Key differences
MacWhisper is built around dropping in a file and getting a transcript. Superwhisper is built around speaking into any app and getting text. Both run local models, both work offline, but they fit different parts of the day.
| Superwhisper | MacWhisper | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | Real-time dictation | File transcription |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, iOS | Mac, limited iOS |
| Offline mode | Full offline support | Full offline support |
| Privacy | On-device, SOC 2, HIPAA | On-device |
| Languages | 100+ | 100 |
| AI modes | Super, Voice, Email, Message, custom | Post-transcription AI |
| Text reformatting | Live context-aware AI | After-the-fact cleanup |
| Speaker tagging | Yes | Yes |
| Subtitle export | No | SRT, VTT |
| Developer tools | Any IDE, Claude Code | N/A |
| Enterprise | SSO, HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II | No |
| Pricing | Free, Pro from $8/mo | ~$80 one-time |
Key differences
Different tools for different jobs
MacWhisper is a transcription app. You hand it an audio or video file and it produces a text transcript. It's good at that one job.
Superwhisper is a dictation tool. Press a hotkey, talk, and your words land as formatted text wherever your cursor is. It replaces typing. The workflows don't really overlap.
Live AI formatting vs raw transcripts
When you talk into Superwhisper, Super Mode reads your screen and shapes the output to match. Writing an email? It comes out as an email. Coding? It adjusts. Voice Mode gives you pure transcription if that's all you want, and custom modes let you wire in your own prompts.
MacWhisper has AI features like summarization and chat prompts on top of a finished transcript. That's useful for cleaning up a recording you already have. It's not the same as having the formatting happen while you speak.
Developer experience
Superwhisper works system-wide, so it works in any IDE or terminal.
Cursor, 
VS Code, 
Claude Code, terminals, anywhere your cursor lands.MacWhisper isn't built for this. It's a standalone transcription app, not a system-wide input method.
Platform coverage
Superwhisper runs on macOS, Windows 10/11, and iOS. One Pro license covers every device.
MacWhisper is Mac-first. There's a newer iOS app with a smaller feature set, and no Windows version. If you split your day across platforms, that matters.
Where MacWhisper does well
Speaker tagging is useful for interviews. Subtitle export in SRT and VTT saves podcasters and video editors real time. You can record straight from Zoom or Teams and walk away with a labeled transcript.
Export covers CSV, DOCX, PDF, Markdown, SRT, and VTT. If you regularly turn recordings into documents, that's a real advantage. For occasional file transcription on a Mac, the one-time price is hard to argue with.
Pricing
Superwhisper has a free tier that doesn't expire. Pro is $8/mo and covers all your devices. MacWhisper is around $80 one-time on Gumroad, or a subscription on the App Store. Different models, both reasonable. If you dictate daily across a Mac, a Windows machine, and your phone, the subscription pays off. If you only transcribe a handful of recordings a month, the one-time price is the better deal.
What people say
Guillermo Rauch
Superwhisper delivers on the dream of an AI-native operating system. The best part: it's insanely fast and does just what you expect.
Pieter Levels
Tried @superwhisperapp today. Very nice. Lets me talk to Cursor and then it codes for me, just gets it right.
Corrections
A few comparison sites describe Superwhisper inaccurately. Here's what's actually true:
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