Where MacWhisper is the better pick
Most of your work is transcribing recordings: interviews, lectures, podcasts. That is what MacWhisper is known for, and it has a free version to start with.
Nota vs MacWhisper
Both are Mac apps you pay for once, with local and cloud models and your own API keys. MacWhisper made its name transcribing audio files and costs €64. Nota is built around live dictation into any app and costs $59.
Side by side
| Feature | Nota | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $59 once for 1 Mac. $89 for 2, $109 for 3. | Pro €64 once (direct version). A free version is available. |
| Three years | $59, plus your provider if you use cloud models ($0 on local models). | €64, plus your provider if you use cloud models. |
| Free use | First 5,000 words, with every feature. | Free version with no time limit. Their site does not list what it includes. |
| Refund | 14 days. | Not stated on their homepage. |
| Live dictation | Yes, into any app, from a key you choose. | Yes, system-wide, with AI prompts per app. |
| Audio files | Yes: drop audio or video files; the result goes to History. | Yes. |
| Local models | Parakeet, Nemotron, Whisper, Cohere Transcribe and Apple Speech, in several sizes. | Whisper and Parakeet, plus local AI through Ollama and LM Studio. |
| Cloud models and your keys | 11 speech providers plus any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, in every license. | Yes: OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, Deepgram, ElevenLabs and others, plus OpenAI-compatible endpoints. |
| Cost per hour shown | Yes, per model, before you pick it. | Not stated on their site. |
| Style per app | Modes switch by app and by website. | Prompts per app. |
| Names and terms | Dictionary with replacements and snippets; it learns from your corrections. | Not stated on their homepage. |
| Platforms | Mac. | Mac. |
Competitor details come from their own websites, checked on October 8, 2026. Prices change; follow the link for today's. If something here is wrong, tell me and I'll fix it. Product names are trademarks of their owners; Nota is not affiliated with them. MacWhisper pricing · Nota pricing
Where Nota is the better pick
You dictate into other apps all day. Nota is built around that: modes that change by app and by website, a dictionary that learns from your corrections, and the cost per hour of every cloud model shown before you choose it. It transcribes files too.
Try Nota next to it.
The first 5,000 words are free. No account, no key needed.
5,000 words free
No account needed.
macOS 14.4 or later · Apple silicon and Intel