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Wren vs Superwhisper

A native macOS, Windows, and iOS dictation app that transcribes with on-device Whisper and Parakeet models, with a paid subscription for the larger models and cloud options.

At a glance

Platforms
macOS, Windows, iOS
Open source
No
Free tier
Free tier that never expires: the small on-device models (Nano, Fast, and Standard), dictation in any app, meeting recording and notes, and 100+ languages. New installs also get 15 minutes of trial access to the larger Pro and Ultra models.
Paid plans
$8.49/month, or $84.99/year billed annually; a $249.99 one-time lifetime license is also available, with a 40% student discount on Pro (as of lastReviewed).

What Superwhisper is good at

Superwhisper started as a Mac-first dictation app and has since added Windows and iOS. Local transcription runs on-device with Whisper and Parakeet models, so audio can stay on the machine when you pick a local model. It also offers cloud models such as GPT-5 and Claude through its own proxy, for people who want the extra accuracy. The free tier covers the smaller local models, dictation in any app, meeting recording, and 100+ languages. The larger on-device models, the cloud models, file transcription, and translation sit behind the Pro subscription. It's a solid pick for people who want a native, polished dictation app and don't mind paying for the bigger models.

How Wren is different

  • Wren is open source under the MIT license, so anyone can read or audit the code. Superwhisper is closed source.
  • Wren's offline transcription is free forever, with no account and no subscription. Superwhisper's free tier only includes its smallest local models (Nano, Fast, and Standard); the more accurate on-device models and any cloud model need a Pro subscription, $8.49 a month or $84.99 a year.
  • Wren runs on Linux. Superwhisper doesn't; it covers macOS, Windows, and iOS.
  • Wren's interface ships localized in English and Portuguese. Superwhisper's own App Store listing shows English as its only supported app language.
  • When Wren uses a cloud provider, it's a bring-your-own-key setup, such as a free Groq API key, instead of routing audio through the vendor's own proxy the way Superwhisper's cloud models do.

Questions, answered

Is Superwhisper free?

It has a free tier that never expires, covering the small on-device models (Nano, Fast, Standard), dictation in any app, meeting recording, and 100+ languages. The larger local models, cloud models, file transcription, and translation need a Pro subscription: $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year, or a $249.99 one-time lifetime license.

Does Superwhisper work offline?

Yes, with its local Whisper and Parakeet models. Its own docs note that on-device speed is measured on an Apple M4, so an older or Intel Mac will run those models more slowly.

Is Superwhisper available on Windows or Linux?

Windows, yes: Superwhisper shipped a full Windows release in late 2025 after a beta period, running on Windows 10 and 11. There's no Linux version.

Does Wren run on macOS?

An early Apple Silicon build (.dmg) is published on Wren's GitHub Releases page, but it isn't code-signed yet, so macOS Gatekeeper will flag it as unrecognized. It's also not yet listed on Wren's main download page, which currently advertises Linux and Windows builds. Wren discloses this in its release notes rather than hiding it.

Is Superwhisper open source?

No, it's a closed-source commercial app. Wren, by contrast, is released under the MIT license.

Sources

Pricing and features last checked 2026-09-09. Details change — verify against the source before relying on them.

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