Is Toolbay Flow the same app as Wispr Flow?

No. Toolbay Flow is an independent open-source app written from scratch to work the way Wispr Flow does: hold a key, talk, and cleaned-up text is pasted where your cursor is. It shares no code or services with Wispr.

Which one is more accurate?

We have not run a fair head-to-head accuracy test, so we don't claim one. Wispr Flow uses cloud models; Toolbay Flow uses Whisper on your computer and picks the model size for your hardware. On a fast GPU it uses Whisper Large v3 Turbo; on a basic laptop it uses a smaller model that is less accurate.

Do the keyboard shortcuts match?

Closely. On Mac both use Fn to hold and talk. On Windows Toolbay Flow uses Ctrl + Win to hold and Ctrl + Win + Space for hands-free. Every shortcut can be changed in Toolbay Flow's Shortcuts page.

Yes, but give them different shortcuts or quit one, or both will try to listen when you hold the same key.

Toolbay Flow vs Wispr Flow, feature by feature

By the Toolbay team · Updated October 26, 2026

Both apps do the same core job: hold a key, speak, and clean, punctuated text lands in whatever app you are typing in. The difference is where the work happens and what it costs. Wispr Flow transcribes in the cloud and charges $15 a month for unlimited use. Toolbay Flow runs on your computer, is open source, and is free with no word limit.

Short version: pick Wispr Flow for phone keyboards, team plans and HIPAA. Pick Toolbay Flow for free, unlimited, offline dictation on Windows or Mac.

Feature comparison

Wispr Flow facts from wisprflow.ai/pricing and /privacy, checked October 26, 2026.
Feature	Toolbay Flow	Wispr Flow
Price	Free	Free (2,000 words/week on desktop); Pro $15/mo or $12/mo yearly
Speech to text runs	On your computer (whisper.cpp)	In the cloud ("Transcription always happens in the cloud")
Works offline	Yes	No
AI cleanup (fillers, self-corrections, lists)	Yes, local model (Qwen3), 4 levels	Yes
Personal dictionary	Yes, learns words you fix	Yes
Snippets	Yes	Yes (shared on team plans)
Command mode (edit selected text by voice)	Yes	See wisprflow.ai
Writing styles per app	Yes: personal, work, email, other	See wisprflow.ai
Languages	99, with auto-detect	100+
Meeting notetaker	No (use Cereal, also free)	Yes, with a weekly limit on Free
Computers	Windows 10/11, Mac

Shortcuts in Toolbay Flow

Default shortcuts from the Toolbay Flow README. All of them can be changed.
Feature	Windows	Mac
Hold to dictate	Ctrl + Win	Fn
Hands-free on/off	Ctrl + Win + Space	Fn + Space
Command mode	Ctrl + Win + Alt	Fn + Ctrl
Paste last dictation	Alt + Shift + Z	⌘ + Ctrl + V
Cancel	Esc	Esc

On Mac, Toolbay Flow asks only for the microphone and Accessibility, holds Fn back from macOS so the emoji picker doesn't pop up, and leaves your music alone while you dictate with AirPods. See how to dictate on a Mac for free.

Privacy

Wispr's privacy page says “Transcription always happens in the cloud”. Wispr lets you opt out of model training. Toolbay Flow never sends your voice anywhere by default: it downloads models once, then works offline. If you add your own OpenAI-compatible or Anthropic key, cleanup can use that cloud model instead; that's off unless you turn it on. Password fields are never read.

Cost over a year

Wispr Flow Pro is $144 a year billed yearly, or $180 billed monthly, per person. Toolbay Flow is $0. A team of ten saves $1,440 to $1,800 a year if Toolbay Flow covers what they need.

Where each one wins

Toolbay Flow: good

Free, no word limit
Works offline; voice stays on your computer
Open source (MIT)
No account needed

Toolbay Flow: not so good

No phone apps
Accuracy depends on your hardware
Newer, smaller project
No team billing or HIPAA agreement

Wispr Flow: good

iPhone and Android keyboards
Team plans with admin and SSO
HIPAA BAA on Growth
Cloud accuracy on any laptop

Wispr Flow: not so good

2,000-word weekly cap on Free
Needs an internet connection
Audio is processed in the cloud
Closed source

Questions people ask

Is Toolbay Flow the same app as Wispr Flow?: No. Toolbay Flow is an independent open-source app written from scratch to work the way Wispr Flow does: hold a key, talk, and cleaned-up text is pasted where your cursor is. It shares no code or services with Wispr.
Which one is more accurate?: We have not run a fair head-to-head accuracy test, so we don't claim one. Wispr Flow uses cloud models; Toolbay Flow uses Whisper on your computer and picks the model size for your hardware. On a fast GPU it uses Whisper Large v3 Turbo; on a basic laptop it uses a smaller model that is less accurate.
Do the keyboard shortcuts match?: Closely. On Mac both use Fn to hold and talk. On Windows Toolbay Flow uses Ctrl + Win to hold and Ctrl + Win + Space for hands-free. Every shortcut can be changed in Toolbay Flow's Shortcuts page.
Can I run both?: Yes, but give them different shortcuts or quit one, or both will try to listen when you hold the same key.

Wispr Flow is a trademark of Wispr. Toolbay's tools are independent open-source projects, inspired by Wispr Flow, and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Wispr.