Superwhisper Pricing 2026: Free, Pro, Lifetime, and Alternative
Superwhisper Pro runs $8.49 per month, $84.99 per year, or $249.99 as a one-time lifetime license. The free tier covers small local models. Spokenly offers a free alternative with large local models and bring-your-own-key cloud transcription.
Updated May 2026
Download Spokenly FreeTL;DR
- Superwhisper has a generous free tier with unlimited use of small local AI models on Mac, Windows, and iOS.
- Pro starts at $8.49 per month, drops to $7.08 per month on annual billing ($84.99 per year), or runs $249.99 as a lifetime license.
- Students get 40 percent off Pro through a discount during checkout.
- Lifetime breaks even against the monthly plan in roughly 29 months, and against the annual plan in about 35 months.
Superwhisper pricing tiers
Superwhisper offers three Pro billing options plus a free tier and an enterprise plan. Monthly and annual subscriptions cover the same features, with annual saving roughly two months. Lifetime is a one-time payment marketed as the top choice on the pricing toggle.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual / Lifetime | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Voice to text in any app, meeting recording, 100+ languages, unlimited use of small AI models, custom prompt control, email support |
| Pro (Monthly) | $8.49/mo | n/a | Adds BYOK API keys, unlimited cloud and local AI models, language translation, file transcription, priority support |
| Pro (Annual) | n/a | $84.99/yr (~$7.08/mo) | Same as Pro Monthly with 2 months free |
| Pro (Lifetime) | n/a | $249.99 one-time | Same as Pro, all future updates included, marketed as Top Choice |
| Pro (Student) | Varies, 40% off | Varies, 40% off | Same as Pro, requires student verification at checkout |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | SOC 2 Type II certified, centralized billing and authentication, model access control, enterprise hosted models, volume discounts |
What the Superwhisper subscription covers
Paying for Superwhisper Pro unlocks bring-your-own-key API access, unlimited use of cloud and large local AI models, language translation, file transcription for audio and video, and priority support. Free users keep voice-to-text in any app, meeting recording, 100+ languages, custom prompt control, and unlimited use of small local AI models on Apple Silicon.
The Enterprise tier is SOC 2 Type II certified and adds centralized billing, model access control, enterprise-hosted models, and volume discounts. For teams with compliance needs, that is the only tier with formal certification paperwork.
All paid plans include a 30-day refund window. The lifetime option is positioned as the recommended pick during purchase, which makes sense because it has the highest absolute price but the lowest cost over time.
3-year cost math
Below is what each Superwhisper plan totals across three years of continuous use, with Spokenly Free and Spokenly Pro added for direct comparison. The math assumes one user, no team multipliers, and no annual price changes.
| Plan | Formula | 3-year total | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superwhisper Pro (Monthly) | $8.49 × 36 months | $305.64 | Highest commitment cost |
| Superwhisper Pro (Annual) | $84.99 × 3 years | $254.97 | Two months free vs monthly |
| Superwhisper Pro (Lifetime) | $249.99 one-time | $249.99 | Cheapest paid path long-term |
| Spokenly Free | $0 forever | $0 | Local models or BYOK cloud, no caps |
| Spokenly Pro | $9.99 × 36 months | $359.64 | Managed cloud, no API keys needed |
Spokenly Pro costs more than Superwhisper Lifetime over three years, because Superwhisper Lifetime is one payment spread across time while Spokenly Pro keeps billing monthly. Spokenly Free stays at $0, but Superwhisper Free is also $0, so the closest like-for-like comparison is between the two free tiers.
Cost comparison
Calculate your 3-year savings
Based on Superwhisper at $8.49 per month.
36 months total
Superwhisper total
$305.64
over 3 years
Spokenly Free
$0
Local models, BYOK cloud
Spokenly Pro
$359.64
$9.99/mo, managed cloud
Switch to Spokenly Free and you save
$305.64
Free tier comparison: Superwhisper vs Spokenly
Both apps have a real free tier, not just a trial. The difference is what local models are allowed and what cloud features are gated.
Superwhisper Free includes unlimited use of small local AI models. Larger Whisper and Parakeet models, plus cloud transcription, sit behind Pro.
Spokenly Free includes the largest local models (Parakeet V3 multilingual, Whisper Large V3 Turbo) on the free tier, plus bring-your-own-key cloud transcription billed directly by OpenAI, Deepgram, or Groq. Custom AI prompts, the iOS keyboard, and MCP integration for AI coding agents are also on the free tier.
Superwhisper Free
- Unlimited use of small local AI models (Apple Silicon)
- Voice to text in any app
- Meeting recording and transcription
- 100+ languages
- Custom prompt control
- Available on Mac, Windows, iOS
- Cloud and large local models behind Pro
Spokenly Free
- Unlimited use of large local models including Parakeet V3 and Whisper Large V3 Turbo on Apple Silicon
- Free BYOK cloud (OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq), billed directly by the provider
- Custom AI prompts on the free tier (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini)
- MCP server for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex on the free tier
- iOS keyboard included
- Available on Mac, iOS, Windows
Lifetime versus subscription, the trade-off
Superwhisper is one of a small group of Mac dictation apps that still sells lifetime access. MacWhisper offers €59 lifetime on Gumroad, VoiceInk has a one-time price under $40, and Superwhisper's $249.99 sits at the upper end of that range.
The argument for lifetime is predictability. One payment, no renewals, no surprise price hikes. The argument against lifetime is the upfront cost. $249.99 takes about 29 months of monthly billing or 35 months of annual billing to recover. Users who switch tools within two years pay less on subscription.
Spokenly does not sell lifetime today. Free works indefinitely for most users, and Pro at $9.99 per month adds managed cloud transcription for anyone who wants it.
When to choose what
Neither tool fits every workflow. The criteria below separate the use cases clearly.
Choose Superwhisper if
- Want a polished lifetime purchase at $249.99 to avoid subscriptions long-term
- Need meeting recording built into the dictation app
- Prefer cloud and large local models bundled into one paid plan
- Need a SOC 2 Type II certified enterprise tier
- Available on macOS, Windows, and iOS from one developer
Choose Spokenly if
- Prefer large local models (Parakeet V3, Whisper Large V3 Turbo) on the free tier with no upgrade prompt
- Want offline dictation that does not call any cloud
- Already have an OpenAI, Deepgram, or Groq API key
- Need MCP integration for AI coding agents
- Want custom AI prompts that rewrite, translate, or summarize transcripts on the free tier
Side-by-side feature breakdown is available on the Spokenly vs Superwhisper comparison page, and the Superwhisper alternative landing covers migration questions in detail.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Superwhisper cost in 2026?
Superwhisper Pro costs $8.49 per month on monthly billing, $84.99 per year on annual billing (about $7.08 per month with two months free), or $249.99 as a one-time lifetime license. Students get 40 percent off through a discount during checkout. Enterprise pricing is custom.
Is Superwhisper free?
Yes. Superwhisper has a free tier with unlimited use of small local AI models, voice to text in any app, meeting recording, 100+ languages, custom prompt control, and email support. Cloud models, larger local models, and file transcription are behind the Pro tier.
Is the Superwhisper lifetime license worth $249.99?
Lifetime breaks even against the monthly plan at roughly month 29, and against the annual plan at about year 3. Users who plan to use Superwhisper for three years or more will pay less with the lifetime license. Buyers who are not sure yet often start on monthly or annual and upgrade to lifetime later.
What is a free alternative to Superwhisper?
Spokenly is a free dictation app for macOS, iOS, and Windows that runs Parakeet V3 and Whisper Large V3 Turbo locally with no caps, and supports bring-your-own-key cloud transcription with OpenAI, Deepgram, and Groq billed directly by the provider. The Spokenly Pro tier at $9.99 per month adds managed cloud models for users who do not want to manage API keys.
Does Superwhisper offer a student discount?
Yes. Students get 40 percent off Pro through a checkout discount. The discount applies to monthly, annual, and lifetime plans, and requires student verification during purchase.
What payment plans does Superwhisper support?
Superwhisper supports monthly subscription, annual subscription with two months free, and a one-time lifetime payment. All plans include a 30-day refund window. Enterprise customers can negotiate custom billing terms.
Try the free alternative
Free download for macOS, iOS, and Windows. Local models work offline, no account required.
Download Spokenly Free