Independent · Methodology-driven · No sponsored rankings

Best Speech-to-Text Apps in 2026

We run identical audio through every app and score the transcripts on WER, CER and PER. No vendor ties, no paid placements — just numbers.

Best accuracy
Willow Voice
99.1% accurate
Lowest word error rate in the benchmark
Fastest
Aqua Voice
~1s
Shortest time from speech to text
Best for privacy
Superwhisper
Local mode keeps audio on device
Least data leaves your device
Best free option
Wispr Flow
2,000 words/week (Mac & Windows), 1,000/week on iPhone
Most usable without paying

Most "best dictation app" lists rank tools they've never measured. Every app here — Superwhisper, Wispr Flow, Willow Voice, Aqua Voice and more — runs the same recordings under the same conditions.

Latest reviews

All reviews →

Aqua Voice

Cloud only
7.6 / 10

Cloud-only dictation with always-on AI cleanup

Accuracy 98.5%
Avg speed ~1s
Read review →

Willow Voice

Cloud only
7.2 / 10

Fast, polished dictation in a Mac-first wrapper

Accuracy 99.1%
Avg speed ~1s
Read review →

TypeLess

Cloud only
6.4 / 10

AI-powered dictation that auto-structures your speech

Accuracy 92.1%
Avg speed ~3s
Read review →

Superwhisper

Local + Cloud
6.3 / 10

Local-first dictation with cloud AI modes

Accuracy 82.3%
Avg speed ~2s
Read review →

Wispr Flow

Cloud only
5.9 / 10

Cloud-only dictation with fast, polished auto-cleanup

Accuracy 96.1%
Avg speed ~1.5s
Read review →

Compare head-to-head

All comparisons →
Aqua Voice Wispr Flow

Aqua Voice wins on accuracy, speed, privacy, ux and features.
Aqua Voice Superwhisper

Aqua Voice wins on accuracy and speed; Superwhisper wins on privacy and ux.
Willow Voice Wispr Flow

Willow Voice wins on accuracy, speed and ux; Wispr Flow wins on privacy.
Aqua Voice TypeLess

Aqua Voice wins on accuracy, speed and privacy; TypeLess wins on ux.
Superwhisper Willow Voice

Superwhisper wins on privacy, ux and features; Willow Voice wins on accuracy and speed.
TypeLess Willow Voice

TypeLess wins on privacy, ux and features; Willow Voice wins on accuracy and speed.
TypeLess Wispr Flow

TypeLess wins on privacy, ux and features; Wispr Flow wins on accuracy and speed.
Aqua Voice Willow Voice

Aqua Voice wins on privacy and features; Willow Voice wins on accuracy and ux.
Superwhisper Wispr Flow

Superwhisper wins on privacy, ux and features; Wispr Flow wins on accuracy.
Superwhisper TypeLess

Superwhisper wins on speed and privacy; TypeLess wins on accuracy.

Our methodology

We score five things, not one.

Accuracy matters, but it isn't everything. Every app is scored on five weighted dimensions — accuracy, speed, UX, features and privacy — and the weights below add up to the overall score out of 10. Accuracy itself comes from WER, CER and PER measured on identical audio against multi-reference ground truth. All test data and diffs are published.

Read the methodology →
What we measure Weight
Accuracy 30%
Speed 15%
UX 20%
Features 20%
Privacy 15%
Overall score = score / 10