Acousmos vs Aqua Voice
Both put fast AI dictation behind a hotkey in every app. The difference is what happens after the words land — and where your voice goes.
Aqua Voice is a cloud-based dictation tool built around its own Avalon speech model, covering macOS, Windows, and iOS. Acousmos is Mac-only and built for ownership: run transcription through your own API keys or fully local, offline models, translate as you speak, and keep every dictation — audio and text — in a permanent, searchable archive on your Mac. Their engine everywhere, or your voice on your machine — that's the choice.
Side by side
| Acousmos | Aqua Voice | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS (Apple Silicon) | macOS · Windows · iOS |
| Where transcription runs | Managed cloud, your own keys, or fully local | Cloud only |
| Works offline | Yes — local models (Pro) | No |
| Bring your own API keys | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Permanent searchable voice archive | Core feature — audio + text, local, exportable | Transcript history |
| AI clean-up & formatting | Built-in styles + per-app routing | Custom instructions (Pro) |
| Custom dictionary | Yes, with auto-learning | 5 entries free · 800 on Pro |
| Voice translation | Built in | — |
| Languages | 100+ · deep EN/中文 incl. IME handling | 49 |
| Free option | 1-month full Pro trial, no card | 1,000 free words to start |
| Price | Plus $12.99/mo · Pro $17.99/mo — 2 Macs included | Pro $8/mo billed yearly |
Aqua Voice details from aquavoice.com (pricing, download, and privacy pages), July 2026. Corrections welcome: support@acousmos.com.
Beyond the table, Acousmos also ships: per-app smart routing, a Playground for comparing AI styles and engines side by side, usage stats, snippets, and a three-layer custom dictionary that learns from your edits. Every paid plan covers 2 Macs.
Their engine, or your Mac.
Trust model
Every Aqua Voice dictation runs through its cloud engine, and the tool needs a network to work. Acousmos offers the same managed-cloud convenience if you want it, plus two exits Aqua doesn't have: route everything through your own provider keys, or run fully local models where audio never leaves the machine at all.
Transcripts vs an archive
Aqua Voice keeps a history of your transcripts. Acousmos treats your voice as an asset: every dictation — original audio and text — lands in a permanent, full-text-searchable archive on your Mac, in an open format you can export anytime, kept forever whether or not you stay subscribed. Years of your thinking, searchable in seconds, replayable in your own voice.
Where Aqua Voice is genuinely stronger
Platform reach — Windows and iPhone apps that Acousmos doesn't have — plus screen-context awareness when you're drafting. If you need dictation beyond the Mac, that is a need Acousmos doesn't cover.
Questions.
Does Aqua Voice work offline?
No offline or local-model mode is listed on Aqua's site as of July 2026 — dictation runs through its cloud service and its Avalon model. Acousmos Pro can run fully local models that work offline, including in airplane mode.
Can I use my own API keys with Aqua Voice?
As of July 2026, Aqua Voice does not offer a bring-your-own-keys option — everything runs through its own cloud engine. Acousmos Pro lets you route inference through your own provider keys, or skip the cloud entirely with local models.
Which should I choose?
Choose Aqua Voice if you also dictate on Windows or iPhone. Choose Acousmos if you are on a Mac and want ownership: local or bring-your-own-keys processing, translation built in, 100+ languages with deep English and Chinese support, and a permanent searchable archive of everything you say — audio included — stored on your machine.
Is Acousmos a good Aqua Voice alternative?
For Mac users who want ownership, yes: Acousmos adds offline local models, bring-your-own-keys, built-in voice translation, 100+ languages, and a permanent archive that keeps audio alongside text. The one-month Pro trial makes it easy to run Acousmos as a full Aqua Voice replacement for a few days before deciding. If you also dictate on Windows or iPhone, Aqua Voice covers devices Acousmos doesn't.
One month of Pro, free.
No signup, no card. Or compare speech-to-text engines with your own voice in Arena first.