Real-time dictation, not just file transcription
MacWhisper is excellent at transcribing audio and video files — 4.7 stars and 1,500+ App Store reviews prove it. But if you want to speak and have it type in your email, code editor, or document, that's a different tool. That's Echo.
If you need to transcribe recordings, MacWhisper is excellent. If you want to type with your voice in real time, use Echo.
Download Echo FreeFeature by feature
| Feature | Echo | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ✓Free forever | ✗Free basic · $79.99 lifetime Pro · $8.99/mo |
| Primary Use Case | —Real-time voice dictation (speak → types for you) | ✓File transcription (existing audio/video files) |
| Platforms | ✓macOS, Windows, Linux | ✗macOS only |
| Open Source | ✓MIT License — fully auditable | ✗Proprietary closed source |
| Account Required | —Never | ✓Not required |
| Global Shortcut / Auto-Paste | ✓Yes — speak, it types in any app | ✗No global dictation shortcut |
| Voice Activity Detection | ✓Yes — auto-detects speech start/stop | ✗Manual recording |
| LLM Post-Processing | ✓Optional AI refinement | ✗Not available |
| File Transcription | —Supported | ✓Yes — batch file processing |
| Export Formats (SRT/VTT/docx) | —Not available | ✓Yes — SRT, VTT, docx, PDF |
| Speaker Diarization | —Not yet | ✓Yes (Pro) |
| 100 Languages | —Yes — Whisper supports 100 | ✓Yes — 100 languages |
Why Echo for daily voice dictation
Built for Dictation, Not Transcription
MacWhisper excels at converting existing audio files into text. Echo is built for the opposite workflow: you press a shortcut, speak, and it types directly into whatever app is in front of you — email, code editor, document, chat.
Cross-Platform and Free
MacWhisper is macOS-only and costs up to $79.99 for Pro. Echo is free forever and runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. If you use more than one operating system, Echo is the only choice.
Open Source Transparency
MacWhisper is closed source. Echo is MIT-licensed — every line of code is publicly auditable. You can see exactly how your audio is handled, contribute improvements, or fork the project entirely.
Ready to switch?
No account. No cloud. Free forever.
Download Echo FreeFree forever · MIT License · Open source on GitHub