OpenFlow
Dictation app cost calculator
A monthly subscription never feels expensive one month at a time. Pick your dictation app, set how long you will realistically use it, and see the real number.
Over 3 years that is roughly an M4 iPad plus AirPods Pro, spent on transcribing your own voice.
The subscription curve vs the free curve
Subscriptions are flat lines that never stop climbing. Local software is a flat line at zero.
| Timeline | Wispr Flow Pro | OpenFlow | Difference |
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Fair questions
How much does Wispr Flow cost?
As of mid 2026, Wispr Flow Pro is typically around $15 per month, or about $12 per month billed annually, with a free tier that caps your words per week. Pricing changes, so check their site and plug the exact number into the calculator above.
Is there a free alternative to Wispr Flow?
Yes. OpenFlow is a free, open source dictation app for macOS. Hold a key, speak, release, and your words appear at your cursor. No subscription, no word limits, no account.
Do free dictation apps sacrifice accuracy?
Not anymore. OpenFlow runs NVIDIA's Parakeet model on your Mac's Neural Engine at roughly 35 times realtime, with accuracy that rivals cloud services, including technical vocabulary. Curious how well speech recognition handles your voice? Try the speech to text accuracy test.
Why is OpenFlow free when others charge monthly?
Cloud dictation apps pay for servers that process your audio, and that bill becomes your bill. OpenFlow transcribes on hardware you already own, so there is nothing to charge for. It is MIT licensed and every line of code is public on GitHub.
Keep the money. Keep the dictation.
OpenFlow gives you hold-a-key dictation anywhere on your Mac, transcribed 100% on device. Free forever, open source, and your voice never leaves your machine.
Apple Silicon, macOS 14 or later. About two minutes from download to first dictation.