Parlo vs superwhisper: on-device dictation

Parlo and superwhisper both transcribe on-device with a hold-Option hotkey on Mac. Pick superwhisper if you want more platforms and a choice of local or cloud models. Pick Parlo if you want a free beta, no account, and an iPhone keyboard alongside the Mac app. The table compares platforms, price, and history.

By Eric Friedman. Last updated 2026-09-08. Competitor facts checked on the dates in Sources.

superwhisper and Parlo for Mac share a similar hotkey pattern: hold a key, speak, and release to insert text. superwhisper's home page describes pressing Option plus space. Parlo for Mac uses a hold-Option hotkey by default, with a custom shortcut available in Settings. The two apps differ most in platform reach and pricing model.

superwhisper's home page frames its on-device mode around working without a network connection at all. That is close to how Parlo's transcription and cleanup already work day to day, aside from the one-time system model download on first run. The difference shows up in the choice: superwhisper lets you opt into a cloud model when you want one. Parlo does not offer that option in either direction.

What superwhisper does better

superwhisper runs on more platforms, including Windows and iPad. It gives you a choice: transcribe fully on-device, or add your own API key to use a cloud model when you want one. Its language list covers over 100 languages with translation to English. It also offers a one-time lifetime purchase alongside monthly and yearly plans.

What Parlo does better

Parlo runs on iPhone as a keyboard extension, which superwhisper's site does not describe. If you dictate from your phone's keyboard in any app, Parlo covers that case directly. Parlo costs nothing during the beta and needs no account. If you turn on history sync, it moves through your private iCloud end-to-end encrypted. superwhisper's site did not state whether it keeps a dictation history at all.

Who should pick which

If you dictate mainly on a Mac and want a choice between fully on-device processing and an occasional cloud model with your own key, superwhisper covers more ground. The same is true if you also use Windows or an iPad. If you want an iPhone keyboard next to your Mac hotkey, on-device processing with no bring-your-own-key step, and a free beta with no account, Parlo fits that.

Writers and clinicians who want one on-device path with nothing to configure may prefer Parlo's simpler setup. There is no model picker and no API key field that could be left pointed at a cloud provider by mistake. Founders and operators who already dictate from an iPhone keyboard for Slack messages and quick notes get that surface from Parlo directly. superwhisper's site describes Mac, Windows, iOS, and iPad support without naming an iOS keyboard extension. People doing hands-free dictation for RSI who want the same hold-key pattern on Mac will find both apps behave similarly at the hotkey level. The choice comes down to platform reach and pricing rather than the gesture itself.

Over a full year, superwhisper's monthly plan runs $101.88, its annual plan $84.99, and its lifetime purchase $249.99 once, per its own pricing doc. Parlo has no equivalent purchase to weigh, since it is free for the whole beta. superwhisper's dedicated pricing URL returned a 404 on the day this page was checked. These figures come from its closest published equivalent, a get-started doc for Pro.

People doing hands-free dictation for accessibility reasons, such as RSI, may find the two hotkey gestures feel almost identical, since both hold a key and release. Parlo's iPhone keyboard and app also carry the larger tap targets, clearer permission screens, and better VoiceOver labels added in the build 54 accessibility pass. superwhisper's site does not describe comparable detail.

Switching notes

If you already pay for superwhisper Pro and rely on its cloud model option or Windows and iPad support, there is no reason to drop it to try Parlo, since Parlo does not run on those platforms yet. If you dictate mainly on Mac and want to try Parlo's iPhone keyboard too, the switch looks like this:

1. Download Parlo for Mac from the beta page, or install Parlo for iPhone from TestFlight, or both.
2. On iPhone, turn on the Parlo keyboard in Settings and allow Full Access.
3. On Mac, hold Option to dictate, the same gesture pattern as superwhisper's Option plus space.
4. Re-add names and terms you rely on to Parlo's custom dictionary, since superwhisper's vocabulary does not carry over.

Try both for a few days before canceling a superwhisper subscription. Parlo is a beta and English-first, with no cloud model to fall back on if a dictation comes out rough. Reply to beta@parlokey.com with anything that looks wrong, since that feedback shapes the next build.