FAQ
Common questions, honest answers.
24 questions across five categories. If yours is missing, just write us: we reply within 24 hours.
Answered by the two founders.
General.
What is WhispaWave?
A dictation app for your Mac — Windows, iPhone and Android are in the works. You hold a key, speak, and the text appears wherever your cursor is. In any app: Slack, Outlook, Word, ChatGPT.
How is WhispaWave different from Apple Dictation?
Optimized for German (sentence structure, filler-word removal, formal/informal style modes), servers in the EU. Apple Dictation is free but ships without dictionaries, snippets or style modes.
Who is WhispaWave for?
Knowledge workers, self-employed professionals, freelancers, senior pros 50+: anyone who types a lot every day. We build primarily for the German language and German workflow.
Which platforms does WhispaWave run on?
Today on macOS. Windows is next, iOS and Android are in the works — all built in parallel on the same base, your account moves with you. Get the macOS download at /download.
Pricing.
What does WhispaWave cost?
Free is free with 1,500 words per rolling 7-day period. Pro costs €13 per month, or €120 on the annual plan. After the first year your subscription continues monthly at the regular monthly price – cancel anytime. Team is self-service, booked per seat right in the app: €13 per seat per month, or €120 per seat on the annual plan – every seat costs the same as Pro. For larger organizations with special requirements, talk to us.
Is there a team plan?
Yes. Team is self-service, billed per seat, and every seat costs the same as Pro: €13 per seat per month, or €120 per seat on the annual plan. After the first year your subscription continues monthly at the regular monthly price – cancel anytime. You add seats right in the app and get one consolidated invoice plus a DPA for data processing.
Do I need a credit card for the trial?
No. The 14-day Pro trial runs without a payment method. Only when you want to keep using it afterwards do you add a payment method — you'll see which ones are available at checkout. The Team trial does require a payment method; after the trial the Team subscription starts automatically — we remind you by email beforehand.
Can I get my money back?
As a consumer you have a statutory 14-day right of withdrawal from the day the contract is concluded — details and a model form at /widerruf. After that, you can cancel anytime, effective at the end of the paid period; you keep full access until then.
Can I switch from Pro back to Free?
Yes. You cancel Pro in your account, the subscription runs until the end of the paid month, then you're automatically back on Free with the weekly free allowance.
Are there discounts (student, non-profit)?
We offer reduced rates for students and non-profit organizations. Just write us and we'll set it up.
Privacy.
Where is my data stored?
Account data lives on servers in the EU. On Apple-silicon Macs your dictation audio stays on your device; where the cloud does the work, EU servers process it without storing it. Your text stays 24 hours, permanently or not at all — you decide; organisations set it centrally. Audio and content never leave the EU.
Does WhispaWave train AI models on my voice?
No. We never train AI on your voice or your text, and neither does our AI vendor — confirmed in writing. With “Never store” or Privacy Mode, WhispaWave additionally keeps your dictation text nowhere at all.
Do I need a DPA (Data Processing Agreement)?
Yes, if you use WhispaWave for business. The DPA is published right on our DPA page and applies automatically as an annex to the Terms — nothing to sign, nothing to send back. A countersigned copy is available on request. Details at /avv-vertrag.
Which subprocessors do you use?
Mistral AI (France) for speech recognition and text processing, Supabase (EU region Frankfurt) for database and sign-in, Hetzner (Germany) for our own AI relay server, Stripe (Ireland) for payments. The complete, current list with locations and status is at /subprozessoren.
Is WhispaWave GDPR-compliant?
Yes. EU data locations throughout for dictation content, DPA per Art. 28 GDPR (details at /avv-vertrag), privacy policy at /datenschutz. Privacy questions directly to privacy@whispawave.de.
Tech.
Which Mac do I need?
A Mac with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3 or M4) and macOS 15 or newer. Intel Macs aren't supported.
What's the latency?
Text appears in seconds. The connection to our EU servers keeps the response time short, with no detour via the US.
Does WhispaWave work offline?
Yes. Offline mode lets you dictate without internet, running directly on your device.
Which shortcut is used?
Default is Fn. Adjustable in WhispaWave Settings → Keyboard, in case Spotlight or Raycast already uses the key.
Can I swap speech-recognition models?
No, no BYOK. WhispaWave automatically routes between an EU-native speech model and a fallback for edge cases. Upside: no configuration needed. The routing is our job.
Team.
Is there a team plan?
Today teams use multiple Pro licenses: order them as a bundle (3 licenses or more) and get one consolidated invoice, everyone with the full Pro scope. All the details are on the teams page.
Can I get a collective invoice for multiple users?
Yes, from 3 licenses upwards. Drop us a note and we set it up in Stripe: one PDF per month instead of three separate ones.
Can I share dictionaries between team members?
Right now everyone trains their own dictionary. That's plenty for most teams. Shared team dictionaries are on our list.
Is there an admin console for teams?
Right now you manage the licenses as a bundle; each person uses their own account. Smooth for 5–10 people.
Question not covered? Write us.
We reply within 24 hours. Mail to hi@whispawave.de. Go to contact form
Enough reading. Try it yourself.
14 days of Pro. No credit card. If it's not for you: one click, gone.