Pick Superwhisper if…
Dictation power users are its core audience, and it shows.
- Dictation is your primary way of writing, all day
- You want per-app modes and AI rewriting of what you say
- You dictate on your phone or a Windows PC too
Compare
LokalBot vs Superwhisper
Superwhisper started as a dictation app and is now a cross-platform voice tool: custom modes, AI rewrites, meeting recording, and apps for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. If voice-to-text is your main job, it goes deeper than LokalBot. LokalBot's dictation is simpler by design — hold ⌥ Space, speak, it types — and it comes inside a free, open-source Mac app that also writes meeting notes, tracks your day, and autocompletes your writing.
Last verified · spot something outdated? Open an issue.
Side by side
Feature by feature.
| Feature | LokalBot | Superwhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Dictation | Hold or toggle ⌥ Space, live transcript pill, pastes at the cursor | Deeper: custom modes, AI text processing, per-app behavior |
| Where speech runs | On your Mac — Qwen3-ASR by default, with Parakeet, Granite Speech, and Whisper as alternatives | Local Whisper models, with optional cloud models |
| Cloud path | None by default; remote inference only for servers you approve | Optional cloud models and AI processing |
| Dictation audio | Scratch recording deleted after transcription by default | Configurable in-app |
| Meeting notes | Bot-free microphone + system-audio capture, local summaries, searchable library | Meeting recording and transcription with automatic notes |
| Day timeline | App and window activity by default; screen text and encrypted screenshots are opt-in and deleted after 14 days | No |
| Writing autocomplete | Cotyping ghost text as you type | No — AI modes transform what you dictate instead |
| Source code | Open source, GPLv3 | Proprietary |
| Price | Free — dictation included, nothing gated | Free tier · Pro $8.49/mo, with yearly and lifetime options |
| Platforms | macOS 15+ on Apple Silicon | macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android |
Verdict
Which one fits you?
Pick LokalBot if…
Good dictation, plus everything around it — for free.
- You want dictation plus meeting notes, a day timeline, and autocomplete
- One model download covers your meetings and your dictation
- You prefer free and open source over a subscription
- You want local-by-default behavior you can verify in the code
Questions
The short answers.
Which speech models does LokalBot use?
Qwen3-ASR 1.7B by default, with Parakeet, Granite Speech, and Whisper large-v3 turbo as alternatives, all running on your Mac. Dictation reuses the engine and language you picked for meetings and keeps it warm, so transcription starts as soon as you hold the key.
Does LokalBot keep my dictation audio?
No. By default it records to a scratch file, transcribes it on-device, pastes the text, and deletes the recording. It even pauses your music before it starts listening.
Can I run both apps?
Sure — they use different shortcuts. Some people will want Superwhisper for heavy dictation workflows and LokalBot for meetings and everything else. LokalBot is free, so trying the combination costs nothing.
Download
Speak anywhere. Stays on your Mac.
Free and open source. Models download on first use; built-in inference then works offline.
Download for macOS.dmg installer · brew install --cask stevyhacker/tap/lokalbot · all releases and notes
Superwhisper is a trademark of its owner; LokalBot is not affiliated with or endorsed by it. Details are based on public pages and pricing as of September 2026 and may change — if something here is wrong or out of date, open an issue and we'll fix it.