Tool profile
Voibe: cost, fit and limits
Voibe is a dictation and meeting-notes application from Essence AI Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, that types by voice on Mac and Windows with on-device or zero-retention cloud processing, sold per seat.
What to know first
Voibe splits into a Free plan, Dictation at $99 per year, Work at $149 per year and a custom Enterprise tier for teams above 10 seats. Dictation runs on-device on Apple Silicon Macs, with a zero-retention cloud mode for Windows and Intel Macs. Work adds bot-free meeting notes and summaries. The security page says Voibe holds neither SOC 2 nor ISO 27001.
Voibe at a glance
| Maker | Essence AI Ltd, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | $0 (Free, limited words, one device) |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Dictation Software in 2026, rank 4 of 12 |
| Website | getvoibe.com |
Who Voibe is best for
Mac and Windows users in the same household or office
One vendor covers both systems: on-device processing for Apple Silicon and a cloud mode that deletes audio after transcription for Windows and Intel Macs.
People who dislike meeting bots
Work plan notes are captured without a bot joining the call, then summarized with templates and searchable through chat or the Meeting MCP server.
Buyers who prefer an annual price
The $99 Dictation plan works out below ten dollars a month, and the FAQ lists monthly and lifetime alternatives for those who want to avoid a yearly commitment.
Voibe plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 forever | Dictation in any app with limited words on one device, spoken punctuation, custom vocabulary and transcript history. New accounts get a 7-day trial of all features. |
| Dictation | $99 per year (FAQ lists $9.90 per month or $199 lifetime) | Unlimited dictation on Mac and Windows, on-device or zero-retention cloud mode, memory, custom vocabulary, Developer Mode and smart punctuation. |
| Work | $149 per year (FAQ lists $19 per month or $399 lifetime) | Everything in Dictation plus bot-free meeting notes, AI summaries with templates, chat with meetings, Meeting MCP and saved transcripts; BAA on request. |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | For more than 10 seats: admin features, central billing and invoicing, BAA on request and custom terms. |
Checked November 2026.
What Voibe does
- On-device dictation
- On Apple Silicon Macs, audio is processed locally and nothing is sent to Voibe. This is the default route for Mac users who want recordings kept on the machine.
- Zero-retention cloud mode
- Windows and Intel Mac users get a cloud route in which audio is deleted after transcription and no text is stored. Optional cloud AI formatting is off by default and uses Cerebras when switched on.
- Bot-free meeting notes
- Work records meetings from your own device so no participant sees a bot in the call, then creates summaries from templates you pick. This suits people who record calls from their own device and do not want a visible assistant in the participant list.
- Meeting MCP
- The MCP server lets ChatGPT or Claude query your saved meeting notes, which suits people who already ask an assistant questions about their calendar. It suits people who already ask an assistant questions about their calendar, notes or documents.
- Developer Mode
- A dictation mode aimed at coding tools and custom vocabulary, listed on the Dictation plan, with Cursor and VS Code among the named tools. It is listed on the Dictation plan, and the named tools include Cursor and VS Code.
How Voibe handles your data
Voibe's policy says desktop cloud text and API audio are never used for training, and notes that it does not explicitly cover API transcripts. On-device audio stays on the Mac. In the zero-retention cloud mode, audio is deleted after transcription and no text is stored. API transcripts are kept for 24 hours, and account data is retained while the account is active. Hosting is primarily AWS in US regions, with pyannote.ai processing in its EU region for the Transcription API. The security page states that Voibe does not currently hold SOC 2 or ISO 27001. A BAA is available on request for Work and Enterprise.
Where Voibe falls short in practice
- No third-party certifications. The vendor states plainly that it has no SOC 2 or ISO 27001 today. Procurement teams that require an audit report should treat that as a blocker or ask for a roadmap.
- Free plan is narrow. The free tier has a word limit and one device, so it demonstrates the product rather than serving as daily software. The 7-day trial of all features is the better test.
- AI summaries are on Work only. Meeting notes, templates, chat with meetings and Meeting MCP all sit on the $149 plan, so a user who wants both dictation and summaries pays for the upper tier.
Works with
Alternatives to Voibe
Voibe: common questions
Where does Voibe process my voice?
On Apple Silicon Macs, dictation runs on the device and no audio is sent to Voibe. Windows and Intel Mac users get a zero-retention cloud mode that deletes audio after transcription and stores no text. Hosting is primarily AWS in the US, per the privacy policy.
How much does Voibe cost?
Dictation is $99 per year billed annually and Work is $149 per year. The FAQ also quotes $9.90 per month or $199 lifetime for Dictation, and $19 per month or $399 lifetime for Work. The page mentions a limited-time offer without details, and paid plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Does Voibe join my meetings as a bot?
No. The Work plan records meeting notes without adding a bot to the call, then offers AI summaries with templates and a chat feature over your meetings. It lists Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex among supported meeting tools. Participants may still need to be told you are recording.
Does Voibe have SOC 2 or ISO 27001?
No. The security page says Voibe does not currently hold SOC 2 or ISO 27001. It is a company registered in England and Wales (company number 16349308), and a BAA is available on request for Work and Enterprise. Buyers needing an audit report should look at vendors that print one.
Is the Voibe free plan enough for daily use?
Probably not. The Free plan limits words, supports one device and keeps spoken punctuation, custom vocabulary and transcript history. New accounts also get a 7-day trial of all features. Use that week to measure your word count, then decide whether Dictation at $99 per year fits.