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

A Wispr Flow alternative that never uploads your voice

Both turn speech into text wherever your cursor is. The difference is where the transcription runs and how you pay for it. Here is the comparison, with sources.

Wispr Flow does the recognition on its servers and charges a subscription. Talkloom does it on your Mac and charges once. Everything below follows from those two facts.

TalkloomWispr Flow
Where transcription runsOn your MacWispr Flow’s servers
Works with no connectionYesNo
Price$39 once$15/month, or $12/month billed annually
If you stop payingNothing to stop. The version you bought keeps working.You drop to the free tier’s weekly word cap.
Free tierFirst 10 dictationsYes, with a weekly word cap
Account requiredNoYes
PlatformsmacOS 13+, Apple siliconMac, Windows, iOS, Android
Team and admin featuresNoYes, on the paid tiers
Meeting notetakerNoYes

Why people look for an alternative to Wispr Flow

  • The audio goes to a server. Their own security FAQ says so: “Wispr Flow processes dictated audio in the cloud to turn speech into text.” If you dictate client code, unreleased work or other people’s names, that is the whole objection and no feature list answers it.
  • It is $15 a month, or $12 a month billed annually, for as long as you want to keep dictating. Dictation is not a service you consume; it is a key on your keyboard.
  • The free tier is capped by words per week. A habit that runs out on Thursday is not a habit.
  • No connection, no transcription. Planes, hotel wifi and a weak tether all break it, because the recognition is not happening on your machine.
  • You have to make an account before you can type.

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 Wispr Flow is the better buy

  • You work on Windows, or you dictate from an iPhone or Android as well as a Mac. Talkloom is Apple silicon only.
  • You want a meeting notetaker. Talkloom does not have one and is not going to.
  • You are buying for a team and need SSO, admin controls or centralised billing.
  • You would rather have a free tier that keeps working than pay anything up front.

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 Wispr Flow 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 Wispr Flow 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 Wispr Flow really send my audio to a server?

Yes, and they say so plainly. Their security FAQ states: “Wispr Flow processes dictated audio in the cloud to turn speech into text.” That is a reasonable engineering choice — it is how they get speed on a low-powered phone — but it does mean the audio leaves your machine. Talkloom runs the model locally instead, so there is nothing to send.

Is Talkloom cheaper than Wispr Flow?

Over time, yes. Talkloom is $39 once. Wispr Flow Pro is $15 a month, or $12 a month billed annually — so a few months of their annual plan comes to what Talkloom costs in total, and after that Talkloom costs nothing more. If you would only use dictation occasionally, their free tier may genuinely be the better deal.

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 — a built-in or USB mic beats a Bluetooth headset by a wide margin either way.

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 from Wispr Flow: a plane, a dead hotel wifi or a train tunnel changes nothing.

Which languages can it transcribe?

More than 99, detected automatically. If you always dictate in the same language you can pin it in Settings, which is worth a little accuracy. 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. Wispr Flow runs on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, so if Windows or a phone is part of your day, theirs covers ground ours does not.

What do I give up by switching?

Their meeting notetaker, their team and admin features, and dictation on Windows, iPhone and Android. You keep dictation into every Mac app, and you stop paying monthly. Install both and use them side by side for a week before you cancel anything.

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

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