Comparison
Diktat vs. Willow Voice
Willow Voice is a subscription for Mac, Windows, and iPhone. Recognition runs on the vendor's servers by default. An optional mode recognizes locally on the device instead.
Diktat only knows the local path. Recognition always happens on the device, never on a server. You pay once for that, not every month.
At a glance.
| Diktat | Willow Voice | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | One-time purchase | Subscription, with a permanent free tier |
| Price | from €9.99 at launch, later €19.99. One purchase for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Mac app sold separately: €19.99, later €39.99. | Pro $15/month, $12/month billed yearly, per user. Business $35/month, $28/month billed yearly, per user (as of 6 August 2026). |
| Free to use | 5 dictations a day, permanently, with all recognitions | Free forever, unlimited: a smaller model (Frontier Mini, their term), 20 Scribe uses per week (as of 6 August 2026). |
| Where recognition runs | On the device | Primarily on the vendor's servers. An optional mode recognizes locally on the device. |
| Account | No account | Not stated on the vendor's site (as of 6 August 2026) |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch. The Mac app is a separate purchase. | Mac, Windows, iPhone. Android is in the works, per the vendor (as of 6 August 2026). |
| Apple Watch | Included in the purchase | Not stated on the vendor's site (as of 6 August 2026) |
| What happens after recognition | No language model runs over your text. No word changes unless you ask. | Not stated on the vendor's site (as of 6 August 2026) |
Prices and details checked on 6 August 2026 at willowvoice.com. Facts, not scores. What the vendor's site does not say, this page does not say either.
The core difference.
Willow Voice sends your recordings to the vendor's servers by default. An optional mode recognizes locally instead, without an internet connection. Diktat always recognizes on the device, across all three recognitions. A server that reads along does not exist with us. What happens to your text after recognition is not stated on Willow Voice's site.
Willow Voice runs on Mac, Windows, and iPhone. An Apple Watch is not mentioned on the vendor's site. Diktat covers iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Recording on the watch and pasting on the Mac works too. The iPhone transcribes in between, so it has to be nearby, and the handover takes a moment. The text then lands in the clipboard automatically, no copy button needed.
Willow Voice is a subscription, tiered by user and month: $15, or $12 billed yearly, on the Pro plan. The Basic plan stays free forever, with a smaller model and 20 Scribe uses per week. Diktat is a one-time purchase. For iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch you pay from €9.99 at launch, later €19.99. The Mac app costs €19.99 at launch, later €39.99, for three Macs, and 5 dictations a day stay free permanently.
When Willow Voice is the better fit.
You want to stay free permanently, without a purchase decision. Willow Voice's Basic plan runs indefinitely, with a smaller model and 20 Scribe uses per week.
You need recognition on Windows too. Diktat only runs inside the Apple ecosystem, while Willow Voice covers Mac, Windows, and iPhone alike.
Your team needs demonstrable compliance. Willow Voice's Business plan offers an enforced privacy mode with no data retention, SOC 2 Type II, and enforced HIPAA.
When Diktat is the better fit.
You want your dictation to never reach a server, in any mode. With Diktat, that is the only mode there is, not one option among several.
You also dictate on the Apple Watch. Willow Voice's site says nothing about that. With Diktat, the watch is included in the same purchase.
You want to pay once and be done. Diktat has no subscription and no monthly per-user billing.
Questions about the comparison.
Is Willow Voice local or cloud?
Both, depending on the mode. By default, recognition runs on the vendor's servers. An optional mode recognizes locally on the device, without an internet connection. Diktat only knows the local path, across all three recognitions.
What does Willow Voice cost compared to Diktat?
Willow Voice is a subscription: the Pro plan costs $15 a month, or $12 billed yearly. The Basic plan is free forever, per the vendor (as of 6 August 2026). Diktat is a one-time purchase, from €9.99 at launch, later €19.99, covering iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The Mac app costs €19.99 at launch, later €39.99, sold separately.
Is Willow Voice's permanent free tier a real advantage?
Yes. Willow Voice's Basic plan runs indefinitely, with no trial period, a smaller model, and 20 Scribe uses per week. Diktat caps free use at 5 dictations a day, but with all recognitions included.
Why choose Diktat over Willow Voice?
Diktat is worth it if you never want your dictation reaching a server, not even optionally. You pay once for that, not every month. If you need Windows or a compliance offer for your team, Willow Voice is the better fit. This page says so on purpose.
Try Diktat.
5 dictations a day are free. No account, no subscription. The purchase is one-time.