Roundhand and Superwhisper
Two dictation apps, compared on where each runs, where speech is recognised, what it stores, how it writes and how it is priced.
Choose Roundhand if you want speech always recognised on your own Mac, with writing styles built in for code editors, terminals, chat and email and picked by the app you are in. Choose Superwhisper if you need dictation on Windows, iPhone or Android as well as the Mac, in more languages, or want meeting notes and audio file transcription in the same app.
| Compared on | Roundhand | Superwhisper |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac only: Macs with Apple silicon running macOS 14 or later. | Superwhisper lists availability on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android.Source: superwhisper.com |
| Where speech is recognised | On the Mac. Audio is never uploaded. | Superwhisper says it works offline, and offers both offline and cloud models.Source: superwhisper.com |
| Stored dictation | Dictation history stays in a database on the Mac. Roundhand's own servers never receive audio or transcript text. | Superwhisper's privacy policy says your data is not retained on its servers and is only stored locally on your machine.Source: superwhisper.com/privacy |
| Languages | 25 languages, detected automatically, or up to three you choose in Settings. | Superwhisper says it supports 100+ languages and dialects, and can translate them to English.Source: superwhisper.com |
| Writing style per app | Four built-in styles (Terminal, IDE and AI chat, Chat, Prose) picked by the app you are in, and changeable per app. | Superwhisper has predefined modes, such as Message and Email, that set tone, structure and formatting, and custom modes you define yourself.Source: superwhisper.com |
| Personal dictionary | A Dictionary where you set how words you say are written, such as a product name. | Superwhisper lets you enter names, abbreviations and specialized terms once, and says it remembers them.Source: superwhisper.com |
| Your own API key | The Power plan uses your own API key for cloud cleanup, and your provider bills you directly. | Superwhisper's Pro plan lets you use your own AI API keys.Source: superwhisper.com |
| Pricing model | Free to download with a cloud cleanup trial, then Pro or Power plans, billed monthly or yearly. | Superwhisper has a free tier and a Pro plan, offered monthly, yearly or as a lifetime purchase.Source: superwhisper.com |
| Teams | Plans are for one person: Free, Pro and Power. | Superwhisper's Enterprise plan adds centralized billing and authentication, and model access control.Source: superwhisper.com |
Each Superwhisper statement is taken from the Superwhisper page it links to, as that page read on 2026-09-27.
Where your speech is recognised
Roundhand recognises speech on your Mac. After the speech model has downloaded once, dictation and the built-in cleanup keep working with Wi-Fi off, on a plane or behind a strict network. Your audio is never uploaded or saved to disk. Superwhisper says it works offline, so you can transcribe anytime (superwhisper.com), and its Pro plan includes unlimited use of cloud and local AI models (superwhisper.com). With Roundhand there is no cloud speech model to pick: speech is recognised on the Mac every time, and only cloud cleanup, if you turn it on, sends text.
What each app stores
Roundhand keeps your dictation history in a database on your Mac, where you choose how long it is kept or clear it. Roundhand's own servers hold your account, never audio or transcript text. If you turn on cloud cleanup, the text of each dictation (never the audio) goes to the cleanup provider to be tidied. Superwhisper's privacy policy says your data is not retained on its servers, is only stored locally on your machine, and is not used for training AI models (superwhisper.com/privacy).
How each one writes for the app you are in
Roundhand looks at the app your cursor is in and picks one of four writing styles. Chat apps such as Slack get short, casual messages. Mail, Notes, Pages and Google Docs get full sentences, which cloud cleanup can also split into paragraphs. Visual Studio Code, Cursor, Xcode, Windsurf and Zed get the IDE and AI chat style, and terminals get a single line with commands and paths left as you said them. You can change the style for any app, or switch Roundhand off for one. Superwhisper uses modes, such as Message and Email, that set tone, structure and formatting, and Custom Mode lets you set formatting rules and prompts for different tasks (superwhisper.com). Superwhisper also records meetings with automatic notes and transcribes uploaded audio and video files (superwhisper.com). Roundhand does neither: it writes what you dictate into the app you are in.
Platforms and what you need
Roundhand is a Mac app for Apple silicon, running macOS 14 or later. Intel Macs are not supported, and a Windows version is in development. Superwhisper lists availability on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android (superwhisper.com). If you switch between a Mac and a Windows PC or want dictation on your phone, Superwhisper covers more of that today.
How the pricing works
Roundhand is free to download, and dictation with the offline cleanup stays free with no end date. A new account gets a 15-day trial of cloud cleanup. After it, Pro includes a monthly allowance of managed cloud cleanup, and Power lets you use your own API key, with your provider billing you directly. Both are billed monthly or yearly. Superwhisper has a free tier, lets you try Pro features for 3,000 words, and offers Pro monthly, yearly or as a lifetime purchase, with Enterprise on custom pricing (superwhisper.com). Current Roundhand prices are on the pricing page.
Questions about switching
- Do both apps work offline?
- Superwhisper says it works offline, so you can transcribe anytime (superwhisper.com, checked on 2026-09-27). Roundhand recognises speech on your Mac, so once its speech model has downloaded, dictation and the built-in cleanup work without an internet connection. Cloud cleanup, sign-in and checkout still need one.
- Can I move my Superwhisper vocabulary to Roundhand?
- Roundhand has no import from Superwhisper, so you add your words to Roundhand's Dictionary yourself. Each entry sets how a word you say is written, such as a name or product spelled your way.
- Is Roundhand available on Windows or iPhone?
- No, Roundhand is Mac only for now, on Apple silicon. A Windows version is in development with no release date; there is no phone app.
- Does Roundhand record meetings or transcribe audio files?
- No. Roundhand is for dictating into the app you are in; it does not record meetings or transcribe audio or video files.