Aqua Voice: Aqua Voice is an AI-powered, system-wide voice dictation app that turns speech into refined text in real time across the apps you already use on Mac and iPhone. Whisperstream: Whisperstream is a privacy-focused Windows dictation app that turns speech into text entirely on-device, with no cloud upload. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Aqua Voice when dictating emails, documents, and slack messages hands-free across desktop apps matters most, and Whisperstream when transcribing imported audio recordings privately on-device matters most. Run both through a week of actual calls to see which suits your workflow.
Aqua Voice is an AI-powered, system-wide voice dictation app that turns speech into refined text in real time across the apps you already use on Mac and iPhone.
Whisperstream is a privacy-focused Windows dictation app that turns speech into text entirely on-device, with no cloud upload.
Aqua Voice is an AI dictation tool built by Aqua Voice, Inc. (a Y Combinator startup) that converts spoken words into written text in real time. Rather than a standalone transcription window, it works system-wide: users hold a key (such as Space) and speak, and the dictated text is inserted into whatever app is in focus, including Gmail, Google Docs, Slack, code editors, and AI chat tools. It runs on macOS and iOS, with the iPhone app now live. Aqua is powered by Avalon, the company's proprietary speech-to-text model trained on prompt-style speech, code, and email, and it refines grammar and phrasing as you talk. It supports context awareness of on-screen content, a custom dictionary for technical terms and names, natural-language editing commands ("make this a list," "rephrase that"), style adaptation, and multilingual input across dozens of languages. It is aimed at developers, knowledge workers, and content creators who want a faster alternative to typing for emails, documents, messages, prompts, and code.
Best suited for
Whisperstream is a downloadable Windows desktop application from Lanreal Technologies Inc. that converts speech to text using push-to-talk dictation. Transcription runs entirely locally on the user's PC via the NVIDIA Parakeet model, so audio is never uploaded to the cloud and no account is tied to the user's voice. It works across any application without add-ins or setup, inserting dictated text directly into tools such as Outlook, Gmail, Slack, VS Code, browsers, and Claude Code. Beyond live dictation, it can import and transcribe existing audio recordings, and it keeps a searchable transcript history with audio replay, encrypted on the device. Additional features include AI cleanup that tidies spoken input, a custom vocabulary for names, jargon, and acronyms, per-app custom AI prompts, support for 25 languages, global keyboard shortcuts, and full offline operation. It requires Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) with at least 8GB RAM. It targets professionals and privacy-conscious knowledge workers who want fast, local voice input rather than typing.
Best suited for
Aqua Voice is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Whisperstream is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Aqua Voice | Whisperstream |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any focused app (Gmail, Docs, Slack, code editors, AI chats) | Local, on-device speech-to-text using the NVIDIA Parakeet model (no cloud upload) |
| Standout feature | Avalon proprietary speech-to-text model tuned for technical vocabulary, code, and prompt-style speech | Push-to-talk dictation that inserts text into any application |
| Team usage | Custom dictionary for names, brands, and technical terms | Audio file import for transcribing existing recordings |
| Integrations | Natural-language editing commands like 'make this a list' or 'rephrase that' mid-dictation | Searchable, encrypted transcript history with audio replay |
| Languages & capture | Context awareness of on-screen content, including code syntax | AI cleanup plus per-app custom AI prompts and custom vocabulary |
| Best-fit workflow | Multilingual input across dozens of languages | 25-language support with full offline operation |
Aqua Voice
Choose Aqua Voice if you need dictating emails, documents, and slack messages hands-free across desktop apps — strengths include low-friction, system-wide voice input that works inside existing apps with no per-app setup.
Whisperstream
Choose Whisperstream if you need dictating emails, messages, and documents faster than typing — strengths include fully local processing keeps audio private and works offline.
Aqua Voice
Whisperstream
It depends on your workflow. Aqua Voice is strong for dictating emails, documents, and slack messages hands-free across desktop apps, while Whisperstream is strong for dictating emails, messages, and documents faster than typing. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Aqua Voice is a free tier with paid upgrades and Whisperstream is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Sure. Running both makes sense when their strengths don't overlap and the budget allows.
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