Listen Orb vs. Wispr Flow
Wispr Flow is a cross-platform service. Listen Orb is a focused Mac app with a one-time license and your own OpenAI API key.
14-day trial · no card required · $69 launch price through August 31
At-a-glance comparison
| Topic | Listen Orb | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $69 launch price through August 31; $99 regular one-time price | $0 Free plan; Pro is $15/month or $144/year |
| Trial or free access | 14-day full trial; no card required | Free: 2,000 words/week on desktop, 1,000/week on iPhone, and unlimited on Android; Pro trials vary by signup |
| Platforms | macOS | macOS, Windows, iPhone, and Android |
| Account | No Listen Orb account | Wispr Flow account and sign-in required |
| Internet | Required for OpenAI transcription | Required; Flow cannot transcribe offline |
| Speech service | Uses your OpenAI API key; audio goes directly to OpenAI | Wispr-managed cloud service; documented consumer setup does not ask for an OpenAI key |
| Vocabulary | Custom terms with multiple local spoken forms | Synced dictionary, correction rules, optional automatic learning, and snippets |
| Devices | Up to three Macs per license | One account works across multiple supported devices |
| Data controls | Audio goes directly to OpenAI with your key; no Mac-app analytics | Managed cloud with configurable model-improvement, cloud-sync, and local-history controls |
Who each product suits
Choose Listen Orb if
Choose Wispr Flow if
Where Wispr Flow does more
Wispr Flow supports macOS, Windows, iPhone, and Android, while Listen Orb is Mac-only.
Wispr manages the service, so its consumer setup does not ask you to configure an OpenAI API key or separate OpenAI billing.
Flow Free limits vary by platform: 2,000 words per week on desktop, 1,000 per week on iPhone, and unlimited on Android. Pro offers unlimited dictation across supported platforms.
Dictionaries, snippets, and supported personalization can sync across devices; business offerings add administration features.
Things to consider
Mac only; no Windows, iPhone, or Android app.
No offline transcription or local model.
You create an OpenAI API key and pay OpenAI API usage separately.
One license covers up to three Macs, not an unbounded device fleet.
No free-forever tier, team administration, or cross-device cloud sync.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary entry
Spoken
“Send the revised launch notes to mick allister.”
Inserted
Send the revised launch notes to McAllister.
Made for technical terms
Teach a spoken form such as “post gress Q L” for PostgreSQL. Vocabulary replacements are designed to avoid recognized code, commands, URLs, email addresses, handles, identifiers, and paths.
Spoken forms are not sent to OpenAI. Vocabulary exports include them. Preferred terms may be sent as transcription hints.
Privacy
Listen Orb sends audio directly to OpenAI with your key. Wispr Flow uses its managed cloud service.
Listen Orb records only while you dictate. Your OpenAI key is stored in Keychain. Settings and vocabulary stay on your Mac.
Audio goes directly to OpenAI using your key. Preferred terms may be sent as hints. Contextual polish may also send a short nearby-text excerpt. OpenAI bills your API project.
Finished text returns to Listen Orb and appears in the active field.
Current Listen Orb pricing
Simple ownership
Try every feature for 14 days with no card. One license works on up to 3 Macs.
Pay once for the Mac app. There is no recurring Listen Orb fee.
Pay OpenAI for what you use. Usage-based API billing can cost less than a fixed dictation subscription. Your actual cost depends on how much you dictate and the model you use. ChatGPT subscriptions do not include API usage.
One-time Mac license
Verification and independence
Listen Orb is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wispr Flow. Pricing and features were checked August 25, 2026 and may change.
Try it in the apps you already use
Try every feature for 14 days. No card required.