The MacWhisper alternative for clean text and live translation, no setup
MacWhisper started as a file-transcription tool and has grown into an all-in-one Mac app that now also does system-wide dictation and AI cleanup, as a one-time purchase. Whisperly is a focused, cloud-based dictation loop with cleanup and live translation on by default, on a subscription.
Free forever, no credit card · 2,000 words a week · macOS 13+
Pick MacWhisperif you want file transcription and dictation in one app for a one-time price, and don't need live translation. Pick Whisperly if you want cleanup and live translation on by default with nothing to set up, on a subscription.
Whisperly vs MacWhisper
| Feature | Whisperly | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Primary usedifferent core workflows | Live dictation at your cursor | Files + dictation (files-first) |
| Hotkey-to-cursor dictation | Yes | Yessystem-wide dictation added; files still the headline |
| Cleans up grammar & filler by default | Built in | Yesfiller removal on Free, grammar + AI prompts on Pro |
| Translate while you dictate | Yes | –Files onlyon saved transcripts and subtitles |
| Pricing | $14/mofree tier, no card | €64 onceone-time Pro license, lifetime updates; free tier too |
| Types into any Mac app live | Yes | Yessystem-wide dictation types to your cursor |
Where each one wins
Choose Whisperly whenOur edge
- Dictation is the whole app. Press a hotkey and clean text lands at your cursor: no file to import, no transcript to copy out afterward.
- Cleanup is on by default, nothing to configure. Grammar and filler are fixed on every dictation, with no Pro tier or AI-prompt step to set up first.
- You dictate in more than one language. Translate as you speak, no separate step.
Choose MacWhisper whenTheir edge
- You already have audio or video files to transcribe. Batch-import and process recordings you've already made; that's what it's built for.
- You want to pay once. €64 buys a Pro license outright, with lifetime updates, no subscription.
What you get with Whisperly
The same hotkey, the same paste-anywhere flow. The difference is what lands in the box.
- Cleanup that reads like you wrote itRemoves ums, false starts, and repeats. Fixes grammar. Keeps your wording and tone.
- Translate as you speakDictate in Russian, Spanish, or Chinese and send it in English. No copy-paste round trip.
- Custom vocabulary that sticksAdd names, product terms, and acronyms once. They spell right everywhere and sync across devices.
- Your audio is never storedSpeech becomes text, then the audio is gone. No history of your dictations is kept.
One hotkey. Every Mac app.
It types into whatever is focused: an editor, a chat box, an email draft, even a search bar.
Switching from MacWhisper
Is Whisperly a MacWhisper alternative?
Why pay $14/mo when MacWhisper is €64 once?
Does MacWhisper clean up filler and grammar like Whisperly?
Can I use Whisperly to transcribe an existing recording?
Try the clean-text version
Same hotkey, same paste-anywhere flow. See what your dictation looks like when it comes out finished.
Free forever, no credit card · 2,000 words a week · 14-day Pro trial when you need more