OpenWhispr Alternative for Mac and iPhone: How They Compare

Short answer: OpenWhispr costs nothing for unlimited local dictation, runs on Mac, Windows, Linux and iPhone, and is open source. Voice Keyboard Pro is a paid subscription for Mac and iPhone only. Pick OpenWhispr for price, Windows or Linux, or open code. Consider ours for writing that matches each Mac app without setup, a vocabulary that learns from your screen, and one plan across Mac and iPhone.

OpenWhispr is open-source dictation and meeting-notes software for Mac, Windows, Linux and iPhone, and it's free to use locally. People look for an OpenWhispr alternative when they'd rather not count cloud words on its free plan, want the tone to follow each app without setting it up, or want one plan for a Mac app and an iPhone keyboard.

We make Voice Keyboard Pro, and it's a paid subscription. OpenWhispr's free plan costs nothing, we have no free plan, and it runs on more platforms than we do. Every fact about OpenWhispr here comes from its own website, documentation, changelog and App Store page, checked in October 2026.

What OpenWhispr does well

• The core is free. Per its pricing page, the Free plan includes unlimited local dictation with on-device models, 2,000 words a week of its cloud transcription, 5 hours of meeting recordings a month, and unlimited cloud use if you bring your own API keys. It says no card is needed.
• It's open source. The code is on GitHub under the MIT licence, so you can inspect it. Its site says "Check our code and privacy claims on GitHub".
• It runs almost everywhere. Its docs list macOS 12 or later (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 10 or later, 64-bit Linux, and an iPhone and iPad app on iOS 17 or later.
• Local means local. Its site says "Local dictation runs on your computer, with nothing sent to us or anyone else", and that it works offline.
• It does more than dictation. Spoken instructions such as "hey OpenWhispr, clean up this email" (its pricing page lists agent mode under Pro), a custom dictionary that learns from your corrections, bot-free meeting notes with speaker labels, and, on its Business plan, chat over your data.
• 100+ languages with auto-detection, per its site.
• It's actively developed. Its changelog shows v1.10.4 on October 22, 2026, and its iPhone app is on version 1.2.4 at the time we looked.

That's a lot for $0. If you're on Windows or Linux, or you want to read the code before you trust a microphone app, it's the better pick.

Why people look for an OpenWhispr alternative

1. They don't want to count cloud words

Local dictation is unlimited on the Free plan, and OpenWhispr's iOS docs describe its cloud transcription as "faster and more accurate" than the on-device mode. The Free plan includes 2,000 cloud words a week. Unlimited cloud use needs Pro, which its pricing page lists at $8 a month billed monthly, or $80 a year billed annually (shown as $6.67 a month), unless you bring your own API keys and pay your provider. On the App Store the in-app purchases are Monthly $9.99 and Annual $99.99, so check which one you'd pay.

2. The iPhone app's cost is described two ways

The pricing page lists the "iPhone & iPad app" among Pro features. Its iOS documentation says the app is free to download and that on-device transcription is unlimited and needs no account, with cloud transcription metered on the Free plan and notes sync needing Pro. Both can be true, but read them together: the pricing page and the iOS docs describe the iPhone app's plan differently.

3. They want the tone matched automatically

Per its changelog, OpenWhispr added Tone & Style in v1.10.4: you pick a tone for personal messages, work chats, email and everything else, and cleanup writes in it for the app you're in. It's off by default. That gives you control. If you'd rather the tone follow the app without setting it up, that's a reason to compare.

What to look for in an alternative

• Your platforms. Windows or Linux rule out anything Apple-only.
• How you start dictating: a key you hold, or a hotkey you press.
• Whether the text matches the app you're writing in.
• Whether the iPhone is a first-class keyboard or a companion.
• Where audio goes, and whether an offline mode exists on the devices you own.
• What the real price is for a year, in the place you'd buy it.

Voice Keyboard Pro

Voice Keyboard Pro listens only while you hold a key. On a Mac it sits in the menu bar: you pick the key (Left Control by default, or Left Shift, Left Command, Right Option or Fn/Globe), speak, and let go, and the text is typed at your cursor in whatever app has focus. A pause doesn't end the dictation, and there's no hands-free or toggle mode on Mac.

Smart Rewrite works out punctuation, tidies the text and matches the tone of the app you're in, and it can be switched off. Personal vocabulary holds names, jargon and product terms, and it learns terms it sees on your screen. In Terminal and code editors it keeps commands literal. There are voice snippets, AI commands on selected text, and a searchable history that stays on your Mac.

On iPhone it's a full keyboard with the microphone built in: tap Speak, talk, tap Stop. As OpenWhispr's iOS docs explain for its own keyboard, iOS doesn't let keyboards use the microphone directly, so tapping Speak may briefly open our app to start listening before you're back where you were. It cleans up as it goes, removes filler words and handles spoken formatting such as "new line" and numbered lists. See our comparison of voice keyboards for iPhone. Setup needs Allow Full Access, covered in our Full Access guide.

Meeting notes work on Mac and iPhone: a live transcript with speakers labeled A and B (not names), then a summary, decisions and action items. We record live and don't import existing audio or video files. OpenWhispr's site lists audio file upload, which is a point in its favor. Our meeting transcription on Mac guide shows how ours works.

It supports 19 languages with automatic detection. Offline Mode on Apple silicon Macs runs transcription entirely on the Mac. Intel Macs and the iPhone app use the cloud, where audio goes to our transcription provider over an encrypted connection, is turned into text and thrown away. Recordings aren't kept. We don't claim HIPAA compliance. OpenWhispr's site lists HIPAA, ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II and GDPR badges, so ask them directly if that matters to you. For the Mac offline question, see offline voice to text on Mac.

It requires macOS 14 or later, and iOS 17 or later on the phone. It's a subscription, one plan for both: on our website $4.99 a month (the monthly plan starts with a 3-day free trial), $34.99 a year or $1.99 a week. Every plan has the same features, you can cancel any time and there's a 14-day refund. There is no free plan and no lifetime price.

Head to head

OpenWhispr prices are as listed on its site in October 2026, and its App Store prices differ. Our prices are for our website.

When OpenWhispr is the better pick

• You use Windows or Linux, or a mix of platforms. We don't support them.
• You want to pay nothing. Local dictation is free and unlimited on its Free plan, and we have no free plan.
• You want open code you can audit or change.
• You need more than 19 languages, or you want to upload existing audio files.
• You want spoken commands and an AI agent built into the dictation tool (agent mode is on its Pro plan).

Choose Voice Keyboard Pro if you're on Mac and iPhone only and want one plan across both; like holding a key you pick and releasing to type; want Smart Rewrite to match each app's tone; or want a vocabulary that learns terms from your screen. Our roundup of the best dictation apps for Mac covers other options, and our Handy alternative post looks at another open-source one.

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenWhispr really free?

Local dictation is free and unlimited per its pricing page, with 2,000 cloud words a week and 5 meeting hours a month on the Free plan. Pro is paid. Its iOS docs say the iPhone app is free to download with unlimited on-device transcription, though the pricing page lists the iPhone app under Pro.

Does OpenWhispr work on Mac?

Yes. Its docs say macOS 12 or later, Apple silicon and Intel, and the default dictation hotkey is the Globe (fn) key. It sits in the menu bar.

How much is OpenWhispr Pro?

Its pricing page lists $8 a month billed monthly, or $80 a year billed annually (shown as $6.67 a month). The App Store lists Monthly $9.99 and Annual $99.99. Check the place you'll buy.

Is OpenWhispr private?

Its site says local dictation sends nothing to it, and that cloud recordings are deleted when transcription finishes. You can read the code on GitHub to check.

Is Voice Keyboard Pro open source?

No. It's a closed, paid app for Mac and iPhone. If open code matters to you, OpenWhispr is the right choice.

The bottom line

OpenWhispr's free plan costs nothing, it works on more systems, and you can read its code, so for many people it's the first thing to try. Voice Keyboard Pro makes sense if you're on Mac and iPhone only and want writing that follows each app without setup, a vocabulary that learns from your screen, and one plan for both devices. If you'd end up on OpenWhispr Pro anyway, put its price next to ours before you decide.