The year 2025 marked a significant turning point for AI dictation apps. While dictation software has existed for years, earlier versions were often slow and inaccurate, requiring very clear speech. Advances in large language models and speech-to-text technology have dramatically improved these systems. They now better decipher speech, retain context for proper formatting, and include features to automatically remove filler words and correct mistakes, resulting in text that needs far less editing.
With the surge in AI popularity, many dictation apps are now available. Here is a selection of the most useful options this year.
WISPR FLOW
Wispr Flow is a well-funded AI dictation app that allows you to add custom words and instructions. It offers native apps for MacOS, Windows, and iOS, with an Android version in development. You can customize transcriptions by selecting from formal, casual, or very casual writing styles for different contexts like email or messaging. When used with coding tools, it can automatically recognize variables. The free tier allows up to 2,000 words per month on desktop and 1,000 on iOS. Subscription plans offering unlimited transcription start at fifteen dollars per month.
WILLOW
Willow positions itself as a major time-saver. Beyond standard automatic editing, it uses large language models to generate full paragraphs from just a few dictated words. The app emphasizes privacy by storing all transcripts locally on your device and allows you to opt out of model training. You can also add custom vocabulary for industry terms or local dialects. The desktop app allows 2,000 words per month for free. Individual subscriptions start at fifteen dollars per month for unlimited dictation and style memory.
MONOLOGUE
Monologue focuses on privacy by letting you download its model to run transcriptions entirely on your device, avoiding cloud data transfer. You can also customize its tone of voice for different applications. The free plan allows 1,000 words per month. A subscription costs ten dollars per month or one hundred dollars per year. Notably, the company sends a special Monokey device to its top users.
SUPERWHISPER
Superwhisper is primarily a dictation app but can also transcribe audio and video files. It offers the freedom to choose and download different AI models, including its own and NVIDIA’s Parakeet models, which vary in speed and accuracy. You can write custom prompts to steer the output and view both processed and unprocessed transcripts. Basic voice-to-text is free, with a fifteen-minute trial of Pro features like translation. Paid tiers allow the use of your own AI API keys with no caps, costing eight dollars and forty-nine cents monthly, eighty-four dollars and ninety-nine cents annually, or two hundred forty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents for a lifetime license.
VOICETYPR
VoiceTypr adopts an offline-first, no-subscription model, using local models for transcription. An open-source version is available for self-hosting. It supports over ninety-nine languages and works on Mac and Windows. The app offers a free three-day trial, after which you can purchase a lifetime license. Pricing is thirty-five dollars for one device, fifty-six dollars for two, and ninety-eight dollars for four devices.
AQUA
Aqua is a Y-Combinator-backed voice typing client for Windows and MacOS that claims exceptionally low latency. It handles grammar and punctuation and can autofill text using spoken phrases, like saying “my address” to insert it. The app also offers its own speech-to-text API. The free tier provides 1,000 words per month. Paid plans start at eight dollars per month with annual billing, unlocking unlimited words and eight hundred custom dictionary entries.
HANDY
Handy is an open-source and free transcription tool for Mac, Windows, and Linux. The application is basic with limited customization, but it is a good option for those beginning with voice dictation who do not wish to pay. Its settings menu lets you toggle push-to-talk and change the activation hotkey.
TYPELESS
Typeless offers a high free word count and states it does not retain data or use it for model training. It can suggest improved versions of sentences if you fumble. The free tier allows up to 4,000 words per week, roughly 16,000 words per month. An unlimited subscription costs twelve dollars per month billed annually and provides access to new features. Typeless is available for Windows and MacOS only.