Superwhisper

Privacy-first AI dictation for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. With its local models everything stays on your device; cloud models are there when you want more accuracy.

Free (local models on Mac) / Pro monthly, yearly or lifetime

My take

Several of my colleagues use Superwhisper, and they still like it. Its strength is privacy: with the local models, your voice never leaves your device. If you handle sensitive information, or you're in an organization that gets nervous about data leaving the building, that's the one thing that actually settles the argument. The flip side is the setup — there are a lot of modes and settings, and it took me a while to stop fiddling and just use it.

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At a Glance

Pros

+ Local models keep your voice on your device
+ Custom modes with your choice of AI model for formatting and rewriting
+ Runs on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
+ Local dictation on the Mac is free
+ Very responsive developer, active community

Cons

− Fully on-device only if you stick to the local models; the cloud models send audio out
− Local models need Apple Silicon on a Mac for best performance
− Meeting notes are Mac-only so far
− Can be overwhelming with many settings and modes

Best for: People who want accurate AI dictation and the option to keep their voice on their own device

Full Review

Superwhisper does AI dictation differently from most: you can run everything on your own device. Competitors like Wispr Flow send your voice to cloud servers for processing. Superwhisper downloads AI models and runs them locally, so with those models your voice data never leaves your computer or phone.

The privacy advantage

For anyone working with sensitive information, like legal documents, medical records, financial data or confidential business communications, that on-device option is the whole selling point. No cloud processing, no data retention questions, no third-party servers. That makes it an easy call for privacy-conscious organizations and regulated industries, as long as everyone sticks to the local models.

How it works

You pick a model depending on what you need:

Local models for full offline operation (on a Mac, best on Apple Silicon); since August local dictation on the Mac is free
Superwhisper’s own cloud models, or cloud models from the big AI labs with your own API key, for higher accuracy when privacy is less critical
Custom modes let you define exactly how Superwhisper processes, formats, and styles your text

Version 3, released in October 2026, added meeting notes on the Mac.

Language support

Superwhisper supports over 100 languages and dialects. Product Hunt reviewers praise its transcription quality across French, Spanish, and English.

Not just Apple anymore

Superwhisper started as an Apple app and now also runs on Windows and Android, with one license for all your devices. On a Mac it needs macOS 14 or later, and the full offline experience works best on Apple Silicon (M1 or later).

Who should use Superwhisper

People who care about privacy, work with sensitive information, or just prefer knowing their voice data stays on their device. Doctors, lawyers, security professionals, and anyone in a regulated industry should look hard at this over cloud-based alternatives. If you want the most polished experience across many devices and don’t mind the cloud, look at Wispr Flow.