When should I choose Glimpse over Aqua Voice?

Choose Glimpse if: Free dictation with no word limit. Aqua Free is 1,000 words. Transcription runs on your computer, so it keeps working with no internet and your voice isn't uploaded. No subscription. The extras are $25 once, and Aqua Pro is $96 a year. Open source, so you can check what happens to your audio yourself. Switching is quick: onboarding can import your Aqua Voice dictionary, replacements, modes, shortcuts and past transcripts.

When should I choose Aqua Voice over Glimpse?

Choose Aqua Voice if: You want Aqua's Avalon model and its screen context, which reads what's on screen to get names and terms right. You want an iPhone keyboard as well as the desktop app. You want a Realtime Mode that shows words as you speak them, on the Max plan. Your team needs SSO, SCIM and enforced zero data retention on a business plan.

Glimpse vs Aqua Voice

Aqua Voice is fast cloud dictation built on its own speech model, Avalon. Glimpse transcribes on your own computer, works offline, and dictation is free with no word limit. It can even bring your Aqua dictionary and settings with it.

Last updated October 5, 2026

The short answer

Pick Aqua Voice if

You want Aqua's Avalon model and its screen context, which reads what's on screen to get names and terms right.
You want an iPhone keyboard as well as the desktop app.
You want a Realtime Mode that shows words as you speak them, on the Max plan.
Your team needs SSO, SCIM and enforced zero data retention on a business plan.

Pick Glimpse if

Free dictation with no word limit. Aqua Free is 1,000 words.
Transcription runs on your computer, so it keeps working with no internet and your voice isn't uploaded.
No subscription. The extras are $25 once, and Aqua Pro is $96 a year.
Open source, so you can check what happens to your audio yourself.
Switching is quick: onboarding can import your Aqua Voice dictionary, replacements, modes, shortcuts and past transcripts.

Side by side

Feature	Glimpse	Aqua Voice
Price	Free dictationFrom $25 one-time	Pro $8 to $10/moMax $24 to $30/mo
Free tier limit	Unlimited	1,000 words
Where transcription runs	On your computercloud optional, your own key	In the cloudAvalon model
Works offline	Yes	Nocloud dictation needs internet
Open source	Yes, AGPL-3.0audit it on GitHub	No
macOS	Yes	Yes
Windows	Yes	Yes
iOS	No	Yeskeyboard
Android	No	Nowaitlist
AI cleanup / custom instructions	Yes, bring your own LLMlocal or cloud, with a license	YesPro
Custom dictionary	Yes	Yes
Reads your screen for context	No	Yes
Meeting recording	Recording Modeon-device speaker labels, with a license	Nonot documented
Audio / video file import	Yeswith a license	Nonot documented
CLI	Yesplus a local API, with a license	Yesplus a cloud API

In detail

Your voice stays on your computer

Aqua transcribes in the cloud with Avalon, its own speech model, and its FAQ says cloud dictation needs an internet connection. Aqua has a Privacy Mode that keeps your transcripts off its servers. With it off, its privacy policy says Aqua may store transcript data to improve the product. Glimpse transcribes on your Mac or PC with a local model, so there's nothing to upload and no mode to remember. Turn the wifi off and it still types.

1,000 words vs. no limit

Aqua Free includes 1,000 words. Pro is $8 a month billed yearly or $10 monthly for unlimited words, custom instructions and a bigger dictionary. Max, at $24 to $30 a month, adds Realtime Mode. Students get 70% off. Glimpse dictation is free with no word limit on every model. A license for the extras is $25 once for 1 device or $39 for up to 3.

Where Aqua is ahead

Aqua reads what's on your screen and uses it as a dictionary, so names in the email you're answering come out right. It also has an iPhone keyboard. Glimpse doesn't read your screen. It learns your words from a custom dictionary and Auto Dictionary instead, and with a license, AI Cleanup and per-app Personalization polish your text with the model you choose, local or cloud.

Bring your Aqua setup with you

Glimpse can spot Aqua Voice during onboarding and import what you pick: dictionary words, text replacements, personalization modes, shortcuts, language and past transcripts. You keep your words and your shortcut, and dictation moves onto your own machine. Glimpse also records meetings, labels speakers and transcribes files on your computer, all in the same app.

Sources checked

Comparison copy was checked against these public sources on October 5, 2026.