Compare
SayWrite vs Wispr Flow
The main difference is where your voice goes: Wispr Flow says transcription always happens in the cloud, while SayWrite turns speech into text on your Mac and works with no internet connection.
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Side by side
SayWrite and Wispr Flow, compared
| Feature | SayWrite | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Where speech becomes text | On your Mac, with NVIDIA Parakeet on the Apple Neural Engine | In the cloud: “Transcription always happens in the cloud”Source: Wispr Flow privacy policy |
| Works with no internet | Yes, after a one-time speech model download (about 465 MB) | Cloud transcription; its privacy policy describes no offline modeSource: Wispr Flow privacy policy |
| Screen context sent with dictation | None. SayWrite never captures your screen | Context awareness is on by default and can include on-screen text, textbox contents and “a screenshot”; you can turn it offSource: Wispr Flow Help Center: Context Awareness |
| Where data is processed | Only on your Mac | “processes and stores customer data in the United States”Source: Wispr Flow Help Center: Security and compliance FAQ |
| Account | None | Sign-in required during setupSource: Wispr Flow Help Center: Setup guide |
| Price | Free during early access, no word limit | Free with a 2,000-word weekly limit on desktop; Pro $15/month or $12/month billed annually; Growth $23 or $18Source: Wispr Flow pricing |
| AI cleanup engine | Apple Intelligence on your Mac, or your own Ollama or LM Studio at 127.0.0.1 | Not stated which models it uses; no bring-your-own-model option foundUnverified |
| Platforms | Mac with Apple silicon | Mac, Windows, iPhone and AndroidSource: wisprflow.ai |
| Languages | English | 100+ languages, detected automaticallySource: wisprflow.ai |
| Certifications | None claimed; SayWrite isn't a compliance product | SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 on paid plans; HIPAA BAA on Growth and EnterpriseSource: Wispr Flow pricing |
Privacy
Where your audio and screen go
Wispr Flow's privacy policy says transcription always happens in the cloud. (Source: Wispr Flow privacy policy) Its security FAQ says the service processes and stores customer data in the United States. (Source: Wispr Flow Help Center: Security and compliance FAQ) Its Context Awareness feature is on by default and, according to its help center, can send app info, textbox contents, on-screen text and a screenshot along with a dictation. You can switch it off in Settings › Data and Privacy. (Source: Wispr Flow Help Center: Context Awareness)
SayWrite has no cloud step to configure. NVIDIA Parakeet TDT 0.6B v2 runs on your Mac's Neural Engine, the temporary recording is deleted as soon as it's transcribed, and SayWrite never captures your screen. AI Polish runs on Apple's on-device model or on a server you run at 127.0.0.1, and SayWrite refuses any other address.
The full breakdown, including the only three network connections SayWrite makes, is on the security page.
Connectivity
Offline use
Because SayWrite's speech model lives on your Mac (a one-time download of about 465 MB), dictation keeps working on a plane, in a basement or on a locked-down network. Try it yourself: turn off Wi-Fi, hold Fn and talk. Wispr Flow's cloud transcription needs a connection (Source: Wispr Flow privacy policy).
Price
Price: free during early access vs $12–15 a month
Wispr Flow's free plan has a weekly word limit of 2,000 words on desktop. Pro is $15 per user per month, or $12 billed annually, and Growth is $23, or $18 billed annually. (Source: Wispr Flow pricing)
SayWrite is free during early access, with no word limit, no account and no credit card. If that ever changes, it'll be announced on the changelog first.
AI Polish
AI cleanup: whose model?
Hold Fn and tap Space while you talk, and SayWrite's AI Polish turns a ramble into what you'd have written with time. It uses Apple Intelligence's on-device model on macOS 26, or a model you run yourself in Ollama or LM Studio. You pick the model, and it runs on your hardware.
Switching
How to switch from Wispr Flow
- Download SayWrite, allow Microphone and Accessibility access, and download the speech model.
- Quit Wispr Flow so only one app listens to the Fn key, and set System Settings › Keyboard › “Press 🌐 key to” to Do Nothing.
- Hold Fn to talk, or tap it to start and stop. Tap Space while holding Fn to Polish.
- Add names and jargon to the personal dictionary, and recreate your snippets as voice snippets.
- Optional: turn on per-app auto-polish for Slack or Mail so every dictation there is tidied automatically.
The honest answer
Which should you choose?
Choose Wispr Flow if…
- You dictate on Windows, iPhone or Android as well as the Mac, and want one app everywhere.
- You speak languages other than English, or switch between them.
- Your team needs admin controls, SSO, SOC 2 documentation or a HIPAA BAA.
- You're comfortable with cloud processing in exchange for those features.
Choose SayWrite if…
- You want speech recognition and AI cleanup to stay on your Mac, with nothing uploaded.
- You want to use it with no internet connection, on a plane or behind a strict firewall.
- You'd rather not create an account or pay a subscription (SayWrite is free during early access).
- You want to pick the model that rewrites your words, including open models you run yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Does Wispr Flow work offline?
Wispr Flow's privacy policy says transcription always happens in the cloud, and we found no offline mode in its documentation as of September 28, 2026. SayWrite transcribes on your Mac and works with no internet connection after a one-time model download.
Is Wispr Flow private?
Wispr Flow sends audio to its cloud for transcription, processes and stores customer data in the United States, and offers privacy controls and certifications such as SOC 2 Type II. Its context awareness feature is on by default and can send on-screen text and a screenshot with a dictation. SayWrite takes a different approach: audio and text never leave your Mac.
Is SayWrite a free alternative to Wispr Flow?
SayWrite is free during early access with no word limit and no account. Wispr Flow has a free plan with a 2,000-word weekly limit on desktop, and Pro costs $15 a month or $12 a month billed annually.
Can I use my Wispr Flow habits in SayWrite?
Mostly, yes. Both use the Fn key: hold it to talk and let go to insert text. In SayWrite, tap Space while holding Fn to Polish. Add names and jargon to SayWrite's personal dictionary and recreate your snippets as voice snippets.
Is Wispr Flow worth it?
It can be if you need Windows, iPhone or Android support, many languages or team features, and you're comfortable with cloud processing. If you work on a Mac in English and want everything to stay on the device, SayWrite covers dictation and AI cleanup for free during early access.
Sources
Accessed .
Keep reading
Say it messy. We'll write it neat.
Hold Fn, talk, and let SayWrite type it. Everything stays on your Mac.
Free during early access · macOS 15+ · Apple silicon