If you are weighing up MacWhisper Pro, first be clear which of two jobs you need done: turning recordings into text, or speaking and seeing the words appear in your email or document. Most of what MacWhisper’s site describes is the first. Talkativ does only the second.
The MacWhisper facts below come from its own website, read on 5 November 2026. Check macwhisper.com for today’s version and price.
What MacWhisper is, and what Pro adds
MacWhisper is a Mac-only app. Its site describes transcribing files, meetings and YouTube videos, and it also lists system-wide dictation, better on the paid version. It says it uses local models, so your audio does not leave your Mac, and it lists over 100 languages.
There is a free version. Pro is shown on the site as a one-time €64, a euro price that may change with your region. The site did not make the exact difference between the free and Pro versions clear in what we read, so look at its pricing before you decide.
MacWhisper download and app: what you get
If you searched for the MacWhisper download or MacWhisper app, you will find it at the maker’s site. It is a Mac app only. We saw no Windows version. Because the free version exists, you can try it before paying anything.
Different jobs
| Talkativ | MacWhisper (5 November 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Live dictation into any app | Transcribing audio and video files |
| Input | Your voice, as you speak | Recordings, meetings, YouTube, and dictation |
| Output | Text typed at your cursor | A transcript |
| Runs on | Windows 10 and 11. Mac (Apple silicon) | macOS only |
| Offline | No, needs internet | Local models; the maker says data stays on your Mac |
| Price | Free plan. Pro $7 a month or $56 a year. Max $11 a month or $88 a year | Free version. Pro €64 one-time |
| Languages | 100, highly accurate in 56 | Over 100 |
Who needs which
Many people need only one.
- You have recordings to turn into text: interviews, lectures, meetings, videos. That is MacWhisper’s main job and Talkativ does not do it.
- You want to write by speaking: emails, messages, documents, notes. That is what Talkativ is for. You press Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac, talk, and press again.
- You want both: some people keep a file transcriber for recordings and a live dictation app for daily writing. They do not get in each other’s way.
Choose MacWhisper if
- you work with audio or video files, or record meetings
- you want your audio to stay on your Mac (its site says it uses local models)
- you like a one-time price for the paid version
Choose Talkativ if
- the main job is live dictation into Gmail, Word, Slack, a browser or a code editor
- you want a free plan of 2,200 words a week with no card, or a 7-day Max trial with no card
- you want Vocabulary for names, a searchable history, and 100 languages (highly accurate in 56)
- on Max, you want Genius Mode, which rewrites highlighted text when you press Ctrl + D on Windows, ⌥ Option + D on a Mac and say what you want
Talkativ on Mac
Talkativ is for Mac and Windows. The Mac app is for Apple silicon Macs and you can download it from the site. On Windows 10 and 11 it is live now. See Talkativ for Mac for the latest.
What Talkativ does not do
- It does not transcribe audio or video files.
- It does not work offline.
- It is press once to start and again to stop, not hold to talk. The shortcut is fixed.
- It has no phone app.
Other Mac options
For other MacWhisper alternatives, including VoiceInk, Superwhisper, Wispr Flow and Apple Dictation, read Mac dictation apps compared, and for two of them head to head, Superwhisper vs Wispr Flow vs Talkativ. If you would rather not pay at all, Apple’s Dictation is built into macOS (Apple’s guide states no price), and Talkativ has a free plan. See plans and prices, or go back to the home page.
For the current MacWhisper price, see macwhisper.com.