Pepys Dictate and Wispr Flow
A Wispr Flow alternative that runs on your Mac and costs $9.99 once
Wispr Flow is the broader product: four platforms, 100+ languages, team and compliance features. Pepys Dictate is the narrower one: Mac only, on-device, no subscription.
Is Pepys Dictate a good Wispr Flow alternative?
Choose Pepys Dictate if you use one Apple silicon Mac, want speech recognition that runs on the machine, and prefer paying $9.99 once instead of a subscription. Choose Wispr Flow if you need Windows, iPhone or Android, more than 25 languages, team admin controls, or its Notetaker for meetings.
Wispr Flow is a voice dictation app for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. You dictate, and Flow types cleaned-up text into whatever app you are in. Per its Data Controls page, transcription always happens in the cloud. Per its pricing page, the Pro plan costs $12 a month billed annually, or $15 month to month.
Pepys Dictate does the same core job with a different set of trade-offs. Recognition and formatting both run on your Mac, there is no account, and Pro is $9.99 once. In exchange you give up other platforms, 100+ languages, meeting notes and team features. Both apps have a free plan of 2,000 words a week on desktop.
Pepys Dictate and Wispr Flow, side by side
Wispr Flow facts come from its own pages, read on October 5, 2026. Where something is not publicly stated, the cell is a dash.
| Feature | Pepys Dictate | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Pro is $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable. Not a subscription. | Pro is $12 per user a month billed annually, or $15 per user monthly (per its pricing page). |
| Free plan | 2,000 words a week, with smart formatting and every language included. Resets each Monday. | 2,000 words a week on desktop and 1,000 a week on mobile. No card needed. |
| Billing model | One-time licence for up to 3 Macs. | Per-user subscription, monthly or annual. Cancel any time. |
| Where speech recognition runs | On your Mac, with no cloud transcription. Audio and text are not uploaded by default. | In the cloud. Its Data Controls page states transcription always occurs on the cloud. |
| Works offline | Yes. Recognition and formatting need no connection once the models are downloaded. | No local transcription. Offline on desktop, Flow warns and saves the audio to retry. |
| Platforms | Mac only (Apple silicon, macOS 13 or later). | Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Notetaker is Mac and Windows. |
| Languages | Dictation in 25 languages. Smart formatting in English, German, French and Spanish. | 100+ languages. It recommends picking the language you speak over auto-detect. |
| Text cleanup | Removes filler words, handles spoken corrections, formats lists and numbers, on the Mac. | Removes filler words, adds punctuation, handles corrections, adjusts tone per app. |
| Customization | Personal dictionary, per-app styles, polished mode and tones. | Dictionary, snippets, per-app writing style and Command Mode for editing text by voice. |
| Meetings and notes | No meeting recording or notes. | Notetaker records Mac or Windows meetings with no bot. Limited on the free plan. |
| Team and compliance | No team, admin, SSO or compliance features. | States SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and HIPAA. SAML SSO on Growth, SCIM and audit logs on Enterprise. |
| Model training on your data | Audio and text are not uploaded by default. | A setting. If you allow it, audio, transcripts and edits may train Wispr models. |
Where Pepys Dictate is different
Your audio stays on the Mac by default
Pepys Dictate recognises speech and formats text on the Mac itself. There is no cloud transcription and no account, so by default nothing you dictate is uploaded. An optional advanced setting can send a transcript to an AI provider you configure. Dictate goes online only to download models, activate a licence and check for updates.
One payment instead of a subscription
Pro is $9.99 once, with unlimited words on up to 3 Macs. The free plan gives 2,000 words a week, and every new install starts with a 7-day trial of the paid features.
It works without a connection
Because recognition is local, Dictate keeps working on a plane or a flaky hotel network. Wispr Flow transcribes in the cloud, and on desktop saves your audio to retry when it cannot.
A smaller feature set
Dictate is Mac only and skips meeting capture and team admin. It is built around one job: speak and get clean text at the cursor, in any Mac app.
Where Wispr Flow is the better choice
Platforms and older Macs
Wispr Flow dictates on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android with one account. Pepys Dictate is Mac only. Wispr's Mac app also runs on Intel Macs and macOS 12 or later, while Dictate needs Apple silicon and macOS 13.
Languages
Wispr says Flow supports 100+ languages. Dictate covers 25, English plus 24 other European languages. If your language is outside that European set, Wispr is the one to check first.
Customization and developer tools
Wispr offers snippets, per-app tone and a Command Mode for editing text by voice. Its developer page says Flow tags files in Cursor and Windsurf, and a remote MCP server lets Claude or ChatGPT read Notetaker notes.
Meetings, teams and compliance
Wispr bundles a Notetaker that records Mac or Windows meetings without a bot, in the same subscription as dictation. It states SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and HIPAA, offers a signed BAA on Growth and above, and sells SSO and admin tools. Dictate has none of this.
Choose Pepys Dictate if
- You use a single Apple silicon Mac and want speech recognition to run on the machine.
- You would rather pay $9.99 once than the $12 or $15 a month Wispr lists on its pricing page.
- You want dictation to keep working without an internet connection.
- You dictate in English or another European language and do not need meeting notes.
Choose Wispr Flow if
- You also dictate on Windows, iPhone or Android, or use an Intel Mac or macOS 12, and want one account across them.
- You need languages beyond the 25 Dictate supports.
- Your team needs shared dictionaries, SSO, a BAA or stated SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and HIPAA compliance.
- You want snippets, Command Mode or meeting recording and summaries from the same app as dictation.
Common questions about Wispr Flow and Pepys Dictate
Is Pepys Dictate a good Wispr Flow alternative?
Choose Pepys Dictate if you use one Apple silicon Mac, want speech recognition that runs on the machine, and prefer paying $9.99 once instead of a subscription. Choose Wispr Flow if you need Windows, iPhone or Android, more than 25 languages, team admin controls, or its Notetaker for meetings.
How much does Wispr Flow cost?
Per its pricing page, Flow Pro is $12 per user a month billed annually, or $15 per user a month billed monthly. Growth and Enterprise are higher or custom, and students and educators get 50% off Pro. Pepys Dictate Pro is $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable, with no recurring charge.
Is Wispr Flow free?
Wispr has a free plan with 2,000 words a week on desktop and 1,000 a week on mobile, no card needed. It includes the dictionary, snippets and limited Notetaker access. Pepys Dictate's free plan is also 2,000 words a week, with smart formatting and all 25 languages.
Where does my audio go with Wispr Flow?
Wispr states that transcription always occurs in the cloud. It also states SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and HIPAA compliance, and lets you choose whether your data may be used to improve its models. Third-party AI providers it uses may not train on your data. By default, Pepys Dictate keeps audio on your Mac instead, unless you turn on its optional AI-provider setting.
Does Wispr Flow work offline?
Not for transcription. Wispr's help docs say that on desktop, when transcription cannot run, Flow warns you and saves the audio so you can retry later. Pepys Dictate recognises speech on the Mac, so it works offline once its models are downloaded.
Is Pepys Dictate available on Windows, iPhone or Android?
No. Pepys Dictate is a Mac app for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 13 or later. Wispr Flow runs on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, so it is the better fit if you dictate across several devices.
Where these facts came from
- Wispr Flow pricing (read October 5, 2026)
- Wispr Flow data controls (read October 5, 2026)
- Wispr Flow supported devices and system requirements (read October 5, 2026)
- Wispr Flow home page (read October 5, 2026)
- Wispr Flow hands-free guide (read October 5, 2026)
Products change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
Compare more dictation apps
Try Pepys Dictate on your Mac
Free for 2,000 words a week, or $9.99 once, plus tax where applicable, for unlimited use on up to 3 Macs. Speech recognition and formatting run on your Mac.
Apple silicon, macOS 13 or later. More about Pepys Dictate