have an offline mode on Mac, Windows and Linux (Voicy), which covers the Windows gap in Willow's offline mode. It supports more than 50 languages online, and its Rewrite Mode edits selected text by voice.
There's no free plan, just a free trial with 30 minutes of recording. Students and people with disabilities get 20% off, with no proof needed.
- Pricing: Pro $8.49/month or $82/year | Lifetime $260 once | Teams $6.79 per user per month (minimum 3 users) (Voicy pricing)
- Worth knowing: fewer languages than Willow's 100-plus
Skip it if: you want a free plan to keep. Voicy's trial ends after 30 minutes. Our LumeVoice vs Voicy page has the details.
6. Spokenly#
Spokenly
Verdict: Best Free Option With Local Models
Spokenly is free for unlimited dictation with on-device Whisper and Parakeet models: no word caps, no trial clock and no account needed, and it works offline. It has apps for macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS (Spokenly pricing).
Pro adds Spokenly's own cloud transcription and AI cleanup; Local+ is a one-time upgrade with extras such as settings sync.
- Pricing: Free | Local+ $29 once | Pro $9.99/month or $99.99/year
- Worth knowing: no Android app is listed, and AI cleanup needs Pro or your own API keys
Skip it if: you want polished cleanup without setting up models or keys.
7. Apple Dictation and Windows voice typing#
Apple Dictation and Windows voice typing
Verdict: Best Built-In Option
If you only dictate now and then, start with what's already on your devices.
Apple Dictation is built into macOS and iOS. On iPhone, Apple says dictation is processed on the phone in many languages, with no internet connection required; on a Mac, Keyboard settings show which languages are processed on the device (Apple's Mac guide, iPhone guide).
Windows voice typing starts with Windows + H and needs an internet connection. On Copilot+ PCs, Fluid dictation (English) also removes filler words and fixes grammar (Microsoft's guide).
- Pros: free, already installed, no account needed
- Cons: less cleanup than the paid apps, and nothing that follows you across Mac, Windows and Android
When to stay with Willow Voice#
Switching would be a step backwards if you rely on these:
- You want offline dictation on a Mac or iPhone in the same app you use online.
- You use Scribe. Drafting from a description, replying to what's on screen and rewriting selected text all work in Willow, including its iPhone keyboard; Wispr Flow's Command Mode can't edit text in place on iOS yet.
- Your team needs the paperwork. Willow's Business and Enterprise plans cover SOC 2 Type II, a HIPAA BAA, single sign-on, user provisioning and enforced zero data retention (Willow Enterprise).
- The free plan covers you. Basic has no word limit, just a lighter speech model and 20 Scribe uses a week.
- You qualify for its 30% discount as an educator, nonprofit worker, service member or veteran.
Price comparison#
| App | Free option | Per month | Per year | Pay once | 3 years on yearly billing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Voice | Basic plan (lighter model) | $15 | $144 | No | $432 |
| LumeVoice | 3,000 free words, no card required | $14.99 | $79.99 | $249 | $239.97 |
| Wispr Flow | 2,000 words a week (desktop) | $15 | $144 | No | $432 |
| Superwhisper | Unlimited with local models | $8.49 | $84.99 | $249.99 | $254.97 |
| Aqua Voice | 1,000 words | $10 | $96 | No | $288 |
| Voicy | 30-minute trial | $8.49 | $82 | $260 | $246 |
| Spokenly | Unlimited with local models | $9.99 | $99.99 | $29 (Local+, without Spokenly's cloud) | $299.97 |
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Prices as of October 2026; vendors change them, so check their sites.
For students the order changes: Aqua Voice takes 70% off, LumeVoice 50% off, Wispr Flow 3 months free and then 50%, Superwhisper 40%, Willow 30% and Voicy 20%. Willow's Business pricing is in our Willow Voice pricing guide.
How to switch from Willow Voice#
- List what you actually use in Willow. If offline mode, Scribe or team controls are essential, check that the new app has them before going further.
- Copy your dictionary and shortcuts. They're on Willow's Dictionary page. Add the same words and phrases to the new app by hand.
- Try the new app on real work for a few days, using its free plan or allowance.
- Cancel Willow before it renews: from Settings, then Manage Billing on a Mac, or your Apple ID's Subscriptions screen on iPhone. Your plan stays active until the period you've paid for ends (managing your Willow subscription).
Final verdict#
- Best for Android and paying once: LumeVoice
- Closest match for Scribe users and teams: Wispr Flow
- Best for offline dictation, Windows included: Superwhisper
- Best value for students: Aqua Voice
- Best for Linux and the browser: Voicy
- Best free option with local models: Spokenly
- Best built-in option: Apple Dictation or Windows voice typing
And if offline mode on your Mac, Scribe or a team plan with compliance paperwork is what you need, Willow remains a strong choice.
