Superwhisper
Superwhisper vs MacWhisper
These two tools sound similar but do different things. MacWhisper is a file transcription app. Superwhisper is a real-time dictation tool with AI formatting. Here's an honest look at how they compare.
Side-by-side comparison
| Superwhisper | MacWhisper | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | Real-time dictation | File transcription |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, iOS | Mac only (limited iOS) |
| Offline mode | Full offline support | Full offline support |
| Privacy | On-device processing | On-device processing |
| Languages | 100+ | 100 |
| AI modes | Super, Voice, Email, Message, custom | Post-transcription AI (summarize, chat) |
| Text reformatting | Context-aware AI formatting | Post-transcription cleanup via AI |
| Speaker tagging | No | Yes |
| Subtitle export | No | SRT, VTT |
| Meeting recording | No | Zoom, Teams, etc. |
| Developer tools | Works with any IDE | N/A |
| Enterprise | SSO, team billing | No |
| Pricing | Free forever, Pro from $8/mo | ~$80 one-time (Gumroad) or subscription (App Store) |
Where they actually differ
Different tools for different jobs
This is the most important thing to understand. MacWhisper is a transcription app. You give it an audio or video file, and it produces a text transcript. It's good at that.
Superwhisper is a dictation tool. You press a hotkey, start talking, and your words appear as formatted text wherever your cursor is. It replaces typing. These are fundamentally different workflows.
AI formatting vs raw transcripts
When you speak into Superwhisper, it doesn't just transcribe your words. Super Mode reads your screen context and formats the output to match what you're doing. Writing an email? It formats like an email. Coding? It adjusts for that. You can also switch to Voice Mode for pure transcription, or use custom modes with your own prompts.
MacWhisper has added AI features like summarization and chat prompts that work on your transcript after it's generated. You can also connect external AI providers for text cleanup. But the core transcription output is still a raw transcript. For file transcription that's usually fine. For real-time dictation where you want polished output immediately, Superwhisper's live AI formatting is a different experience.
Platform support
Superwhisper runs on macOS, Windows 10/11, and iOS. Your Pro license works across all your devices.
MacWhisper is Mac-only. There's an iOS app, but it's newer and more limited. No Windows support at all. If you work across platforms, that's a dealbreaker.
Developer experience
Superwhisper works system-wide, which means it works in any IDE or terminal without plugins. Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code, Xcode, whatever you use. Andrej Karpathy coined "vibe coding" while using Superwhisper with Cursor. You just talk to your AI coding tools instead of typing.
MacWhisper isn't built for this use case. It's a standalone transcription app, not a system-wide input method.
Where MacWhisper does well
MacWhisper is genuinely good at what it does. Speaker tagging is useful for interviews and meetings. Subtitle generation in SRT and VTT formats saves podcasters and video creators real time. The ability to record directly from Zoom and Teams meetings and get a transcript with speaker labels is a solid workflow.
It also exports to a wide range of formats: CSV, DOCX, PDF, Markdown, SRT, VTT. If you're a journalist, podcaster, or someone who regularly needs to turn recordings into documents, MacWhisper handles that well. The one-time purchase price is straightforward too.
Pricing models
Superwhisper has a free tier that never expires. Pro starts at $8/mo and works across all your devices. MacWhisper is roughly $80 as a one-time purchase on Gumroad, or available via subscription on the App Store. Both are reasonable, just different models. If you only need occasional file transcription on a Mac, MacWhisper's one-time price makes sense. If you dictate daily across multiple platforms, Superwhisper's subscription covers more ground.
What people say about Superwhisper
"Superwhisper delivers on the dream of an AI-native operating system. The best part: it's insanely fast and does just what you expect."
— Guillermo Rauch, CEO of Vercel
"There's a new kind of coding I call 'vibe coding'... I just talk to Composer with @superwhisperapp so I barely even touch the keyboard."
— Andrej Karpathy, Founder of Eureka Labs
Frequently asked questions
Is Superwhisper a MacWhisper alternative?
They solve different problems. MacWhisper is built for file transcription: you drop in an audio file and get a transcript. Superwhisper is built for real-time dictation: you speak and text appears wherever your cursor is. If you want to transcribe recordings, MacWhisper is great. If you want to replace typing with your voice, Superwhisper is the better fit.
Does Superwhisper work on Windows?
Yes. Superwhisper runs on macOS, Windows 10/11, and iOS. MacWhisper is Mac-only, with a newer iOS app that has limited features compared to the desktop version.
Can Superwhisper transcribe audio files like MacWhisper?
Yes, Superwhisper supports file transcription. But its primary focus is real-time dictation with AI formatting. MacWhisper is more specialized for file transcription, with features like speaker tagging, subtitle export (SRT/VTT), and batch processing.
Which is better for meeting recordings?
MacWhisper. It can record from Zoom, Teams, and other meeting apps, then transcribe with speaker labels. That's its sweet spot. Superwhisper is designed for live dictation into any text field, not meeting capture.
Does MacWhisper have AI text reformatting?
MacWhisper has some AI features like summarization and AI chat prompts for working with transcripts after the fact. Superwhisper does it in real time during dictation. Super Mode reads your screen context, Email Mode formats for email, and you can build custom modes with your own prompts. Different approach: MacWhisper applies AI post-transcription, Superwhisper applies it live.
Which one works offline?
Both. MacWhisper runs Whisper and Nvidia Parakeet models locally. Superwhisper also runs speech recognition on-device. Neither requires an internet connection for core transcription.
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