ctrlhqctrlhq vs Wispr FlowDictation that never leaves your Mac. Paid for once.
ctrlhq vs Wispr Flow: smart dictation for Mac that runs on-device. Fillers removed, corrections kept, tone matched. No cloud, no subscription, one payment.
One-time purchase, lifetime updates
Already bought? Download
- ctrlhq
- Productivity app in the notch
- $24.99 launch price (then $49.99) · macOS 26 Tahoe+ · native, about 12 MB
- Wispr Flow
- AI dictation app
- Free plan, Pro $15 a month or $12 a month billed yearly
Wispr Flow is a polished dictation app: talk in any app and clean text appears, on Mac, Windows and phones. To do it, every word you say is sent to the cloud. Their own privacy page puts it plainly: transcription always happens in the cloud. And Pro is a monthly subscription.
ctrlhq does the same job on the Mac you already own. The Apple silicon inside it runs speech recognition and AI on-device: Apple's dictation turns your voice into text and Apple Intelligence tidies it, all locally. No audio is uploaded, nothing is stored on anyone's server, it works on a plane, and you pay once.
ctrlhq vs Wispr Flow, side by side
| Feature | ctrlhq | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $24.99 once (launch price, then $49.99) | Pro $15 a month, or $144 a year |
| Where your voice is processed | On your Mac | In the cloud |
| Your voice leaves your Mac | ||
| Works offline | ||
| Fillers removed, self-corrections resolved | ||
| Tone matched to the app | ||
| Your own words and spellings | ||
| Hold fn to talk | ||
| Windows, iPhone and Android | ||
| Team plans | ||
| Also in the app | Tasks, timers, meeting notes, recording, clipboard and more |
Wispr Flow details from its website, checked October 2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
Choose Wispr Flow if
- You dictate on Windows or your phone as well as your Mac.
- Your whole team dictates and you want one team plan for it.
Choose ctrlhq if
- What you dictate is private: client work, health, legal, code, your own thoughts.
- You'd rather pay once than every month.
- You want dictation that works offline, on a plane or a bad connection.
- You'd like the rest of ctrlhq's notch tools in the same app.
Lightweight by design
ctrlhq is a native Swift app, about 12 MB to download, with no background daemons or helper apps. One app that's already in your notch replaces a shelf of single-purpose ones, and every menu bar icon that came with them.
Questions
Does my voice leave my Mac with ctrlhq?
No. Apple's on-device dictation turns speech into text and Apple Intelligence tidies it, both running on your Mac. Nothing is uploaded.
Is on-device dictation as good as the cloud?
For everyday dictation on Apple silicon, Apple's on-device engine is fast and accurate, and adding your own names and terms under Your words helps it with jargon. Very fast talk, heavy accents or noisy rooms are where cloud models can still have an edge.
What do I need?
macOS 26 on a Mac with Apple silicon. The tidy-up uses Apple Intelligence; without it, fillers, spoken commands and simple corrections are still handled.
How much do I save?
Wispr Flow Pro is $144 a year billed yearly. ctrlhq is $24.99 once, with dictation and every other tool included.
Run it next to Wispr Flow.
Every feature for $24.99 launch price (then $49.99), no subscription.
One-time purchase, lifetime updates
Already bought? Download
Wispr Flow is a trademark of its owner. ctrlhq isn't affiliated with it.