Willow Voice vs Aqua Voice vs Typeless: free plans, prices and privacy
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
Willow Voice, Aqua Voice and Typeless are all cloud dictation apps, and they differ most in their free plans and their privacy defaults. Willow's free plan is unlimited on its smaller model, Aqua's gives 1,000 words, and Typeless gives a weekly allowance. Willow keeps nothing from your sessions by default, while Aqua may store transcripts until you turn on Privacy Mode.
I make YapToText, a dictation app that keeps everything on the Mac, so I compete with all three. Every fact here is from their own pages, read on October 9, 2026, and I have not used any of them day to day.
This 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.
Side by side
From each maker's pricing, privacy and help pages, read October 9, 2026. Prices per user, in US dollars.
| Willow Voice | Aqua Voice | Typeless | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Unlimited on Frontier Mini, its smaller model, 20 Scribe uses a week | 1,000 free words | Limited words each week |
| Pro, monthly | $15 | $10 | $30 |
| Pro, billed yearly | $12 a month | $8 a month | $12 a month |
| Student discount | 30 percent, by email with proof | 70 percent with a school email | 50 percent with a school email, desktop checkout |
| Privacy default | Privacy Mode on: nothing kept from sessions | Privacy Mode off: transcripts may be stored | Audio and screen context discarded after each result |
| Reads your screen | Not described | Deep Context, off until you turn it on | Yes, limited context from the app you are in |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android |
Willow Voice vs Aqua Voice
- Free use. Willow's free plan never runs out on its smaller model. Aqua's stops at 1,000 words.
- Paid. Aqua Pro is cheaper, $8 against $12 a month billed yearly.
- Privacy. Willow starts private and Aqua starts with transcripts stored for product improvement, so Aqua needs a setting changed first.
- Android. Aqua has an Android app. Willow's pricing page listed Android as coming soon on October 9, 2026.
Typeless vs Aqua Voice
- Price. Aqua is cheaper month to month, $10 against $30. Billed yearly they are $8 and $12.
- Students. Aqua's 70 percent beats Typeless's 50.
- Retention. Typeless says it discards audio and context after each result, while Aqua's default may keep transcripts.
- Linux. Typeless lists a Linux app. Aqua does not.
Typeless vs Willow Voice
- Free plan. Willow's is unlimited on a smaller model, and Typeless's is capped weekly.
- Paid. Both are $12 a month billed yearly, and Willow is half Typeless's monthly price.
- Context. Typeless reads limited text from your screen to fit its output. Willow's security page does not describe screen reading.
All three send your voice to a server, so the real choice among them is which privacy default and which price you can live with.
The option that does not use the cloud
YapToText is free on Apple silicon Macs, with both its speech model and its cleanup model running on the Mac. There is no privacy setting to check, because nothing is sent.
- What you give up. Windows, phones, Linux, and the 100 plus languages the cloud apps offer. YapToText has 29 plus auto-detect.
- What you keep. Dictation into any app, cleanup and voice editing, at no cost.
This 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.
Each app has its own page here: Willow Voice, Aqua Voice and Typeless, plus a privacy page for each.
The short version
- Cheapest Pro. Aqua Voice, $8 a month billed yearly.
- Best free plan. Willow Voice, unlimited on its smaller model.
- Most private default. Willow Voice, with Privacy Mode on from the start.
- Most platforms. Typeless, including Linux.
- No cloud at all. YapToText, on an Apple silicon Mac.
If any of these changes a price or a default, open an issue on GitHub. Every one gets read.
This 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.
Related
Sources
- https://willowvoice.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://willowvoice.com/security (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://aquavoice.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://withaqua.com/privacy (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://www.typeless.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://www.typeless.com/data-controls (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://www.typeless.com/students (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://help.willowvoice.com/en/articles/10877048-discount-promo-codes-students-educators-non-profits-military (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-09)
Questions
Which is better, Willow Voice or Aqua Voice?
Willow has the unlimited free plan and the more private default. Aqua has the cheaper Pro plan, an Android app and a bigger student discount.
Which is cheaper, Typeless or Aqua Voice?
Aqua Voice. Pro is $8 a month billed yearly or $10 monthly, against Typeless at $12 billed yearly or $30 monthly, on October 9, 2026.
Which dictation app is most private by default?
Of these three, Willow Voice, whose Privacy Mode is on by default. Aqua's Privacy Mode is off by default. YapToText sends nothing at all.
Do Willow, Aqua and Typeless work offline?
Their dictation runs in the cloud. Willow lists an offline mode. YapToText works offline on an Apple silicon Mac.
Is there a free alternative to all three?
YapToText is free on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later, with dictation and cleanup on the Mac.