Where the two are alike
Both are push-to-talk dictation for the whole system, both remove filler words and punctuate, both have a dictionary and snippets, both offer a free plan measured in words per week (theirs is 2,000 on a Mac, ours is 4,000). If you liked the feel of Wispr Flow, the feel here is the same: one key, talk, text appears.
Where they differ
| Wispr Flow | DeftNib | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your voice is processed | Their cloud | Your Mac |
| Works with Wi-Fi off | No: transcription happens in the cloud | Yes |
| Account | Required | None |
| Price | $15 a month, or $12 a month billed annually | One payment, 3 Macs, every 1.x version |
| Free plan | 2,000 words a week on Mac | 4,000 words a week, every feature |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac (macOS 26, Apple Silicon) |
| Languages | 100+ | Every language macOS supports; full cleanup pipeline in English and Spanish |
| Spanish | One of many | Opening marks, voseo and work Spanglish as a main case |
| App size on disk | About 590 MB, as installed on our Mac | 9.7 MB |
What "on your Mac" means in practice
DeftNib has no code path that can send audio or text anywhere. It uses the speech engine Apple ships in macOS 26 and Apple's local language model for cleanup. The app talks to our servers for four things, none of which carry your voice or your words: license activation, its monthly renewal, the update check, and the free plan's weekly counter. The full list, with what each call carries, is on the private dictation page.
If you dictate things that cannot leave your desk, that is the whole comparison.
Where Wispr Flow is the better fit
Be honest with yourself here. If you need Windows, an iPhone keyboard, or dictation in a language where DeftNib only offers Apple's native transcription without the cleanup pipeline, Wispr Flow covers more ground. DeftNib is deliberately narrow: Mac, Apple Silicon, and the deepest possible pipeline for English and Spanish.
The price, over time
One payment of US$ 49 covers 3 Macs and every 1.x version. A subscription at US$ 12 a month costs more than that in 5 months. What buying once means, exactly.
- A subscription, 3 years (US$ 12/month)
- US$ 432
- DeftNib Pro, once
- US$ 49
- You save
- US$ 383
Switching
There is nothing to migrate. Install, run the setup assistant, pick your key. Add your dictionary words as you dictate; the app also proposes words it hears you use repeatedly. Everything in the free download.
Mac with Apple Silicon and macOS 26 or later. Free up to 4,000 words a week, no account.
By downloading you agree to the Terms and the Privacy Policy.
Questions
Is DeftNib a Wispr Flow clone?
It is the same interaction and a different architecture. The gesture is standard; the choice to keep everything on the Mac is the product.
Can I try it before buying?
The free plan is 4,000 words a week, every feature, no account, no expiry. Pro has a 30 day refund.
Does it do meeting notes?
No. DeftNib is dictation: your voice, into the field where your cursor is.