Tool profile
Aqua Voice: cost, fit and limits
Aqua Voice is a dictation application from Aqua Voice, Inc. that converts speech to text with its own Avalon transcription model and context-aware formatting, aimed at writers and developers, with free, paid and per-seat team plans.
What to know first
Aqua Voice sells a four-step ladder: a Free plan with 1,000 words, Pro at $12 per month, Max at $24 and a Business seat at $24. Annual billing lowers each by a few dollars. Its own Avalon model, Deep Context and MCP and CLI access come with every plan. Business adds SSO, SCIM provisioning and Zero Data Retention, with a minimum of two seats.
Aqua Voice at a glance
| Maker | Aqua Voice, Inc., Not stated by the vendor |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | $0 (Free, 1,000 words) |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Dictation Software in 2026, rank 2 of 12 |
| Website | aquavoice.com |
Who Aqua Voice is best for
Developers who dictate into coding tools
MCP and CLI access sit on the Free plan, and the integration list names Cursor, Claude Code and Codex, so spoken prompts reach an editor or agent without a workaround.
Individuals who outgrow a trial quickly
Pro costs $12 a month, or $10 on annual billing, and removes the word cap. That is a modest step from the 1,000-word trial for someone who dictates daily.
Small teams that want zero retention
Business at $24 per seat per month ($19 annual) lists Zero Data Retention, SSO, SCIM, shared dictionaries and usage reports, with a two-seat minimum so a pair of colleagues can start.
Aqua Voice plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 to start | 1,000 words, the Avalon 1.5 transcription model, Deep Context, and MCP and CLI access. The words are a one-time allowance, so the plan is best read as a trial of the product. |
| Pro | $12 per month, or $10 per month billed annually | Everything in Free plus unlimited words, custom instructions and a personal dictionary. It is the first tier at which a daily dictation habit stops running into a cap. |
| Max | $24 per month, or $19 per month billed annually | Everything in Pro plus Realtime Mode, voice commands and early access to new features. These two additions are aimed at heavy users and early adopters of new releases. |
| Business | $24 per seat per month, or $19 billed annually ($228 per seat per year) | Minimum 2 seats. Everything in Max plus team billing, shared dictionaries, usage reports, SSO, SCIM provisioning and Zero Data Retention. |
Checked November 2026.
What Aqua Voice does
- Avalon model
- Avalon is the vendor's own transcription model, with Avalon 1.5 named on the Free plan. The vendor presents it as built for dictation with technical vocabulary, though no accuracy figure is printed on the pages we read.
- Deep Context
- Available on every plan, Deep Context uses what is on screen to choose spelling and formatting. The pages do not detail what is read from the screen, so test it on your own documents.
- Custom instructions and dictionary
- Pro lets you write standing instructions about style and keep a personal dictionary of names and terms, which is where most correction effort goes in the first weeks of use.
- Realtime Mode and voice commands
- Max adds Realtime Mode, where text appears while you talk, plus spoken commands for editing. These are the features separating the $24 tier from Pro.
- MCP and CLI access
- Developers can connect Aqua Voice to Cursor, Claude Code, Codex and other tools through MCP and the command line, and the vendor includes this on the Free plan.
How Aqua Voice handles your data
Aqua Voice's privacy policy describes two modes. With Privacy Mode off, dictation audio and transcripts are stored on Aqua Voice servers. With Privacy Mode on, they are not stored unless you attach them to feedback. Notetaker meetings are kept until you delete them. The policy does not say whether the vendor trains on customer data, and it does not name a hosting region. No certification is named on the pages we read, though the site links to a Vanta trust center. Zero Data Retention is listed on the Business plan, and the policy does not say whether it exists elsewhere.
Where Aqua Voice falls short in practice
- Trial-sized free plan. The 1,000 words on Free are a total allowance, not a monthly one, so the plan works as a trial. Anyone who plans to dictate regularly should budget for Pro from the start.
- Privacy Mode is a setting. Audio and transcripts are stored on Aqua Voice servers when Privacy Mode is off. Teams that need that protection by default should enforce the setting or choose Business with Zero Data Retention.
- Inconsistent team guidance. One section sends Business teams above 20 users to sales while the FAQ mentions 100 or more seats, so a mid-sized company should ask where the self-serve limit actually sits.
Works with
Alternatives to Aqua Voice
Aqua Voice: common questions
What does the free Aqua Voice plan include?
Free gives you 1,000 words, the Avalon 1.5 transcription model, Deep Context, and MCP and CLI access. The allowance is a total, not a weekly or monthly one, so it works as a trial. Pro at $12 per month removes the cap and adds custom instructions and a personal dictionary.
What is the price difference between Aqua Voice Pro and Max?
Pro is $12 per month, or $10 per month billed annually, with unlimited words. Max is $24 per month, or $19 annually, and adds Realtime Mode, voice commands and early access to new features. If you only need accurate typed text, the extra $12 buys features you may not use.
Does Aqua Voice store my audio?
With Privacy Mode off, dictation audio and transcripts are stored on Aqua Voice servers, per the privacy policy. With Privacy Mode on, they are not stored unless attached to feedback. Business lists Zero Data Retention. The policy does not say whether other plans can get it, so confirm that in writing.
Can I use Aqua Voice to talk to Cursor or Claude Code?
The integration list names Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, Claude and ChatGPT, and MCP and CLI access are part of the Free plan. That makes it one of the few dictation products here that explicitly targets developer workflows. How reliable the handoff is in your editor needs a hands-on test.
How many seats does Aqua Voice Business require?
Business starts at 2 seats, priced at $24 per seat per month or $19 billed annually, which is $228 per seat per year. It adds SSO, SCIM provisioning, shared dictionaries, usage reports and Zero Data Retention. The page is inconsistent about when larger teams must contact sales, so ask before rollout.