SuperWhisper is the maximalist, multilingual Mac dictation tool. Murmur is the gesture-driven Mac app for Mac users who want a one-time price and the ability to send polished replies, not just transcripts.
Verified May 2026 · written by the Murmur team
Free quick mode forever. AI mode and Silent mode unlock with the licence. 14-day trial of Pro, 14-day refund.
Free tier with small local Whisper models and up to 3 custom modes. Pro at $8.49/mo or $84.99/yr. $249.99 lifetime covers Mac, Windows, and iOS.
SuperWhisper's lifetime licence is roughly 8.5x the cost of Murmur's. If you'd buy either app, the dollar question is: do you need 100+ languages and custom modes enough to pay an extra $220, or is the gesture-driven approach enough?
| Murmur | SuperWhisper | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $29 lifetime | $249.99 lifetime, or $84.99/yr |
| Free tier | Quick mode forever | Local Whisper, 3 custom modes |
| Local Whisper transcription | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI polish / cleanup | ✓ | ✓ |
| Screen-context screenshot for AI | ✓active window | n/a |
| Single-tap vs double-tap gesture | ✓ | mode picker |
| Silent polish (no audio) | ✓ | |
| Languages | 100+ via Whisper | 100+ |
| Platforms | Mac only | Mac, Win, iOS |
| Subscription option | $8.49/mo | |
| Bring your own API key | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subscription required | ||
| Vocabulary / snippets | ✓ | ✓ |
| Active-window-only screenshot | ✓ | n/a |
Cross-platform. SuperWhisper runs on macOS, Windows, and iOS. The lifetime licence covers all three. Murmur is Mac-only today and likely to stay that way for a while. If you split your time across operating systems or want dictation on your phone, SuperWhisper is the right tool.
Multilingual workflow tooling. Both apps transcribe 100+ languages via Whisper, so engine-level coverage is comparable. SuperWhisper's edge is the workflow around it: per-language custom modes, language auto-detect on each recording, and a more localised UI. Murmur transcribes the same languages with Whisper Large but you set the language in settings rather than letting it switch automatically per dictation. If you flip between five languages a day, SuperWhisper's auto-detect is genuinely useful. If you mostly dictate in one language with the occasional second, Murmur covers it fine.
Pricing flexibility. SuperWhisper offers Pro monthly ($8.49/mo) and annual ($84.99/yr) tiers alongside the $249.99 lifetime, plus a real free tier (small local Whisper models, up to 3 custom modes). Murmur is one tier: $29 lifetime, with quick mode free forever. If you want to try Pro features without committing or you prefer subscriptions, SuperWhisper has more options.
Maturity. SuperWhisper has been in active development for longer, has a larger user base, and has accumulated more features and edge-case handling. If you want the most battle-tested option, that's it.
Custom modes. SuperWhisper lets power users define multiple AI workflows (one for email, one for code comments, one for meeting notes, etc.), each with its own model, prompt, and behaviour. Murmur takes a different approach: three fixed modes on one hotkey, with a single editable system prompt. Simpler, but less flexible. If you want fine-grained control over multiple AI workflows, SuperWhisper is built for that.
Multiple AI provider options. SuperWhisper integrates with several AI providers. Murmur talks directly to Claude's API. If you specifically want to route polish through OpenAI, Groq, or a local LLM, SuperWhisper has you covered today; Murmur doesn't.
Price. $29 lifetime versus $249 lifetime. Same one-time payment model, roughly 8.5x cheaper. If you'd happily pay either, the cheaper one buys you eight other tools.
The gesture. Murmur's whole interaction model is one hotkey: hold to dictate, double-tap-and-hold to polish, double-tap silently to let Claude write the reply from the screenshot alone. No mode picker, no menu, no setting per use. The trade-off is less per-context configurability; the win is that you switch modes per utterance, which competitors can't replicate without a redesign.
Silent polish. Murmur's third mode (double-tap, don't speak) sends just a screenshot of the active window to Claude and writes the reply for you. It's the single most novel feature in this category, and SuperWhisper doesn't have an analogue.
Active-window-only screenshots. When you opt in to screen context, Murmur captures only the focused window. Never the full screen, never other apps, never your desktop. SuperWhisper doesn't take screenshots, so this isn't a comparison item there, but it's worth knowing if you'd otherwise consider Wispr Flow or Aqua Voice (which capture more).
Direct to the AI provider. Murmur's AI mode talks directly to api.anthropic.com using your API key. There's no Murmur server in the middle, no proxy, no metadata collection by us. SuperWhisper's local-first architecture is similar; the broader point is that neither of you should ever route through a third-party server you don't control.
Simpler. Three modes, one hotkey, one prompt, one priced tier. If you want a tool that disappears into the keyboard rather than another app to configure, the simpler product wins.
The full gesture demo, with live waveform and the polished reply pasted into Mail, lives on the Murmur homepage. Open it in a new tab to see how the three modes feel in practice.
Yes. Murmur is $29 lifetime; SuperWhisper is $249 lifetime. Murmur is roughly 8.5x cheaper for a one-time payment. SuperWhisper also offers a subscription tier at a lower upfront cost; Murmur doesn't.
Yes. Both apps let you bring your own API key, so the AI-provider relationship is portable. You'll need to recreate vocabulary and snippet entries in Murmur (there's no auto-import yet). SuperWhisper's lifetime licence stays valid; you'd be buying Murmur on top.
Quick mode does. Whisper transcription runs entirely on-device via Apple's MLX framework. AI mode and Silent mode need an internet connection to call Claude's API.
Yes. Murmur uses Whisper on-device via Apple's MLX framework, and the Large model covers 100+ languages, the same coverage as SuperWhisper. The default polish prompt is in English; switch it in settings for the language you dictate in. SuperWhisper has more workflow tooling for multilingual users (per-language custom modes, language auto-detect on each recording, more localised UI), so for users flipping between five languages a day SuperWhisper still has the edge on convenience.
No. All transcription happens on your Mac via local Whisper. Audio never leaves the device. The only thing that can leave (and only in AI mode, only if you opt in to screen context) is your transcript and one screenshot of the active window, sent directly to api.anthropic.com.
One hotkey, three modes. Hold Right ⌘ to dictate locally (Quick mode). Double-tap and hold to send the transcript and a screenshot to Claude for a polished reply (AI mode). Double-tap without speaking to send just the screenshot and let Claude write the reply from context (Silent mode).
Not yet. Murmur is Mac-only (macOS 12+, Apple Silicon). SuperWhisper covers Mac, Windows, and iOS, so if cross-platform is a hard requirement, SuperWhisper is the right pick. Wispr Flow is the other cross-platform option in this category.
Quick mode dictation is free forever. Install Murmur, hold Right ⌘, and see if the gesture clicks. If you want AI mode and Silent mode, the Pro licence is $29 once with a 14-day trial.