# Aqua Voice vs VoiceInk on Mac in 2026: prices, privacy and which one to pick > Aqua Voice vs VoiceInk compared on Mac: subscription vs one-time price, cloud vs local privacy, platforms and accuracy claims, with a pick for each. URL: https://www.lazur.app/compare/aqua-voice-vs-voiceink Updated: 2026-11-09 Aqua Voice is a cloud dictation app with paid subscriptions. It runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. VoiceInk is a dictation app for Apple silicon Macs that runs speech models on your machine, sold for a one-time price. Pick Aqua Voice for cross-platform work. Pick VoiceInk for on-device transcription and one payment. ## Quick answer - Aqua Voice is cloud-only, with a Free plan of 1,000 words and Pro at $10/month billed annually. - VoiceInk is a one-time purchase from $25 and runs its speech models on your Mac. - Aqua keeps dictation audio and transcripts on its servers unless Privacy Mode is on. - VoiceInk's website and README give different macOS minimums, so check before you buy. - Pick by payment model and privacy first, then by platform and features. ## Side by side | Feature | Lazur | Aqua Voice | VoiceInk | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Platforms | macOS on Apple silicon and Intel. Windows is planned, not available. | Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. | Apple silicon Macs only. Website and README give different macOS minimums. | | Pricing model | Subscription, with a 3-day Pro trial and no credit card. | Free tier, then monthly or annual subscription. | One-time purchase with lifetime updates. No subscription. | | Price to start | Pro $18/month, or $15/month billed annually. | Pro $10/month billed annually, or $12/month billed monthly. | Solo $25 for one Mac. | | Where speech is processed | Audio and the screenshot go to AI providers to answer and are not stored. | Cloud only. With Privacy Mode off, audio and transcripts are stored on Aqua's servers. | Local models on your Mac. Cloud enhancement is optional, per its FAQ. | | Works offline | Not described. Answers go to AI providers. | No offline mode on any plan, per a SoftOrbits review. | Yes for dictation, using local models, per its README. | | Dictation features | Hold fn to dictate at the cursor. Snippets, personal dictionary, clipboard slots. | AI refinement, custom dictionary, writing styles, transcript history. | Custom words, Smart Replace, filler cleanup, list and email formatting. | | Spoken help and commands | Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask about the screen. Draws a circle and label around things. | Voice Commands on the Max plan. No screen pointing listed. | Rewrites selected text from a spoken instruction. No screen pointing listed. | | Languages | Not listed on the pages we checked. | 49 languages, per its homepage. | Not stated on the pages we checked. | | Vendor accuracy claim | No accuracy figure on the pages we used. | 97.4% on its own AISpeak-10 test. A vendor benchmark. | 99% in its README, which is marketing copy. | **Our take:** Pick VoiceInk if you work on an Apple silicon Mac, want transcription to stay on the device, and prefer one payment with no subscription. Pick Aqua Voice if you need Windows, iPhone or Android support, AI refinement and team plans, and you accept cloud processing. Pick Lazur if you want a voice assistant that sees your screen, with dictation as an extra. ### Lazur A voice assistant that lives in the notch on your Mac. Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask about anything on screen, and Lazur answers out loud. Dictation is included. - Price: 3-day free trial, then Pro $18/month or Power $120/month (https://www.lazur.app/pricing, checked 2026-11-09) - Runs on: macOS (Apple silicon and Intel) ### Aqua Voice A cloud dictation app for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Adds AI refinement, a custom dictionary and 49 languages. Privacy Mode decides whether audio and transcripts are stored. - Price: Free $0 (1,000 words). Pro $10/month billed annually or $12/month billed monthly. Max $19/month billed annually or $24/month billed monthly. (https://aquavoice.com/pricing, checked 2026-11-09) - Runs on: Mac, Windows, iOS (iPhone) and Android. ### VoiceInk An open-source (GPL-3.0) dictation app for Apple silicon Macs. Runs whisper.cpp and Parakeet models locally. Adds custom words, filler cleanup and rewrite by spoken instruction. - Price: One-time: Solo $25 (1 Mac), Personal $39 (up to 2 Macs), Extended $49 (up to 3 Macs). Lifetime updates, 14-day refund, no subscription. (https://tryvoiceink.com/pricing, checked 2026-11-09) - Runs on: Apple silicon Macs only (macOS 14.4 or 15.0 or later, sources differ). iOS version listed. ## Aqua Voice vs VoiceInk at a glance Aqua Voice and VoiceInk both turn your speech into text. You hold a key, talk, and the words land where your cursor sits. The difference is where the work happens and how you pay. Aqua Voice is a cloud product. Aqua processes dictation in the cloud. Its privacy policy says it stores audio and transcripts on its servers unless Privacy Mode is on. The app runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Its paid plans are subscriptions, with a Free plan for small amounts of dictation. VoiceInk is a dictation app for Apple silicon Macs. It runs speech models on your Mac, including whisper.cpp, Parakeet and GGUF models. Transcription stays on the device by default. You pay once, and you get lifetime updates. Its site says an iOS version is now available, but this page covers the Mac app. If you want one sentence, here it is. Pick Aqua Voice if you work across several operating systems and accept cloud processing. Pick VoiceInk if you want on-device transcription and no subscription. ## Prices: subscription or one-time purchase Aqua Voice lists four plans on its pricing page. Free costs $0 and allows 1,000 words. Pro is $10/month billed annually, or $12/month billed monthly, and is described as unlimited dictation. Max is $19/month billed annually, or $24/month billed monthly. It adds Realtime Mode and Voice Commands. Business is $19 per seat per month billed annually, or $24 billed monthly, with a minimum of 2 seats. It adds Zero Data Retention, Single Sign-On and Team Billing. Aqua also offers 70% off Pro and Max with a school email, on monthly or annual billing. VoiceInk has no subscription. You pick one of three one-time purchases. Solo is $25 for 1 Mac. Personal is $39 for up to 2 Macs. Extended is $49 for up to 3 Macs. Each one includes lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee. Price alone does not settle this. Aqua Pro at the annual rate is $10 per month, and that charge repeats. VoiceInk Solo is one $25 payment. If you plan to keep the app for a long time, the one-time price is easier to justify. If you want to try a tool for a short stretch, monthly billing or Aqua's Free plan may fit better. ### How to think about the price - Count your Macs. Solo covers one Mac, Personal covers two, and Extended covers three. - Count your words. Aqua's Free plan stops at 1,000 words, so heavy dictation needs a paid plan. - Check your other devices. Aqua lists Windows, iPhone and Android. VoiceInk's pages list a Mac app and an iOS version. - Read the refund terms. VoiceInk offers 14 days. Read Aqua's billing terms before you subscribe. - Recheck prices on the day you buy. Pricing pages change. ## Privacy: where your audio goes Privacy is the biggest difference between these two apps. Aqua Voice has a setting called Privacy Mode. Aqua's privacy policy, effective November 4, 2026, says that with Privacy Mode off, it stores dictation audio and transcript data on its servers. With Privacy Mode on, it says it does not store those. The homepage puts it more bluntly: turn on Privacy Mode and nothing is stored on our servers at all. The policy is more precise. Session metadata, such as timestamps, device type and performance metrics, may still be collected. Read both before you rely on the homepage line. Two gaps matter here. The policy does not say whether dictation audio or transcripts are used to train Avalon or third-party AI models. It also does not name where data is processed or stored. A SoftOrbits reviewer says Privacy Mode is reportedly off by default on personal plans. SoftOrbits sells a competing product, so treat that claim as a lead to verify on day one. VoiceInk takes the opposite approach. Its FAQ says it processes all voice transcription locally on your device. Cloud enhancement is optional. Its README says offline processing ensures your data never leaves your device. The website does not say what data, if any, is stored. The catch is cloud enhancement. The Pragma-Code review says optional cloud models can be added with API keys. That sits uneasily with the README's promise. If you turn cloud enhancement on, your audio may leave your Mac. Keep it off if you need the local-only promise. > **Check Privacy Mode first:** Before your first real dictation, open Aqua Voice's settings and confirm Privacy Mode is on. Then read the policy's wording on metadata. With Privacy Mode off, Aqua stores your audio and transcripts on its servers. - **$25** One-time price for VoiceInk Solo, covering one Mac, with lifetime updates ([source](https://tryvoiceink.com/pricing)) - **$10** Per month for Aqua Voice Pro when billed annually, from its pricing page ([source](https://aquavoice.com/pricing)) - **97.4%** Aqua's own AISpeak-10 key-term score, a vendor benchmark ([source](https://aquavoice.com/)) - **99%** Accuracy figure in VoiceInk's README, which is marketing copy, not a test ([source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Beingpax/VoiceInk/main/README.md)) ## Platforms and the macOS version question Aqua Voice runs on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. If you move between a MacBook and a Windows PC, you can keep one dictation habit across both. VoiceInk is a Mac app in this comparison. Its homepage also says an iOS version is available. This comparison focuses on the Mac app. VoiceInk has a conflict you should resolve before you buy. Its homepage and pricing page say macOS 14.4 or later on Apple silicon. Its GitHub README says macOS 15.0 or later. The homepage also recommends 8GB RAM. VoiceInk does not run on Intel Macs. > **Two macOS numbers:** VoiceInk's website says macOS 14.4 or later. Its README says macOS 15.0 or later. Open Apple menu > About This Mac and check your version before you pay. Do not assume the lower number is correct. ## Accuracy claims: read them as marketing Both vendors publish accuracy numbers. Aqua's homepage says Avalon scored 97.4% on the AISpeak-10 key-term benchmark, against 65.1% for Whisper Large v3. That is Aqua's own benchmark. A SoftOrbits reviewer praises Aqua as quick and accurate on code and technical terms, and gives it 4 out of 5. VoiceInk's README claims 99% accuracy. Treat that as a marketing figure, because no independent test backs it in these sources. A Pragma-Code review calls VoiceInk the premier dictation software for macOS developers. Its 5x speed claim is self-reported. That review includes referral links to VoiceInk. Speed claims deserve the same caution. A phone text-entry study by Ruan and colleagues found English speech input 2.93 times faster than keyboard entry, at 153 words per minute against 52. That study tested phones, not Mac dictation apps. Use it as a reason to test, not as proof. The fastest test is your own text. Dictate the same paragraph into each app three times. Include a few names, product terms and code words. Then count how many words you fix afterward. The app with fewer fixes is the better fit for your work. ## Where Aqua Voice is the better pick - You use Windows, an iPhone or an Android phone as well as a Mac. - You want AI refinement, a custom dictionary, writing styles and transcript history in one app. - You need dictation in 49 languages, as Aqua's homepage lists. - Your team needs Single Sign-On, Team Billing or Zero Data Retention. Those sit on the Business plan. - You want to test the cloud app first, using the 1,000-word Free plan. ## Where VoiceInk is the better pick - You want to pay once and keep the app with lifetime updates. - You want audio processed on your Mac by default, with cloud enhancement off. - You want custom words, Smart Replace, filler word cleanup and list or email formatting. - You want to rewrite selected text by spoken instruction, or keep a Markdown journal. - You like open-source software. VoiceInk is licensed under GPL-3.0, and its code is on GitHub. ## Where Lazur fits in this comparison Lazur is not a dictation-only app, so it is not a like-for-like swap for either one. It is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask about anything on screen, and Lazur answers out loud. It listens and looks at the screen only while you hold the shortcut. Dictation is part of Lazur, but it is not the headline. Hold fn to dictate clean, formatted text at the cursor in any app. Lazur also has snippets, a personal dictionary and clipboard slots. Lazur runs on macOS, on Apple silicon and Intel. Windows is planned, not available. Ask where something is, and Lazur draws a circle and a label around it. Ask how to do something, and Lazur guides you one click at a time, waiting for each click. Lazur does not click buttons or operate other apps for you. Ask Lazur to walk you through it when you want the steps in order. Lazur's Pro plan is $18/month, or $15/month billed annually, with 150 AI actions. Power is $120/month, or $96/month billed annually, with 1,000 AI actions. Dictation is unlimited on both plans. There is a 3-day Pro trial, and no credit card is needed. ![Person dictating text on a Mac while comparing aqua voice vs voiceink](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/compare/aqua-voice-vs-voiceink/aqua-voice-vs-voiceink-1-3878cb.jpg) ## A worked example: a week of email and code Say you are a developer on an Apple silicon MacBook. You write commit messages, review notes and emails all day. You dictate for long stretches, and you do not need Windows. Both apps can handle that workload. The choice comes down to cost and where your audio goes. Aqua Pro at the annual rate is $10/month, and that charge repeats. VoiceInk Solo is $25 once for one Mac. The privacy question then decides the rest. Aqua keeps audio on its servers unless Privacy Mode is on. VoiceInk keeps transcription local unless you turn on cloud enhancement. Now take a different case. You use a MacBook, a Windows PC and an iPhone. You dictate notes on all three. Aqua Voice lists Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. VoiceInk covers your Mac, and its iOS version is listed separately. Check that the iOS version fits your phone workflow before you rely on it. ## Mistakes people make when comparing these apps - Comparing free tiers. Aqua's Free plan allows 1,000 words. The VoiceInk pages checked list no free tier. - Trusting the homepage privacy line. Read the policy. Metadata may still be collected, and the policy is silent on model training. - Assuming local means every feature is offline. VoiceInk's cloud enhancement is optional, and turning it on can send data out. - Buying VoiceInk without checking the macOS version. The website and README disagree. - Buying the wrong license size. Solo covers one Mac, Personal covers two and Extended covers three. - Treating vendor numbers as your results. Test with your own words and count the fixes. ![Writer typing on a laptop at a desk, weighing subscription and one-time app prices](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/compare/aqua-voice-vs-voiceink/aqua-voice-vs-voiceink-2-f25d1c.jpg) ## Which one to pick by situation | If you | Pick | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Work mainly on a Mac and want on-device transcription | VoiceInk | Local models by default, one-time price | | Use Windows, iPhone or Android too | Aqua Voice | Listed on all of those platforms | | Want to pay once and keep the app | VoiceInk | Solo is $25 with lifetime updates | | Want a voice assistant that sees your screen | Lazur | Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask, and Lazur answers out loud | | Use an Intel Mac | Lazur or Aqua Voice | VoiceInk needs Apple silicon. Confirm Aqua's Intel support on its site. | | Need a free start before paying | Aqua Voice | Free plan with 1,000 words | _Pick by the constraint that matters most to you._ ## What to do next before you pay 1. Open Apple menu > About This Mac and note your chip and macOS version. 2. Open Aqua's pricing page and confirm the plan you would buy. 3. Dictate the same paragraph into Aqua Voice and VoiceInk three times each. Count the fixes. 4. Turn on Privacy Mode in Aqua Voice and read the policy's metadata line. 5. If you buy VoiceInk, pick the license that matches your Mac count. Use the 14-day money-back guarantee if the results are weak. > **Trials and refunds differ:** VoiceInk's 14-day money-back guarantee is listed on its pricing page. Aqua's Free plan is a small allowance of 1,000 words, not a trial of paid features. Check what each refund or free tier covers before you start. ![Mac laptop on an office desk beside a notepad, the setting for daily dictation](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/compare/aqua-voice-vs-voiceink/aqua-voice-vs-voiceink-3-14d635.jpg) For more comparisons, read [Lazur vs Aqua Voice](https://www.lazur.app/compare/lazur-vs-aqua-voice) or [Lazur vs VoiceInk](https://www.lazur.app/compare/lazur-vs-voiceink). You can also browse [VoiceInk alternatives](https://www.lazur.app/alternatives/voiceink) or [Aqua Voice alternatives](https://www.lazur.app/alternatives/aqua-voice). ## FAQ ### Is Aqua Voice cheaper than VoiceInk? It depends on how long you keep the app. Aqua Pro is $10/month billed annually, or $12/month billed monthly. VoiceInk Solo is $25 once for one Mac. The Aqua price repeats each month. The VoiceInk price does not. ### Does VoiceInk work on Intel Macs? No. VoiceInk's pricing page says it works only on Apple silicon Macs and requires macOS 14.4 or later. Its GitHub README says macOS 15.0 or later. Check the release notes before you buy. ### Does Aqua Voice work offline? Not on the plans we checked. A SoftOrbits reviewer says Aqua has no offline mode on any plan. Aqua is cloud-only, so plan for a connection every time you dictate. ### Is Aqua Voice private with Privacy Mode on? Aqua's policy says it does not store dictation audio or transcript data with Privacy Mode on. Session metadata such as timestamps, device type and performance metrics may still be collected. The policy does not say whether data trains AI models. ### Does VoiceInk send my voice to the cloud? Its FAQ says it processes all voice transcription locally on your device. Cloud enhancement is optional. If you turn it on, data may leave your Mac. The site does not say what data, if any, is stored. ### Can Lazur replace Aqua Voice or VoiceInk? Only if you also want a voice assistant. Lazur dictates at the cursor when you hold fn, but dictation is not its headline. It is not a plugin for other apps, and it does not click buttons. For dictation alone, Aqua Voice or VoiceInk fit more directly. ### Which one is better for code? A SoftOrbits reviewer says Aqua is quick and accurate on code and technical terms. A Pragma-Code review calls VoiceInk the premier dictation software for macOS developers, and it includes referral links. Neither review is an independent test, so run your own sample. ### Is there a student discount? Aqua offers 70% off Pro and Max with a school email, on monthly or annual billing. The VoiceInk pages checked do not list a student discount. ## Sources 1. [Aqua Voice pricing](https://aquavoice.com/pricing), Aqua Voice (vendor), checked 2026-11-09 2. [Aqua Voice homepage](https://aquavoice.com/), Aqua Voice (vendor), checked 2026-11-09 3. [Aqua Voice privacy policy](https://aquavoice.com/privacy), Aqua Voice (vendor), checked 2026-11-09 4. [VoiceInk homepage](https://tryvoiceink.com), VoiceInk (vendor), checked 2026-11-09 5. [VoiceInk pricing](https://tryvoiceink.com/pricing), VoiceInk (vendor), checked 2026-11-09 6. [VoiceInk README](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Beingpax/VoiceInk/main/README.md), GitHub (VoiceInk repository), checked 2026-11-09 7. [SoftOrbits: Aqua Voice Review (2026)](https://www.softorbits.net/how-to/aqua-voice-review.html), SoftOrbits (competitor; discloses this), checked 2026-11-09 8. [Pragma-Code: VoiceInk review](https://www.pragma-code.de/en/blog-voiceink-ai-dictation-mac-local-whisper), Pragma-Code Editorial (includes referral links), checked 2026-11-09 9. [Comparing Speech and Keyboard Text Entry for Short Messages in Two Languages on Touchscreen Phones (arXiv:1608.07323)](https://arxiv.org/abs/1608.07323), arXiv, checked 2026-11-09 10. [Lazur](https://www.lazur.app), Lazur (vendor), checked 2026-11-05