Compare
SayWrite vs Superwhisper
Both can run speech recognition on your Mac; SayWrite costs $30 a year and does AI rewriting locally with Apple Intelligence or your own Ollama or LM Studio, while Superwhisper's Pro plan adds cloud models and bring-your-own API keys.
7 days free · no card, no account · then $30/year or $5/month · no word limit
On your phone? SayWrite runs on a Mac. Send yourself the link and download it there.
Not affiliated; trademarks belong to their owners. Superwhisper is a trademark of its owner, and SayWrite is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Competitor details come from their public websites and documentation as of . Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
- ≈0.2 s warmstop to result in an archived M5 Pro speech test. Test conditions
- 0 bytesof your audio uploaded for transcription. What does go online
- Offlinedictation keeps working on a plane, with the speech model downloaded and ready
- $30/yrafter a 7-day free trial, with no word limit
Side by side
SayWrite and Superwhisper, compared
| Feature | SayWrite | Superwhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Local speech recognition | Always: on-device, on the Apple Neural Engine | Yes on the free plan: “Nothing you dictate leaves your device”Source: Superwhisper docs: Superwhisper Pro |
| Cloud models | None | Pro adds cloud voice modelsSource: Superwhisper docs: Superwhisper Pro |
| AI rewriting | Included: Apple Intelligence on your Mac, or your own Ollama or LM Studio at 127.0.0.1 | AI-powered modes and bring-your-own API keys are Pro featuresSource: Superwhisper docs: Superwhisper Pro |
| Price | 7-day free trial, then $5/month or $30/year | Free plan; Pro $8.49/month, $84.99/year or $249.99 lifetimeSource: Superwhisper docs: Superwhisper Pro |
| Platforms | Mac with Apple silicon | Mac, Windows, iOS and AndroidSource: superwhisper.com |
| Languages | English | 100+ languages and dialectsSource: superwhisper.com |
| Speech models | SayWrite's on-device English speech engine | Local Whisper models on the free plan; Parakeet and cloud models with ProSource: Superwhisper docs: Superwhisper Pro |
| Account | No password. Subscription users can sign in by email or activate with a license key. | Not stated on the pages we checkedUnverified |
| Speaking vs typing speed stats | Yes: speaking and typing WPM on your Mac, words dictated and time saved | Not verified on its public pagesUnverified |
| Per-app AI Polish rules | Yes: e.g. Slack and Mail always polished, Messages cleaned up, code editors as dictated | Not verified on its public pagesUnverified |
Privacy
Privacy: local by default, or local only
Superwhisper's documentation says that on the free plan nothing you dictate leaves your device, and that Pro adds cloud voice models, AI-powered modes, context awareness and bring-your-own API keys. (Source: Superwhisper docs: Superwhisper Pro) That makes it a flexible hybrid: local when you want, cloud when you choose.
SayWrite has no cloud mode to choose. Speech recognition, the temporary recording and AI Polish all stay on your Mac, and the AI client only connects to 127.0.0.1. See the security page for the details.
Price
Price
Superwhisper lists a free plan, Pro at $8.49 a month or $84.99 a year, and a $249.99 lifetime license. (Source: Superwhisper docs: Superwhisper Pro) SayWrite is $5 a month or $30 a year after a 7-day free trial, AI Polish included. See pricing.
AI Polish
AI rewriting without an API key
In SayWrite, AI Polish runs on Apple Intelligence's on-device model, or on a model you run in Ollama or LM Studio, such as qwen3.5:9b or a Gemma model. There's no API key to paste and no per-token bill, and your text never goes to a provider.
The honest answer
Which should you choose?
Choose Superwhisper if…
- You need languages other than English, or translation into English.
- You also want dictation on Windows, iPhone or Android with one license.
- You want cloud speech models or your own OpenAI-style API keys.
- You like building custom modes with different prompts per task.
Choose SayWrite if…
- You want AI rewriting included in one low price ($30 a year), running on your Mac.
- You'd rather use Apple Intelligence or a model you run in Ollama or LM Studio than a cloud API.
- You want English dictation on Apple silicon without uploading your audio or transcript.
Frequently asked questions
Is Superwhisper private?
On its free plan, Superwhisper's documentation says nothing you dictate leaves your device. Its Pro plan adds cloud voice models and bring-your-own API keys, which do send data to a provider when you use them. SayWrite has no cloud option: speech and AI rewriting both run on your Mac.
How much does Superwhisper cost?
As of September 29, 2026, Superwhisper's documentation lists a free plan, Pro at $8.49 a month or $84.99 a year, and a $249.99 lifetime license. SayWrite is $5 a month or $30 a year after a 7-day free trial.
Which is faster?
We haven't benchmarked the two apps side by side, so we won't claim a winner. SayWrite's archived M5 Pro speech test measured 0.179 seconds median from stop to result with a loaded model and prerecorded audio, not live typing or AI Polish. It has not been rerun for the current release. Try both on your own Mac: speed depends on the model and the chip. Test conditions are on our Security page.
Sources
Accessed .
- Superwhisper docs: Superwhisper Pro (superwhisper.com/docs/get-started/sw-pro)
- superwhisper.com (superwhisper.com)
Keep reading
Say it messy. We'll write it neat.
Try it free for 7 days in the app: no card, no account. Then $30 a year or $5 a month, charged when you buy. No word limit.
On your phone? SayWrite runs on a Mac. Send yourself the link and download it there.
7-day free trial · no card, no account · macOS 15+ · Apple silicon