What Wispr Flow gets right
Credit where it’s due: Wispr Flow made dictation popular, and its cleanup runs on a cloud model. It runs on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and covers 100+ languages. If you dictate across desktop and mobile, its coverage is broader today.
Where the trade-offs differ
- Network dependency. Wispr Flow transcribes in the cloud, so every dictation depends on a working network and service path. LockedIn Flow needs no network connection to dictate once its speech model is installed.
- Privacy controls. Wispr Flow documents separate controls for model improvement, Dictation Cloud Storage, local history and Context Awareness. Its Context Awareness help article says the feature is on by default and lists app, text, conversation and screenshot context among what it can include. LockedIn Flow processes dictation on the Mac and takes no screenshots; only opt-in edit learning, off by default, re-reads the field it just pasted into.
- Software model. LockedIn Flow is free under the MIT License. Enterprise deployment, terminology, maintenance, validation and support are optional services, not a requirement for using the software.
- Coverage. Wispr Flow supports more platforms and languages. LockedIn Flow runs on Apple silicon Macs and recognizes 25 European languages.
The structural differenceNo transcription server sits between your voice and your text. Parakeet TDT v3 runs on the Apple Neural Engine and cleanup stays on the Mac. Every transcript is saved to History before it’s pasted, and the paste is sent once, never retried: a paste that goes wrong never costs you the words, and nothing is typed twice. History lives in memory until you quit, by default; anything you choose to keep is encrypted.
Side by side
| Area | LockedIn Flow | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Audio processed | On your Mac | In its cloud |
| Works offline | Yes, once the speech model is installed | No |
| Screen and app context | No screenshots or screen text; the app in front picks the formatting profile; opt-in edit learning re-reads only the field just pasted into | Context Awareness on by default; Wispr’s help article lists text near the cursor, on-screen text and a screenshot among what it can include |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Cleanup | Local rules; optional on-device model on macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence | Cloud model |
| Platforms | Mac (Apple silicon) | Mac · Windows · iOS · Android |
| Languages | 25 European | 100+ |
| Software access | Free · MIT License | Vendor account and commercial terms |
Stronger on this rowWispr Flow facts from its documentation, Sept 26, 2026
Free software doesn’t mean unmanaged software
LockedIn Flow is MIT-licensed for personal and commercial use, and evaluating organizations can review the full source on request. Teams that want packaging, managed rollout, terminology, compatibility validation, maintenance or support can engage LockedIn Labs for those optional services. See enterprise services.
How to switch
- Request a build. Request a build for your team for Apple silicon Macs on macOS 15 or later, and plan installation and model setup with LockedIn Labs.
- Install and allow. Setup installs the app and the speech model. Allow the microphone, and Accessibility so it can paste for you. Without Accessibility, your words are copied for you to paste.
- Dictate. Click into any text field, press ⌃⇧Space, speak, and press it again.
- Teach it your words. Add names and jargon in Vocabulary, import them from CSV, or accept the terms it suggests from your history.
Where Wispr Flow is still better
Honesty boxCross-platform support (Windows, iOS, Android) and 100+ documented languages. LockedIn Flow runs on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 15 or later and focuses on 25 European languages. If you dictate across operating systems, keep Wispr Flow. If you live on a Mac and want dictation without sending audio to a transcription service, that’s why we exist.
SourcesWispr Flow claims reviewed September 26, 2026 against its official data controls, Context Awareness, system requirements and language support documentation. Tell us if something changes.