Aqua Voice vs superwhisper: a cloud speech model or local Whisper

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Pick Aqua Voice if you want its own cloud speech model, which Aqua aims at technical words, and editing by voice on every plan, and pick superwhisper if you want dictation that runs on your Mac, a free plan with no word count, the lower Pro price, or a one-time license. Aqua's free plan is 1,000 words and Pro is $8 a month billed yearly or $10 month to month. superwhisper is free with local Whisper models, and Pro is $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once.

I built YapToText, a free, open-source dictation app that runs on the Mac, so it appears here as a third option, and you should weigh that part knowing I made it. Every fact about the other two comes from their own sites and documentation, read on October 3 to 6, 2026. I have not tested either app hands-on, so nothing here ranks them by accuracy.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

On this page: 8 sections
  1. Side by side
  2. What each one costs
  3. Where your voice goes
  4. Models, editing and extras
    1. Aqua Voice
    2. superwhisper
  5. Which one to pick
  6. Where YapToText fits as a free third option
  7. The short version
  8. Questions

Side by side

Aqua Voice checked October 3 to 6, 2026, on aquavoice.com. superwhisper checked October 6, 2026, on its documentation. Prices are in US dollars and change, so check before you pay.

Aqua VoicesuperwhisperYapToText
Free plan1,000 words with the Avalon model, about 7 minutes of talking by Aqua's countUnlimited dictation with local Whisper models; two modes without AIEverything, no word count
PaidPro $8 a month billed yearly or $10 monthly; Max $24 or $30Pro $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 onceNo paid tier
Where speech becomes textAqua's cloud, where Avalon runsOn the Mac with local models; cloud models on ProOn the Mac
Works with Wi-Fi offNo, per its Mac pageYes, with a local modelYes, the App Store build
Speech modelAvalon, Aqua's ownWhisper free; Parakeet, Cohere Transcribe and S1-Voice on ProWhisper Large v3 Turbo (Q5)
Edits selected text by voiceEdit Mode, on every planSuper Mode, on ProQuick Edit, free
Transcribes filesNot stated for the appYes, on ProYes, free, as plain text
DevicesMac, Windows, iPhone, AndroidMac, Windows, iPhone, AndroidMac only
Mac requirementBuilds for Apple silicon and IntelmacOS 14 or later for current releasesApple silicon, macOS 14 or later
Languages49, with Auto-DetectMore than 100 with its multilingual models29 plus auto-detect
Student price70 percent off Pro and Max40 percent offFree for everyone

The row that decides most choices is where speech becomes text: Aqua needs its cloud for every word, and superwhisper can stay on your Mac.

What each one costs

Their free plans are built for different things. Aqua's free plan is a short test drive, and superwhisper's is a working app without the AI.

  • Aqua Voice. 1,000 free words, no credit card. Pro is $8 a month billed yearly, $96 a year, or $10 month to month, with unlimited words. Max, at $24 or $30, adds Realtime Mode and the Send It command. Students get 70 percent off Pro and Max with a school email.
  • superwhisper. Free with local Whisper models and no word count, custom vocabulary, text replacements and up to two modes without AI. Pro, for AI modes, file transcription and cloud models, is $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once, and new users get 3,000 words of Pro features to try. Verified students and non-profits get 40 percent off.
  • Over a year. Aqua Pro billed yearly is $96 and superwhisper Pro $84.99. superwhisper's $249.99 Lifetime is paid once.

The Aqua Voice pricing page and the superwhisper pricing page have every plan.

Where your voice goes

This is the real difference between them. Aqua is a cloud service by design. superwhisper lets you choose, mode by mode.

  • Aqua Voice. Its Mac page says audio is processed in the cloud, where Avalon runs, and that there is no offline mode. Aqua says Privacy Mode is off by default, and that with it off, transcripts may be stored on its servers to improve the product.
  • superwhisper. With a local voice model, transcription happens on your device, and its docs say nothing you dictate on the free plan leaves it. Cloud voice models are Pro, and most of its language models, the ones that format your text, run in the cloud too. S1-mini is the local one, English only.

The offline dictation guide shows how to test any app with the Wi-Fi off.

Models, editing and extras

Each has things the other lacks. Aqua bets on one model of its own. superwhisper gives you a shelf of models and modes.

Aqua Voice

  • Avalon. Aqua's own speech model. Aqua publishes its own benchmark built from AI and technical vocabulary and says Avalon beats Whisper Large v3 on it by a wide margin. That is Aqua's test, and I have not repeated it.
  • Edit Mode. Select text, hold the Aqua key and say the change, on every plan.
  • Deep Context. Uses what is on screen to get names and code right, off until you turn it on.
  • On Max. Realtime Mode, which shows words live as you speak, and Send It, which submits a message when you end with those words.

superwhisper

  • Models you choose. Whisper on the free plan. Parakeet, Cohere Transcribe and the cloud model S1-Voice on Pro. By its own ratings S1-Voice is its most accurate.
  • Modes. Each mode pairs a voice model with optional AI instructions. Super Mode reads the active app, your selection and your clipboard, on Pro.
  • Files and speakers. File transcription and speaker separation, on Pro.
  • One license everywhere. A Pro license covers unlimited Macs and Windows PCs, plus your iPhone and Android phone.

Which one to pick

Here is the split I would make. Technical vocabulary and voice editing on every plan point to Aqua. Privacy, offline use, price and a one-time license point to superwhisper.

  • You dictate code and product names all day. Try Aqua's free words on your own vocabulary first, since its benchmark is its own.
  • You want your voice to stay on the Mac. superwhisper with a local model, or YapToText.
  • You want to pay once. superwhisper's Lifetime license.
  • You want to edit by voice without paying. Aqua's Edit Mode is on every plan, within its 1,000 free words. YapToText's Quick Edit is free with no count.
  • You have an Intel Mac. Aqua has an Intel build. superwhisper's FAQ points Intel Macs to its cloud models.

Where YapToText fits as a free third option

YapToText does the shared job, one key and your words at the cursor, with both models on your Mac and no plan to choose. It is free with nothing locked, and it only runs on an Apple silicon Mac.

  • Free, all of it. Dictation, AI cleanup, Quick Edit on a selection and file transcription, with no account and no word count.
  • On the Mac. Whisper Large v3 Turbo (Q5) hears you and Phi-3.5 Mini Instruct tidies the words, both inside the App Store app.
  • What it lacks. Windows and phone apps, Aqua's own model, superwhisper's choice of models, speaker labels, Intel Macs, and more than 29 languages.
The AI Models page in YapToText: Whisper Large v3 Turbo (Q5) and Phi-3.5 Mini Instruct marked Included, model library below.
Figure 1. YapToText's AI Models page: the speech model and the cleanup model both ship inside the App Store app and run on the Mac.

The short version

  • Aqua Voice. It is cloud only, with its own Avalon model and 1,000 free words, then $8 a month yearly or $10 monthly. Edit Mode is on every plan.
  • superwhisper. Local Whisper free with no word count. AI modes, files and cloud models on Pro at $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once.
  • YapToText. It is free and on the Mac, with cleanup and Quick Edit included. It runs on Apple silicon Macs only.

Aqua sells a model in the cloud, superwhisper sells the AI around local dictation, and YapToText charges for neither. If something here no longer matches either site, tell me on GitHub. Every issue gets read.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

About the author. Ryleigh Newman is a developer whose hands make typing difficult and who dictates every day with YapToText, the app this site describes. Facts about other apps come from their own sites, with the date they were read. More about the project.

Sources

Questions

Aqua Voice vs superwhisper: which is better?

It depends on where you want your voice to go. Aqua runs its own Avalon model in the cloud, with 1,000 free words and Pro from $8 a month billed yearly. superwhisper runs Whisper on your Mac for free with no word count, and charges $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once for AI modes, files and cloud models.

Is Aqua Voice cheaper than superwhisper?

No, superwhisper Pro costs a little less: $8.49 month to month against Aqua Pro's $10, and $84.99 a year against Aqua's $96. superwhisper also has a free plan with no word count and a $249.99 one-time license. For students the order flips: Aqua takes 70 percent off Pro and superwhisper 40 percent.

Do Aqua Voice and superwhisper work offline?

Aqua's Mac page says there is no offline mode. superwhisper works offline with its local models, which are free. YapToText's App Store build also works with Wi-Fi off.

Which has the better free plan, Aqua Voice or superwhisper?

For everyday use, superwhisper: unlimited dictation with local Whisper models, without AI processing. Aqua's free plan is 1,000 words with its Avalon model, which Aqua calls a test drive, though it includes Edit Mode.

Is there a free alternative to Aqua Voice and superwhisper?

Yes. YapToText is free for Apple silicon Macs, with dictation, AI cleanup, Quick Edit and file transcription on the Mac, and no account or word count.