Wispr Flow vs Apple Dictation: which one to use for dictating on your Mac

What they have in common

Both do the same basic thing: put your cursor where you want to write (an email, a document, a chat), use the shortcut and talk. The text appears where your cursor is, in any app on your Mac.

Both dictate in English, Spanish and many other languages, and both add punctuation as you speak: Wispr Flow always, and Apple Dictation in supported languages, which include US and UK English and the Spanish of Mexico, Spain, the US and Colombia.

Wispr Flow vs Apple Dictation, point by point

Details from Wispr Flow's and Apple's official pages, checked on October 28, 2026.

Where Wispr Flow wins

• Text that's ready to send. It removes filler words, adds punctuation and, if you change your mind mid-sentence ("let's meet at 2... actually 3"), types only what you meant. Say "first, second, third" and you get a list.
• It learns your words. It has a personal dictionary that follows you to all your devices, learns the names you correct, and saves voice shortcuts (snippets) for text you repeat, like your signature.
• Editing by voice. With Pro, select some text, hold a shortcut and ask for changes (Command Mode).
• On Windows and Android too, and on Intel Macs from macOS 12.
• More languages. 100+, and it detects which one you're speaking.
• Meeting notes. Wispr Notetaker takes notes without adding a bot, on Mac and Windows; the free plan has a weekly meeting limit.

Where Apple Dictation wins

• It's free and already installed. Turn it on in Apple menu › System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation.
• It works offline. On a Mac with Apple silicon, in supported languages (English and Spanish among them), what you dictate is processed on the computer; Apple asks you to download the speech models.
• No time limit. It stops on its own after 30 seconds without speech, and on a Mac with Apple silicon you can keep typing while you dictate.
• Commands, and help in Spanish too. Say "new line", "new paragraph" or "question mark". Apple's help also comes in Spanish; Wispr Flow's website and help are English only.
• On macOS 27 with Apple Intelligence, a model that runs on your Mac improves spelling, punctuation and capitalization, at no extra cost. For now it's English only, on Macs with M3 or later and at least 12 GB of unified memory.
• And if you need more, there's Voice Control: you control your Mac by voice, dictate and edit text and, in languages that support it, teach it up to 1,000 words. While it's on, it replaces standard dictation.

Prices side by side

Wispr Flow charges in your region's currency, with set prices in 24 currencies.

Privacy

• Apple Dictation: in System Settings › Keyboard, under Dictation, your Mac tells you whether what you dictate is processed on the computer or goes to Apple's servers; on an Intel Mac, it goes to Apple. Apple says what you dictate isn't stored unless you turn on "Improve Siri & Dictation" (in Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements); with it on, Apple stores audio recordings and may review a sample.
• Wispr Flow: always transcribes in the cloud and stores data in the United States. On the Free and Pro plans, two options are on by default: keeping your dictations in its cloud and using your audio, transcripts and edits to improve its models. You can turn both off in Settings › Data and Privacy. For dictation, it has SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 and signs a HIPAA business associate agreement (BAA) on any plan.
• If your voice must not leave your computer, Apple Dictation works on a Mac with Apple silicon in a supported language; Wispr Flow doesn't. Local vs cloud dictation: what changes.

Which one to pick

And if you work in Spanish too: Loro

Loro is a dictation app for Mac and Windows, in English and Spanish: the dictation, the app and the website. On a Mac, hold fn, talk, and the text appears in any app, without filler words and with punctuation; online, it understands when you correct yourself. Like Apple Dictation, it also works offline, because it ships its own voice model. And it takes notes of your meetings without a bot.

• Runs on: Macs with Apple silicon or Intel on macOS 14.2 or later, and Windows 10 and 11.
• Price: free up to 2,000 dictation words a week. Pro is USD 9.99 a month or USD 80 a year (USD 240 over three years).
• Missing: a phone app, and languages other than English and Spanish.

Mac dictation vs Loro · Loro vs Wispr Flow.

Try Loro for free

Dictate in any app and get notes from your meetings, with no bot. For Windows and Mac, no card needed.

Download for free

Frequently asked questions

Is Wispr Flow better than Apple Dictation?›

If you dictate every day, yes: it gives you clean text, types only what you meant when you change your mind, and learns your words. For a short message now and then, Apple Dictation is enough, it's free and, on a Mac with Apple silicon, it works offline.

Does Apple Dictation work offline?›

On a Mac with Apple silicon, yes, in supported languages, English and Spanish among them; Apple asks you to download the speech models. On an Intel Mac, what you dictate is sent to Apple. To see your case, read the text under Dictation in System Settings › Keyboard. Wispr Flow always needs the internet.

What's the shortcut to dictate on a Mac?›

Whatever you choose in Keyboard › Dictation: the Microphone key if your keyboard has one, pressing the Fn key twice, or another. You can also go to Edit › Start Dictation. In Wispr Flow, you hold fn while you talk.

What changes depending on my Mac?›

On a Mac with Apple silicon, dictation works offline in supported languages and you can keep typing while you dictate. The Apple Intelligence upgrade in macOS 27 needs a Mac with M3 or later and at least 12 GB of memory, and for now it's English only. macOS 27 no longer installs on Intel Macs. Wispr Flow runs on Macs with Apple silicon or Intel, from macOS 12.

How much does Wispr Flow cost per year?›

Pro is USD 144 a year billed yearly (USD 12 a month), or USD 180 if you pay month to month. The free plan gives you 2,000 words a week on desktop. It dictates in Spanish too, but its website and help are in English only.

Sources

• Apple: dictation on Mac, the same guide for macOS Sonoma (Apple silicon or Intel), commands, languages and features, Macs with macOS 27, Voice Control, its vocabulary, dictation on iPhone and privacy.
• Wispr Flow: pricing, plans, what it is, devices, dictionary, hands-free dictation (20 minutes), Command Mode, its comparison with Apple (Wispr Flow's details only), security and cloud data.
• Loro: pricing and FAQ.
• All checked on October 28, 2026.