WisprFlow.ai review - reaching 179WPM and writing software by talking
Wispr Flow is a super voice-over app that you run on your Mac so that you can speak naturally into any interface:
- Cursor's agent composer
- A chrome tab's random textarea or text input
- Claude desktop
- Slack DMs
- A Twitter client
WisprFlow simply works everywhere.
In this review, I'll tell you the good, bad and still improving parts.
Table of contents
The good
It works very well, as advertised
I'm an above-average typist at 90 WPM, but with Wispr Flow, I consistently hit 175 WPM. The speed isn't just about words per minute—it's about how voice input changes your thinking process.
Instead of hunting for the perfect variable name or getting stuck on syntax, you just speak your intent. The AI handles the translation from natural language to code, from scattered thoughts to structured prose.
Always-on background recording
What makes Wispr Flow truly powerful is that it's always running in the background on your Mac, ready to capture your voice at any moment. I love hitting the fn key twice to start long talk/dictation mode. Once I finish speaking, I hit fn again, and Wispr Flow immediately converts the audio file to a transcript and inserts it wherever my cursor currently has focus.
This seamless workflow means you can:
- Start dictating in any app without switching contexts
- Capture thoughts instantly without losing momentum
- Work hands-free while walking around your office
- Dictate into any text field, code editor, or chat interface
The background processing is so smooth that it feels like magic—your spoken words become polished text exactly where you need them, without any manual copy-pasting or app switching.
Universal compatibility
The beauty of Wispr Flow is that it works with ANYTHING on macOS—whether that's Cursor's Agent composer window, a Chrome tab with Claude chat running, Slack messages, or any other text field. It's like having a universal voice-to-text interface for your entire system.
I use it for:
- Writing code in Cursor
- Composing emails in Gmail
- Drafting Slack messages
- Writing blog posts
- Taking notes in Obsidian
- Even filling out forms on websites
AI-powered auto-edits
Wispr Flow doesn't just transcribe—it edits. Rambled thoughts become clear, perfectly formatted text without filler words or typos. It automatically:
- Removes "um," "uh," and other filler words
- Fixes grammar and punctuation
- Adjusts tone based on the app you're using
- Learns your personal vocabulary
- Handles technical terms and proper nouns
Personal dictionary and snippets
The app learns your unique words and adds them to your personal dictionary automatically. You can also create voice shortcuts for things you say repeatedly—from scheduling links to FAQs, just speak a cue and get the full formatted text.
What's particularly powerful is the team sharing feature—you can share your custom vocabulary with your team so everyone stays on the same page. Whether it's company jargon, client names, product names, or industry-specific terminology, Wispr Flow learns and applies these terms consistently across your entire team.
Snippets for power users
Wispr Flow also includes a snippets feature that lets you create voice shortcuts for frequently used text—emails, links, addresses, or any repetitive content. I haven't personally needed or tried this feature yet, but it makes perfect sense for power users who find themselves dictating the same information repeatedly. The ability to say "personal email" and have it expand to your full email address, or "intro email" to get a standard greeting template, could be incredibly useful for anyone who does a lot of repetitive communication.
The painful
macOS only (for now)
Wispr Flow currently only works on macOS, which limits its appeal for Windows and Linux users. The company has mentioned plans for other platforms, but there's no clear timeline.
Occasionally (not often) requires retries
Now it could just be me, but occasionally WisprFlow will fail to convert
6 minute time limit per transcription
I only come up against this now and again, but especially if I'm doing a brain dump to one of my LLM assistants, I may get the warning that I'm about to cross over the 6 minute recording time limit.
I wouldn't be surprised if WisprFlow were able to increase this cap in the future, but for the time being it's not really restrictive. But I do notice it.
Learning curve for voice commands
While the basic dictation works immediately, mastering the voice commands for formatting (like "new paragraph" or "bold text") takes some practice. The documentation is good, but it's not as intuitive as just speaking naturally.
Subscription model
Wispr Flow uses a subscription model rather than a one-time purchase. While the pricing is reasonable for the productivity gains, some users prefer to own their tools outright.
Real-world performance
Psych-emotional brain dumps
Top tier - the accuracy is so close to 100% that it's essentially perfect.
Code writing
I've written entire functions by speaking them out loud. The AI understands programming context and formats code appropriately. It's particularly powerful for:
- Writing commit messages
- Creating documentation
- Drafting pull request descriptions
- Writing test cases
- Commenting code
The real scaling potential becomes apparent when you combine Wispr Flow's 179 WPM output with multiple Cursor instances. When I'm focused and well-rested, I can effectively drive multiple Cursor sessions simultaneously—dictating code, comments, and documentation across different projects. This becomes even more powerful when you factor in Cursor's background agents, which can continue working on tasks while you dictate new instructions. The voice-to-text speed means you can maintain context and momentum across multiple development streams in a way that would be impossible with traditional typing.
Content creation
I dictated most of this review using Wispr Flow. The ability to speak naturally while walking or pacing around my office has transformed my writing process. I can capture ideas immediately without losing momentum.
Communication
Slack messages, emails, and even Twitter posts flow much faster when I can speak them. The AI adjusts the tone appropriately—more casual for Slack, more professional for emails.
The technical details
Accuracy
The transcription accuracy is impressive, even with technical terms, proper nouns, and industry jargon. It handles multiple languages and can switch between them mid-sentence.
Speed
There is a brief delay after you "send" your speech to WisprFlow for procesing, but it's still significantly faster than typing it all out. I've not yet been held back by the processing speed.
Privacy
Wispr Flow processes audio in the cloud, which raises privacy concerns for some users. The company has good security practices, but if you're working with sensitive information, this might be a consideration.
Looking forward
Wispr Flow has fundamentally changed how I work. The combination of speed, accuracy, and universal compatibility makes it an essential tool for anyone who thinks faster than they type.
The voice-first workflow has unexpected benefits:
- Better posture (no more hunching over a keyboard)
- I can pace around and still make progress while thinking outloud
- More natural thinking (speaking is closer to how we actually think)
- Portability (works anywhere with headphones)
- Accessibility (great for users with typing difficulties)
While it's not perfect—the macOS limitation and subscription model are real drawbacks—the productivity gains are substantial enough that I can't imagine going back to pure keyboard input.
If you're a developer, writer, or anyone who spends significant time creating text, Wispr Flow is worth trying. The free trial gives you a good sense of whether it fits your workflow.
Check out my detailed AI engineer setup to see how Wispr Flow fits into a complete productivity stack.