Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
MacWhisper is a macOS program that transcribes finished audio and video recordings with local Whisper models on the device itself, not real-time dictation. Russian is supported, and there is no Windows version. Potok (potok.now) is built for a different task: it inserts text into any field on Windows and macOS as you dictate, with a free limit of 2500 words per week.
Buying MacWhisper expecting live dictation into your work fields, and finding a transcriber for finished recordings, is a common misunderstanding, because the tasks look alike. MacWhisper is excellent at transcribing interviews, meetings and voice notes, but it does not insert text as you speak: first the recording, then the whole file is processed. The program also exists only for macOS, and there is simply no Windows version. If you need on-the-fly dictation or a program for both systems, look at other options. A list of such options is collected in the section voice input alternatives.
Why people look for a MacWhisper replacement
The main reason is different tasks. Judging by the version name in the App Store (Whisper Transcription), MacWhisper is made for transcribing recordings that already exist: drop in a file, get text. Real-time dictation, where words appear in the working field as you speak, is not part of that model. That is not a shortcoming but a different product.
The second reason is the platform. MacWhisper exists only for macOS. If the work computer runs Windows, the program will simply not install, and the search for a replacement is driven by compatibility, not by recognition quality.
The third reason is confusion over price. The same program is sold differently in different places: a one-time purchase through Gumroad with lifetime updates, and separately a version in the App Store where you can choose a yearly subscription or a one-time purchase at a different price. It is hard to compare these options with each other, and the payment method from Russia is not clearly described anywhere.
The fourth is the size of the team. MacWhisper is backed by a small studio from the Netherlands, not a large company. For some this is a plus, a developer close to its users. For others it is a reason to think about long-term support and the speed of updates.
| Service | Platforms | Free | Price | Payment from Russia | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potok bot and web version | Telegram (@potok_now_bot, mini app inside the bot) | 60 minutes per month | 7 days: 249 ₽, 30 days: 449 ₽, one year: 2 890 ₽; included in the Potok app subscription | Russian bank cards, rubles | cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| Otter.ai | Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension, Desktop (Mac/Windows), integrations with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet | Basic: 300 minutes of transcription per month, up to 30 minutes per meeting, 3 imported files over the whole lifetime of the account, free forever | $16.99/mo (Pro, monthly billing, 1200 min/mo); $8.33/mo (Pro, billed yearly (the full year is charged at once)); $30/mo (Business, monthly billing) | not directly: dollar billing through international payment processors declines cards issued in Russia and Belarus (confirmed by independent Russian-language guides on dtf.ru and vc.ru; no official Otter.ai statement about blocking Russia was found, this follows from general payment system restrictions) | cloud, US servers (the company is registered in the USA); the exact data center is not disclosed on the pricing page |
| Transkriptor | Web | 10 minutes on sign-up, limited to 2 min/day (according to the localized Russian site transkriptor.ru); the international site transkriptor.com states a free trial (up to 90 minutes according to secondary sources; the official pricing page could not be opened directly because it timed out) | 490 ₽/one-time (Start, 150 minutes (transkriptor.ru)); 790 ₽/one-time (Pro, 700 minutes (transkriptor.ru)); 1900 ₽/one-time (Premium, 2100 minutes (transkriptor.ru)) | yes, on the localized site transkriptor.ru: Visa/Mastercard/Mir bank cards with no fee, SBP via QR code with no fee, YooMoney with a 3% fee; payments are one-off (no subscription) and processed by the KASSA service. The international site transkriptor.com presumably bills in dollars; this is not confirmed directly (the pricing page timed out) | not disclosed |
| SaluteSpeech Bot (Sber) | Telegram | free; voice messages, audio and video notes | — | not disclosed | SaluteSpeech cloud (Sber) |
| Voicy (@voicybot) | Telegram | free; on the Wit.ai engine, recordings of up to 50 seconds | — | not disclosed | Wit.ai, Yandex SpeechKit or Google Speech; the user chooses the engine |
| Voicee (@Voicee_AI_Bot) | Telegram, Web | 45 minutes to start | 500 ₽/hour of recording (without a package; cheaper with packages) | rubles | not disclosed |
| KolerskyAI Whisper Bot | Telegram | the first 5 minutes | 69 ₽/15 minutes; 149 ₽/50 minutes; 490 ₽/200 minutes | rubles | not disclosed |
| Transkribator (@gotranscribeai_bot) | Telegram, Max | 3 transcriptions per month | — | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Voix (@RecogMyAudioBot) | Telegram | voice messages up to 15 minutes, video up to 6 minutes | — | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Telegram voice message transcription | Telegram | without Premium, a few transcriptions per week; with Premium, no limit on their number | — | not disclosed | Telegram servers |
| Speech2Text.ru | Web | 3 hours on sign-up | — | not disclosed | not disclosed |
What to check in a replacement
Before installing a replacement, work out which of the two tasks you are really solving with MacWhisper.
- Define the scenario: you need on-the-fly dictation straight into a work field, or transcription of audio and video recordings that already exist. MacWhisper can only do the second.
- Check the platform: MacWhisper is macOS only, and if any of your computers run Windows, you need a program that works on both systems.
- Compare the total cost across all purchase options, a one-time license and a subscription, not just the first figure you see on the site.
- Find out the payment method from Russia in advance, not during checkout. For MacWhisper it is not clearly described anywhere.
- Check where recognition physically happens by default, on the device as with MacWhisper or on the developer's server, and what exceptions there are to that rule.
- Find out whether there is a personal dictionary for terms and names that a general model often distorts.
- Assess the size of the team behind the service: a small independent studio may respond to feedback faster, but is not always predictable in how the product develops years ahead.
- Check the quality of Russian speech recognition on your own text, not on a general claim of language support.
| Service | Platforms | Free | Price | Payment from Russia | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potok bot and web version | Telegram (@potok_now_bot, mini app inside the bot) | 60 minutes per month | 7 days: 249 ₽, 30 days: 449 ₽, one year: 2 890 ₽; included in the Potok app subscription | Russian bank cards, rubles | cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| MacWhisper | macOS | A free version is available ("Free forever", limited functionality), Pro is paid | €64/one-time (Pro, one-time purchase through Gumroad, lifetime updates); $29.99/yr (Pro, App Store version ("Whisper Transcription"), subscription); $99.99/one-time (Pro, App Store version, one-time purchase) | not disclosed | on the device (offline) by default, with local Whisper models; there are optional cloud transcription providers, but not as the main mode |
Where Potok will not replace MacWhisper
Potok will not replace MacWhisper in its main task, transcribing audio and video recordings that already exist. Potok recognizes only what you say right now, during dictation, and does not work with finished files at all. If you need to turn a meeting recording, an interview or a voice message into text, MacWhisper can do that, and Potok cannot.
Potok will not replace a fully offline mode either. MacWhisper by default recognizes speech with local models on the device itself, while Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work at all without the internet. If audio must not leave the computer, the difference is exactly here, not in how convenient the interface is. A program with fully offline recognition in Russian is covered in the comparison of GigaType and Potok.
One more nuance: MacWhisper is a macOS-only program, but with no weekly word limit after a one-time purchase, whereas Potok's free plan is limited to 2500 words per week.
Frequently asked questions
No, MacWhisper exists only for macOS. Windows users need a separate program for transcription or dictation.
No. Judging by the version name in the App Store (Whisper Transcription), MacWhisper is a transcriber for audio and video files that are already recorded. For dictation, where text appears in the field as you speak, you need a separate program.
It depends on the Mac. On a Mac with Apple Silicon, ordinary text dictation (messages, notes, but not the search field) is processed on the device and is not sent to Siri servers. You can see this in System Settings → Keyboard under Dictation. Whether Apple keeps recordings of your dictations is decided by the Improve Siri & Dictation switch in Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements.
No. According to Apple's help, you can dictate text of any length with no time limit. Dictation stops when you press Esc, the microphone key or the Dictation shortcut, and it stops on its own if no speech is heard for 30 seconds.
It depends on the Mac. On a Mac with Apple Silicon, ordinary text dictation (messages, notes, but not the search field) is processed on the device. On Intel Macs and in some scenarios, audio goes to Apple servers, and then you need the internet. You can see exactly in System Settings → Keyboard: under Dictation it says whether the internet is needed and whether speech is processed on the device.
Turn on Dictation: Apple menu → System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation. Then put the cursor in a text field, start dictation with the microphone key (if there is one in the function key row), the dictation shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation, and begin speaking.
Recording to text
Send a recording to Potok's Telegram bot or upload a file of up to 2 GB in the bot's mini app. The first 60 minutes of every month are free.
Open @potok_now_bot in TelegramPrimary sources: macwhisper.com · docs.macwhisper.com · www.getvoibe.com · support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com
Transcribe a recording in Telegram
Voice messages, video notes, audio and video are transcribed by Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: forward it a voice message from any chat, or send a file or a YouTube, VK Video or RuTube link. A short recording comes back as text in the chat, a long one as a file; timestamps and speaker labels can be turned on. The buttons give a short summary, tasks and deadlines, an answer to a question about the recording and export to TXT, DOCX, PDF or SRT. Large files, up to 2 GB, are easier to upload in the bot's mini app, via the Upload button next to the input field. The bot recognizes Russian speech; 60 minutes per month are free.