Vs · Aqua Voice
Dictate vs Aqua Voice
Both are cloud dictation apps with an $8 base plan. Aqua adds higher tiers; Dictate has one. Dictate is our app.
Their pitch
Built for developers
Pricing
Pro is $8 a month or $96 a year. Realtime mode and voice commands need the $24 Max tier.
Terminals
Their site documents Warp, Ghostty, and iTerm2. Aqua says its model is trained on prompts, commands, and code.
Getting started
Starter includes 1,000 free words.
Privacy
Its site says nothing is stored on its servers and lists Zero Data Retention for Enterprise.
Our pitch
One plan, everything in it
Pricing
$8 a month includes every Dictate feature, with no word caps.
Terminals
Hold, speak, release. Dictate treats a terminal like any focused field.
Getting started
No free tier. Unused subscriptions are refunded in full.
Privacy
Audio travels over TLS, is transcribed, then discarded. History stores text only.
The sticker price is a tie. What sits behind it isn't.
Side by side
| Dimension | Dictate | Aqua Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Base price Aqua also sells Pro at $96/year and a Team tier at $12 per user per month (their pricing page, July 2026). | $8/month, one plan | $8/month Pro |
| Everything included at the base price Aqua puts realtime mode and voice commands on its $24/month Max tier. Dictate has no tier above $8. | Yes | No |
| Free tier Aqua Starter includes 1,000 free words. Dictate has no free tier; a subscription you never used is refunded in full. | No | Yes |
| Audio discarded after transcription Dictate sends audio over TLS, transcribes it server-side, then discards it. Aqua’s site says nothing is stored on their servers; Zero Data Retention is listed as an Enterprise feature. | Yes | Unknown, see vendor docs |
| History keeps text, never recordings Dictate’s history keeps text only. Aqua’s site says nothing is stored on their servers. | Yes | Unknown, see vendor docs |
| A dropped connection can’t lock you out Your subscription check is a signed ticket cached on your Mac. Transcription itself still needs a connection, in both apps. | Yes | Unknown, see vendor docs |
| Works in terminals (iTerm, Warp, Ghostty) A genuine Aqua strength: they publish detailed terminal guides. Dictate treats a terminal as any other focused field. | Yes | Yes |
| iOS app Dictate is Mac only. | No | Yes |
| Realtime streaming transcription Dictate inserts the finished text when you release the key. Aqua offers realtime mode on Max only. | No | Partial |
| Custom dictionary Aqua Pro includes 800 dictionary values per its pricing page. | Yes | Yes |
Cells marked “Unknown, see vendor docs” mean we couldn’t verify the capability from public sources at time of writing. We’d rather say “we don’t know” than guess.
The honest call
Choose Aqua Voice if…
You want a free tier, need iOS, or want realtime streaming on the $24 Max tier. Aqua also has stronger terminal-specific documentation.
Dictate instead keeps every feature at $8 and discards audio after transcription. Check Aqua’s current pricing because tiers can change.
Keep comparing
Other matchups
- Dictate vs Wispr Flow, for another cloud comparison.
- Dictate vs Superwhisper, for local processing.
- Wispr Flow alternatives, for the wider field.
- Dictate's pricing, for the current plan.
Vs · Aqua Voice
Questions people ask
Short answers, checked against both apps' public pages in July 2026.
Is Aqua Voice cheaper than Dictate?
No. Both base plans cost $8 a month. Aqua’s realtime mode and voice commands require its $24 Max tier; Dictate includes all its features at $8.
Does Aqua Voice have a free plan?
Yes. Aqua Starter includes 1,000 free words as of July 2026. Dictate has no free tier. Unused subscriptions are refunded; after any transcription, the month is non-refundable.
Which one is better for terminal work?
Both insert into terminals. Aqua documents Warp, Ghostty, and iTerm2 and says its model is trained on prompts and commands. Dictate treats a terminal like any focused field.
Is either app local or on-device?
No. Both transcribe in the cloud. Dictate sends audio over TLS, transcribes it, then discards it. Aqua’s site says nothing is stored on its servers and lists Zero Data Retention for Enterprise.
Does Dictate work offline?
Transcription needs a connection. The signed subscription check is cached on your Mac and works offline.
Skip the tier math.
$8 a month, flat. Cancel any time; a subscription you never used is refunded in full.