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metalogical

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Why do voice transcription apps charge monthly when Whisper runs locally?

lucidvoice.app
47 points·by metalogical·8 месяцев назад·79 comments

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metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
Should have a trial set up - working on that for the next update. For now, buy it and if you don't like it after a week, email [email protected] and I'll refund immediately. Just testing what people actually want right now :)
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
Hey Steve! SuperWhisper free is solid - main reason to switch is avoiding subscriptions entirely. For $20 one-time you get AI formatting (removes filler words, cleans up corrections) that SuperWhisper charges $120/year for. I'm building features users ask (e.g. file transcription) for and all future updates are included. Runs light on base M1s. Not trying to maximize profit here - just testing if people actually want local-first tools vs subscriptions. If it's not worth it after a week, email [email protected] for a refund :)
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
Exactly this. When I looked at Wisprflow at $12/month, I realized over 2 years I'd pay ~$290 for software that runs entirely on my Mac with near-zero server costs on their end.

The "forgot to cancel" revenue model works, but (like you implied) it's predatory when the software doesn't need ongoing infrastructure.
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
I get that subscriptions help small businesses survive. But when the software runs 100% locally and doesn't need servers, one-time seems fairer. That's what I'm testing.
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
Honestly not trying to make serious money from this - more validating if people want local-first tools. If it takes off, might add a support tier, but ultimate goal isn't profit. Just wanted something that works without monthly charges.
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
Right now it's dictation-first vs MacWhisper's file transcription focus. Planning to add meeting recording and batch processing eventually.

Heard some feedback about reliability issues with MacWhisper as well - trying to build something more stable from the ground up.
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
Yeah, hearing this a lot. I'll definitely into Linux support
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
Mac-only for now but might port to Linux if there's enough demand. What desktop environment are you using?
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
Yes - makes corrections, removes filler words, formats naturally. That's what the Llama post-processing does
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
Just pushed an update for mobile - should work now. Happy to give you a free license key if you want to try it on your Mac. Would love feedback
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
You can block it with Mac's firewall and verify zero network calls. Privacy policy at https://lucidvoice.app/privacy

Might open source if there's demand - testing that now
metalogical
·8 месяцев назад·discuss
Whisper runs fine locally. So why are Willow ($144/year), Wisprflow ($120/year), and SuperWhisper ($120/year) all subscriptions?

I got frustrated paying monthly for something that could run on my Mac, so I built Lucid Voice:

- 100% offline (Nvidia Parakeet + Llama)

- $20 one-time (mainly to cover Apple's notarization costs)

- Runs on surprisingly low-end hardware (M1 base models work fine)

- No cloud, no data collection

Open to feedback on anything - pricing, the tech stack, or if this should just be free: https://lucidvoice.app