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MacWhisper vs MacParakeet: catalog facts
MacWhisper	MacParakeet
Freemium Sold through Gumroad; check the store page for the current free and paid options.	Free Free with no subscription; the source is published on GitHub.
macOS	macOS
Transcription runs locally on the Mac Choice of Whisper, Qwen and Parakeet models	Speech recognition runs on the device Dictation works in any app's text field
macOS only Closed source	Apple Silicon Macs only, macOS 14.2 or later Still a pre-1.0 release
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.