Comparison

Speaky Box
vs Superwhisper

Superwhisper runs speech models on your own Mac and lets you configure everything. Speaky Box runs in the cloud and configures itself. Two good answers to different questions.

Best for
Speaky BoxPeople who want it to just work, especially in AI apps
SuperwhisperPeople who want offline, local and fully configurable
Where it runs
Speaky BoxCloud speech and language models
SuperwhisperLocal models on your Mac, offline
Setup
Speaky BoxInstall, allow mic, pick a key
SuperwhisperChoose models, write modes and prompts
Free plan
Speaky Box2,000 words a week
SuperwhisperTrial, then a licence
prompt

Speaky Box's prompt structuring works out of the box. In Superwhisper you can build something similar by writing your own mode and prompt.

The core difference

Superwhisper downloads speech models to your Mac and runs them there. Nothing leaves your machine, it works on a plane, and you can pick bigger models for accuracy or smaller ones for speed. Speaky Box sends audio to a large speech model in the cloud and gets text back in about a second, then deletes the audio. Local wins on privacy and offline use; cloud wins on accuracy per second and on not having to think about it.

Configuration

Superwhisper is a toolkit. You create modes, each with its own prompt, and switch between them. If you enjoy that, you can build exactly what you want. Speaky Box ships with the modes built in: Dictate for tidy text, Smart for app-aware writing that already knows what a prompt, an email and a message look like. You can edit the prompt template and add your words, but you don't have to touch anything to get started.

AI prompting

Speaky Box's Smart key turns a ramble into a structured prompt automatically when Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor is in front. Superwhisper can do this if you write a mode for it and remember to switch to it. The result can be as good; the difference is whether you want to build it.

Accuracy on names and terms

Both let you add vocabulary. Speaky Box's Words list is applied to both keys and to every app. Superwhisper's depends on the model you've chosen and how you've set the mode up.

Price

Speaky Box: free for 2,000 words a week, £8.99 a month unlimited. Superwhisper: a trial, then a paid licence (see their site for current pricing). Superwhisper has no per-word limits because nothing runs on their servers.

The verdict

Pick Superwhisper if

you need offline, you want nothing to leave your Mac, or you like building your own modes and picking your own models.

Pick Speaky Box if

you want the best accuracy with zero setup, and you want prompts, emails and messages written properly without configuring anything.

Questions

Things people ask.

Is local transcription as accurate as cloud?
Large local models are close on clear speech. Cloud models still lead on accents, crosstalk and technical vocabulary, and they don't slow down your Mac while they run.
Can Speaky Box work offline?
No. It needs a connection.
Does Speaky Box keep my audio?
No. It's transcribed and deleted. Your history is on your Mac and can be switched off.

Try it free.

2,000 words a week, both keys, every app. No card.

Download for Mac