Early bird$39 now · $59 after launchGet it at $39
Talkloom.
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Compared

An Aqua Voice alternative that keeps the audio on your Mac

Both type what you say into whatever app you are in. One does the recognition on a server and bills you every month; the other does it on your Mac and bills you once.

Aqua Voice is a cloud dictation service with custom instructions, a shared dictionary and team plans. Talkloom is a local one. If the features above the recognition are what you are paying for, theirs is the better product — and if they are not, you are renting a server you do not need.

TalkloomAqua Voice
Where transcription runsOn your MacAqua Voice’s servers
Works with no connectionYesNo
Price$39 once$8/month billed annually, or $10/month
If you stop payingNothing to stop. The version you bought keeps working.You drop to the free tier, which is a fixed total word allowance.
Free tierFirst 10 dictationsYes, capped by total words
Account requiredNoYes
PlatformsmacOS 13+, Apple siliconmacOS, Windows, iOS, Android
Team and admin featuresNoYes, on the team tiers
Meeting notetakerNoNo

Why people look for an alternative to Aqua Voice

  • The audio is transcribed on their servers, and their privacy policy is specific about what that can mean: “For users with Privacy Mode disabled, we may securely store transcript data on our servers to the extent necessary to improve the product.” There is a Privacy Mode that turns the storage off. There is no mode that stops the audio being sent.
  • It is $8 a month billed annually, or $10 month to month, for as long as you keep dictating.
  • The free tier is capped by total words, not renewed weekly — so it is a trial, not a free tier.
  • No connection, no dictation. The recognition is not happening on your machine, so a plane or a bad hotel network stops it.
  • You need an account before you can dictate a word, because the dictation happens on their side of it.

The rest of the field

Every Mac dictation app we have actually checked, with the figure each one advertises. The last column is the cheapest way in, not the top tier.

AppBest forPlatformsWhere it runsFrom
TalkloomDictating into any app, offline, without a subscriptionmacOS 13+, Apple siliconOn your device$39 once
Wispr FlowDictating across Mac, Windows and phones, with a meeting notetakerMac, Windows, iOS, AndroidTheir servers$12/month
SuperwhisperPower users who want modes, prompts and their own API keysMac, Windows, iOS and AndroidYour device, or theirs$8.49/month
MacWhisperTranscribing files, meetings and podcasts, not only dictatingmacOSYour device, or theirs€64 once
Aqua VoiceCloud dictation with custom instructions and a team planmacOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidTheir servers$8/month
VoiceInkPeople who want the source code and one small paymentmacOS, iOSOn your device$25 once
SpokenlyWindows and Linux users who want a free local optionMac, Windows, Linux, iPhoneYour device, or theirsFree
Apple DictationShort, casual dictation when you would rather install nothingBuilt into macOS, iOS and iPadOSOn your deviceFree

Talkloom is our app, which is why it is the first row. Here is who should buy one of the others instead.

When Aqua Voice is the better buy

  • You dictate on Windows, an iPhone or an Android as well as a Mac. Talkloom is Apple silicon only.
  • You want custom instructions that rewrite as you speak — reshaping phrasing, not just spelling names right. Talkloom has a vocabulary list, but it will not rewrite what you said.
  • You are buying for a team and want centralised billing, shared settings or SSO.
  • You dictate rarely enough that a capped free tier never runs out.

When Talkloom is the better buy

  • What you dictate should not leave your computer — client code, unreleased work, other people’s names.
  • You want it to work on a plane, on hotel wifi, or anywhere the connection is bad. There is no round trip to wait on.
  • You are tired of subscriptions. One payment, and the version you bought keeps working.
  • You do not want another account.

Switching from Aqua Voice takes about two minutes

  1. 1Download Talkloom and drag it to Applications. There is no account to create and no key to enter — the first ten dictations are free.
  2. 2Grant the microphone and accessibility permissions it asks for. Accessibility is the one that lets it type into the window you are already in.
  3. 3Pick your language in Settings, or leave it on automatic. Naming the language is worth a little accuracy if you always dictate in the same one.
  4. 4Leave Aqua Voice installed while you try both. Talkloom does not touch its settings, and dictation is a habit worth testing on your own work before you commit to anything.

Questions

Does Aqua Voice store what I dictate?

It depends on a setting, and they document it: “For users with Privacy Mode disabled, we may securely store transcript data on our servers to the extent necessary to improve the product.” Privacy Mode turns that storage off. Either way the audio is transcribed on their servers, because that is where the model runs. Talkloom runs the model on your Mac, so there is nothing to send and no mode to check.

Is Talkloom cheaper than Aqua Voice?

Over time, yes. Talkloom is $39 once. Aqua Voice Pro is $8 a month billed annually, or $10 month to month. If you dictate rarely, their free tier may be the better deal — it is capped by total words, so it depends entirely on how much you talk.

Is on-device transcription less accurate?

Talkloom runs a speech model of the same class the paid cloud services are built on, on your Mac’s GPU. In practice your microphone matters far more than where the model runs. What Talkloom does not have is a custom dictionary, so unusual proper nouns are a fair reason to prefer theirs.

Does Talkloom work with no internet at all?

Yes. After the model downloads once and the licence activates once, nothing needs a connection. That is the practical difference: Aqua Voice stops working when the network does.

Which languages can it transcribe?

More than 99, detected automatically, or pinned to one in Settings if you always dictate in the same language. One language is detected per recording, not per sentence.

Is there a Windows version of Talkloom?

Not today. Talkloom is macOS 13 or newer on Apple silicon — M1 and later. Aqua Voice runs on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.

What do I give up by switching?

Custom instructions, the expanded dictionary, realtime mode, team billing, and dictation on Windows and iPhone. You keep dictation into every Mac app, offline, and you stop paying monthly.

Can I try Talkloom before paying?

The first ten dictations are free, with no key and no account. If it is not for you after buying, email support within 14 days and we refund in full.

Download for Mac

macOS 13+, Apple silicon · $39 one-time · first ten dictations free

Aqua Voice figures checked on September 23, 2026 against Aqua Voice pricing, Aqua Voice privacy policy. Prices change; if something here is out of date, email support@talkloom.app and we will fix it. Aqua Voice is a trademark of its owner and is not affiliated with Feelians.