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MacWhisper: plans, prices, strengths and limits
MacWhisper Free transcribes audio and video files on your Mac at no cost and with no usage cap. MacWhisper Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription, priced in euros on the vendor's pages; a US dollar price is not verified.
Prices for United States, before sales tax Data release 2026.11.07-2, Nov 7, 2026 Rules 2.5.0
- Made by
- Good Snooze (Jordi Bruin)
- Individual plans
- 2, one free
- Paid plans
- Not verified
- Facts checked
- Nov 7, 2026
Hidden gem A smaller tool fewer people know yet. We list it after the main picks for each job its maker documents; we have not tested it. How we choose them
Quick verdict
MacWhisper is a Mac app that transcribes audio and video files, microphone recordings, meetings and dictation on your own computer, with OpenAI's Whisper and other local speech models. MacWhisper Free transcribes files and recordings in 100 languages with no usage cap, exports text and .srt or .vtt subtitles and offers system-wide dictation, though some Whisper models are fully available only in Pro. MacWhisper Pro is a one-time license with lifetime updates, priced in euros on the vendor's pages: €64 on macwhisper.com and €65 on Gumroad. No US dollar price is published, so we do not quote one. Pro adds all speech models (Whisper, Parakeet and Qwen3-ASR), speaker recognition, batch and watched-folder transcription, automatic meeting recording, AI prompts with your own API keys, integrations and a command-line tool.
Privacy is the main draw: with the default local models, MacWhisper says no audio, text or other data leaves your Mac. Commercial use is not verified: no terms text grants or limits it, and the Gumroad license is labeled "Personal Use", which the FAQ ties to use on your personal devices.
Pro records meetings, and recording other people needs their consent, so tell everyone on a call first. This verdict rests on what MacWhisper documents, not on our tests, which we have not run yet.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Everything stays on your MacMacWhisper says "No data (audio, text or other) leaves your device" with its local models; only anonymous license analytics are sent. Cloud AI is optional and uses your own API keys.
- A free plan with no capFree transcribes MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, OPUS, MOV and MP4 files and microphone audio in 100 languages, with no usage limit, and exports .txt plus .srt and .vtt subtitles.
- Pay once, not monthlyPro is a one-time license with lifetime updates and unlimited transcriptions. AI and cloud features bill through your own provider keys, not through MacWhisper.
- Many local speech models on ProPro runs all Whisper sizes, Parakeet v2 and v3 ("up to 300x realtime" on M-series Macs, according to MacWhisper) and Qwen3-ASR, with speaker recognition, batch and watched-folder transcription and YouTube links.
- Exports and automations on ProPro exports .txt, .md, .pdf, .html and .docx, translates subtitles, and sends transcripts automatically to Notion, Zapier, Obsidian, n8n, Make.com or a webhook. A CLI serves scripts and AI agents.
Limits
- Mac only, and euros onlyPlan limit. The app needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Pro is priced in euros (€64 on macwhisper.com, €65 on Gumroad); no US dollar price is published.
- Commercial use not verifiedNot verified. No terms text grants or limits commercial use of transcripts, and the Gumroad Pro option reads "1 MacWhisper Pro License (Personal Use)".
- Meeting recording on Free: pages disagreeConflict. macwhisper.com lists automatic meeting recording only for Pro, while the Gumroad page lists it in the main feature list above the Pro section.
- Summaries need your own AI keyWorkflow limit. MacWhisper includes no chat model. Meeting summaries, AI prompts and grammar fixes in dictation need an AI provider you connect and pay for yourself, on Pro.
- App Store version differsWorkflow limit. System-wide dictation and automatic meeting recording are in the direct download version only. The App Store and iPhone and iPad versions have their own pricing, not covered here.
Based on what Good Snooze (Jordi Bruin) documents for each plan, not on our tests.
Who it suits
A good fit if you
- Transcribing interviews, lectures and recordings on a Mac without uploading them
- Subtitle files (.srt and .vtt) for your own videos, free
- Paying once instead of a subscription, on Pro
- Batch transcription with local models and automatic upload to Notion or Obsidian
Look elsewhere if you
- Windows, Linux or Android: MacWhisper is a Mac app
- Built-in AI summaries without an API key of your own
- Commercial work where you need written permission: none found in the terms
- Making speech, voices or music: MacWhisper turns speech into text
Plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacWhisper Free | Free | Nov 7, 2026 | |
| MacWhisper Pro | Not listed | Not listed | Nov 7, 2026 Source |
Prices for United States, before sales tax unless a plan says otherwise. A yearly plan is paid up front and is not cancel-any-time.
Features by plan
What Good Snooze (Jordi Bruin) documents for each plan. A hatched mark means we could not verify it, which is not the same as "not offered".
| Feature | MacWhisper Free | MacWhisper Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Models and limits | ||
| Top models included | Unclear | Unclear |
| Context window | Unclear | Unclear |
| Models from several companies | No | Yes |
| General-purpose assistant | Unclear | Unclear |
| Research and sources | ||
| Web search with sources | Unclear | Unclear |
| Deep research reports | Unclear | Unclear |
| Research paper search | Unclear | Unclear |
| Files and data | ||
| Spreadsheet and data analysis | Unclear | Unclear |
| Images, video and voice | ||
| Real-time voice | Unclear | Unclear |
| Image editing and design | ||
| Diagrams from text | Unclear | Unclear |
| Video editing and presenters | ||
| Automatic captions | Yes | Yes |
| Music, voice and transcription | ||
| Voiceover from text | Unclear | Unclear |
| Voice cloning | Unclear | Unclear |
| Dubbing into other languages | Unclear | Unclear |
| Transcription | Yes | Yes |
| Meeting notes | Unclear | Yes |
| Dictation into any app | Yes | Yes |
| Writing and slides | ||
| Slides from a prompt | Unclear | Unclear |
| Grammar and spelling checks | No | Yes |
| Paraphrasing and tone changes | Unclear | Unclear |
| Projects and memory | ||
| Projects | Unclear | Unclear |
| Custom assistants | Unclear | Unclear |
| Memory across chats | Unclear | Unclear |
| Integrations and agents | ||
| Connectors to other apps | No | Yes |
| Inside Gmail | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Google Docs | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Google Sheets | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Word | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Excel | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside PowerPoint | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Outlook | Unclear | Unclear |
| Browser agent | Unclear | Unclear |
| Privacy and control | ||
| Opt out of model training | Yes | Yes |
| Export your data | Yes | Yes |
| Shows ads | Unclear | Unclear |
| Rights and licensing | ||
| Commercial use of outputs | Unclear | Unclear |
| Apps and extras | ||
| Apps | Yes | Yes |
| Usage included | Yes | Yes |
The details and sources of every row are in Compare two AIs and the data release.
What it documents for each use
- Writing & Content Fix grammar and tone in my writing
- Video & Animation Add captions to a video
- Business & Productivity Connect AI to the apps I already use · Get notes from my meetings
- Audio & Voice Transcribe recordings and files · Dictate text into any app
A use is listed when at least one plan documents every feature a task needs. Answer quality is a separate question: see below.
Using it day to day
MacWhisper runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later; MacWhisper recommends an M-series Mac, and Intel Macs work. Buy and download it from the vendor for the full feature set: the App Store build lacks system-wide dictation and automatic meeting recording. Separate App Store and iPhone and iPad versions exist with their own pricing.
Free transcribes files and microphone recordings with local Whisper models, generates .srt and .vtt subtitles and dictates into any Mac app. Pro adds every speech model, speaker recognition, batch and watched-folder transcription, YouTube links, translation, real-time captions with live translation and automatic recording of Zoom, Teams, Webex, Skype, Chime and Discord meetings. For AI prompts, you bring your own keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, xAI, Azure, DeepSeek, Google or OpenRouter, or run local models through Ollama and LM Studio. Optional cloud transcription also uses your own keys.
Privacy, data and ads
With the default local models, MacWhisper processes everything on your Mac, and it says no audio, text or other data leaves the device; only anonymous license analytics are sent. If you connect a cloud AI provider with your own key, that provider's terms apply to what you send it. Transcripts and exports stay as files on your Mac. Whether the app shows ads is not verified. Pro records meetings: tell everyone on the call and get their consent before you record.
Read the vendor's own page: MacWhisper privacy and data controls. We make no legal or compliance claim.
Test results
We have not tested MacWhisper yet, so this page makes no claim about answer quality, and we show no example outputs. Run the same kit in it and in the alternatives, in your own account:
- Summarize a report with traceable facts
- Analyze a spreadsheet and get the numbers right
- Edit an email without losing a detail
- Diagnose and repair a small program
- Research a question with sources that support the answer
- Make sense of documents that disagree
- Research a current question within a date window
- Edit an article without changing its facts
- Turn project notes into a report that agrees with itself
- Implement a small specification
- Refactor code without changing what it does
- Make a picture that follows a detailed brief
- Put exact text into a graphic
- Change one thing in a picture and nothing else
- Make a short clip that follows a brief
- Make a song that sings your lyrics exactly
- Read a script with names, numbers and abbreviations
- Design a logo with an exact name
Getting started
- Download MacWhisper Free from the vendor, not the App Store, if you want dictation and, on Pro, meeting recording.
- Transcribe a file you know well and check the text and subtitles.
- If you need speaker recognition, batch jobs, more models or integrations, buy Pro once; check the euro price and the charge in your currency at checkout.
- If you record meetings with Pro, tell everyone on the call and get their consent first. That is our advice for any meeting recorder.
- Compare transcription tools on our tools page, and read how we check vendor claims.
Your fit
Tell Find my AI what you do and what matters; it checks every plan of MacWhisper against your priorities, next to the alternatives.
Alternatives
- Superwhisper Superwhisper runs on macOS, Windows, iPhone and Android, and Pro, at $8.49 a month, transcribes existing audio and video files, with terms saying your data is not used to train AI models. About Superwhisper
- Spokenly Spokenly Free transcribes audio and video files with speaker labels using local models on Mac, Windows and Linux, and Local+ is a one-time purchase of $29. About Spokenly
- Otter If you want a notetaker that joins Zoom, Teams and Google Meet, Otter Basic is free with 300 minutes a month, though it uploads to Otter and its terms bar commercial use on Basic and Pro. About Otter
Recent changes
- MacWhisper Pro added
- MacWhisper Free added
Every change is in the change log.
Questions
Is MacWhisper free?
Yes. MacWhisper Free transcribes audio and video files and microphone recordings on your Mac with no usage cap, and exports text and .srt or .vtt subtitles.
How much does MacWhisper Pro cost?
It is a one-time purchase with lifetime updates, priced in euros on the vendor's pages: €64 on macwhisper.com and €65 on Gumroad. No US dollar price is published, so the charge in dollars is not verified.
Is MacWhisper a subscription?
No. The direct download Pro license is a one-time payment that includes all current and future updates. AI and cloud features you add are billed by your own provider.
Does MacWhisper send my audio to the cloud?
Not with its default local models: MacWhisper says no audio, text or other data leaves your Mac. Cloud features are optional and use your own API keys.
Can MacWhisper record meetings?
Pro automatically records Zoom, Teams, Webex, Skype, Chime and Discord meetings. Whether Free does is not verified, because MacWhisper's two pages disagree. Get everyone's consent before you record.
Does MacWhisper work on Windows?
No. MacWhisper is a Mac app for macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Separate iPhone and iPad versions exist with their own pricing.
Sources
3 official pages, checked Nov 7, 2026. This page was written by the What the tech desk with AI assistance from the facts in our data release; no company paid for or reviewed it.
- MacWhisper (Gumroad product page)Good Snooze (Jordi Bruin)
- MacWhisperGood Snooze (Jordi Bruin)
- Privacy policyGood Snooze (Jordi Bruin)
About this page
- Published by
- What the tech, Helsinki, Finland
- Author
- What the tech
- Reviewed by
- Peyman Khosravani
- Review scope
- Checked that this page matches the facts in data release 2026.11.07-2: a check against documented sources, not a hands-on test of the product.
- Evidence
- Facts documented by each company, each linked to its official source and dated. Test results appear only where an editor ran the test.
- Data release
- 2026.11.07-2, Nov 7, 2026
Product ownership is separate from publication: What the tech publishes this page; Good Snooze (Jordi Bruin) supplies MacWhisper. Official MacWhisper website. Product names and logos do not imply endorsement of this publication.