Wispr Flow vs Superwhisper, with a third column
The two names that come up when people look for AI dictation, side by side, plus Holdkey because we make it and we think the Windows-first, offline column deserves a fair look. Facts from the products’ public pages, September 2026; speed from our own head-to-head on one machine.
| Wispr Flow | Superwhisper | Holdkey | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs | Cloud only; internet required | On-device models (cloud optional) | On your PC, fully offline |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac first; Windows and iOS | Windows only |
| Free plan | 2,000 words a week on desktop | Free tier that does not expire | Raw unlimited; Clean 2,000 words a week |
| Price | $15/mo, $12/mo annual | $8/mo | $8/mo, $69/yr, $99 lifetime (first 150) |
| Trigger | Hotkey; app must be running | Push-to-talk or toggle; many modes | Hold one key; the destination sets the style |
| Speed (measured, 19 s clip) | Not measured by us | 485 to 591 ms after stop | 96 to 112 ms after release |
| Where it is strong | Sync across all your devices, 100+ languages, meeting notes on Mac | Deep mode customisation, Mac polish | Terminals and AI tools on Windows, latency, privacy |
Pick by one question
Do you need it on your phone and your Mac too? Wispr Flow. It is the most complete cross-device product, and the price reflects it.
Are you on a Mac and like configuring modes? Superwhisper. Its Windows app is newer and was slower than Holdkey in our test, but the Mac version is mature.
Are you on Windows, talking to Claude Code, Cursor or a terminal, and do you want your voice to stay on your machine? Holdkey. One key, no modes, about 100 ms on long dictations, Raw mode free forever. The measurements.