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An Aqua Voice alternative that is free and works offline
Aqua Voice is a fast, polished dictation app for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, built around its own cloud speech model, Avalon. Its Mac page says audio is processed in the cloud and that there is no offline mode, and the free plan covers your first 1,000 words. If you want dictation that stays on your Mac, works with Wi-Fi off and never asks for a subscription, VoxFlow Pro for Mac does that for free. Here is an honest look at when each one fits.
Get VoxFlow Pro for Mac, free →macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple Silicon and Intel. Notarized by Apple. No account, no word limit, no subscription.
The short answer
- Keep Aqua Voice if you want AI formatting with custom instructions, text that appears while you speak, voice commands, or one subscription for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. It does much more than VoxFlow.
- Try VoxFlow Pro for Mac if your audio must not leave your Mac, you dictate without internet, or you just want voice typing word for word with one push-to-talk key and no word limit.
- Use both if you like. Give them different shortcuts.
Side by side
Aqua Voice facts are from its official pricing page and its Mac page, read on 27 October 2026. Prices change, so check before you buy.
| VoxFlow Pro for Mac | Aqua Voice | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 0, there is no paid tier | Free for the first 1,000 words; Pro 10 USD a month billed annually or 12 USD month to month; Max 19 or 24 USD a month |
| Word limit | None | 1,000 words on Free, unlimited on Pro and Max |
| Where speech is transcribed | Always on your Mac (WhisperKit) | In the cloud, with Aqua's own Avalon model |
| Works without internet | Yes, after a one-time speech model download on first launch | No, there is no offline mode |
| Mac chip | Apple Silicon and Intel (universal app) | Apple Silicon and Intel (universal app) |
| macOS | macOS 14 or later | Not stated on the pages we read |
| System wide dictation | Yes: hold Globe, Caps Lock or right Shift, speak, release to type | Yes, voice typing in every Mac app |
| AI rewriting and extras | No, it types what you said | Custom Instructions and a Personal Dictionary on Pro; Realtime Mode and voice commands on Max |
| Other devices | Mac only | Windows, iPhone and Android with the same subscription |
| Privacy and security | Your audio never leaves your Mac | Audited for SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, GDPR and HIPAA; Privacy Mode stores nothing on Aqua's servers |
| Download size | 1.9 MB disk image | Not stated on the pages we read |
Privacy Mode changes what Aqua keeps, not where transcription happens: your audio still goes to Aqua's servers to be turned into text. VoxFlow Pro for Mac has no cloud option at all and works with Wi-Fi off.
Why someone looks for an alternative
Most people who search for an Aqua Voice alternative fall into one of two groups. The first used up the 1,000 free words, liked dictating, and does not want one more monthly subscription just to type with their voice. The second cannot send audio to a cloud service: client calls, patient notes, legal drafts, code under NDA, or simply dictating on a train or a plane without a connection. VoxFlow Pro for Mac is built for both. If you want your speech cleaned up and formatted by AI, or you dictate on Windows and your phone as well, Aqua Voice is the better tool and VoxFlow will not replace it.
What using VoxFlow looks like
- Download the disk image from the VoxFlow Pro for Mac page (1.9 MB), drag it to Applications, open it.
- Allow Microphone, then Accessibility in System Settings, so it can see the push-to-talk key.
- Click into any text field. Hold the key, say the sentence, release.
VoxFlow is signed with a Developer ID issued to BIT Technology s.r.o. and notarized by Apple, and the download page lists the SHA-256 checksum.
When VoxFlow is not the right replacement
- You want AI clean up. VoxFlow writes down what you said, word for word, filler words included.
- You want to see words while you speak. VoxFlow types the text after you release the key; Aqua Max has a Realtime Mode.
- You need custom vocabulary or instructions. VoxFlow has one built in model and one behavior everywhere.
- You dictate on Windows, iPhone or Android too. VoxFlow Pro for Mac is Mac only.
- You need automatic updates. VoxFlow Pro 1.0 has none; new builds are posted on the download page.
Other comparisons: which Mac dictation apps work offline, free dictation apps for Mac, Wispr Flow, Superwhisper and MacWhisper, a Superwhisper alternative, a VoiceInk alternative, and VoxFlow and macOS Dictation.
Questions
Does Aqua Voice work offline?
No. On 27 October 2026 Aqua Voice's Mac page said it processes audio in the cloud, where its Avalon model runs, and that there is no offline mode. VoxFlow Pro for Mac transcribes on your Mac and works without internet after a one-time speech model download on first launch.
How much does Aqua Voice cost?
On 27 October 2026 Aqua Voice's pricing page listed Free with the first 1,000 words, Pro at 10 USD a month billed annually or 12 USD month to month, Max at 19 USD a month billed annually or 24 USD month to month, and Business from 19 USD per seat a month with a minimum of 2 seats. Students get 70% off Pro and Max.
Is there a free Aqua Voice alternative without a word limit?
Yes. VoxFlow Pro for Mac is free, with no paid tier and no word limit. You hold a key, speak and release, and the text is typed into the app you are in. It does not rewrite or format your text with AI.
Does Aqua Voice work on Intel Macs?
Yes. Aqua Voice says one universal Mac download runs on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. VoxFlow Pro for Mac is a universal app too, so both work on Intel.
Try it
Get VoxFlow Pro for Mac, free →VoxFlow is made by BIT Technology s.r.o. and is not affiliated with the maker of Aqua Voice or with Apple. Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. Other names are trademarks of their owners.