Superwhisper is excellent — on a Mac with Apple Silicon, where its offline
models run properly. Dictator was built around a Windows GPU first, and adds
live subtitles, translation and an Android keyboard on top.
Free, no sign-upSame model on the free plan100 languages
Side by side
Superwhisper
Dictator
Strongest on
Apple Silicon Macs — the offline models are built for them
Windows with a GPU, and macOS as well
Free plan
Everyday features and smaller models
The same local model as the paid plans, unlimited
Paid plan
Pro $8.49/mo, lifetime licence available
From about $6/mo, only for cloud features
File transcription
Pro only
Included, no length limit
Live subtitles over any window
No
Yes, with the translation underneath
Dictate with translation
Translation in Pro
One shortcut — the window receives the translated text
Mobile
iOS
Android, with a dictating keyboard (iOS in TestFlight)
Photo and screen translation
No
Yes
Superwhisper details are taken from its own site, checked on 11 August 2026.
Why Windows matters here
The GPU you already have
A gaming or work graphics card transcribes faster than real time — the same trick Apple Silicon does, on hardware most people own.
Nothing to subscribe to
The local part is free with no time limit. Payment starts only where a server does the work.
Six global shortcuts
Record, paste, dictate-and-translate, translate the selection, translate the screen, live subtitles — all system-wide.
Your phone too
The Android keyboard dictates into any app and can send the translation instead of the original.
When Superwhisper is the better choice
On an Apple Silicon Mac Superwhisper is hard to beat: the local models are tuned
for that hardware, the mode system is thought through, and there is a native iOS
app. If your whole workflow is Apple, stay there — our macOS build exists, but
Windows is where this app is strongest.
Frequent questions
Does it work without the internet?
Yes: recognition, live subtitles and 45 offline translation languages need no connection.
What hardware is required?
Any modern PC. A GPU makes it faster; without one recognition runs on the processor with a lighter model.
Can I use my own cloud key?
Cloud recognition and translation are part of the paid plans; the local mode needs no keys at all.
Dictator
About the app →