Aqua Voice for Linux? Not Available. The Closest Options
Aqua Voice is Mac, Windows and iPhone only, and its blog sends Linux users to CLI tools. Compare the Linux dictation apps: Blip AI, Vocalinux, Handy and more.
Quick answer: Aqua Voice has no Linux app. It runs on Mac, Windows and iPhone, and Aqua's own blog points Linux users to command-line tools like nerd-dictation and whisper.cpp. If you want what Aqua actually is, a hold-to-talk app that puts clean text into any window, Blip AI ships a native Linux AppImage. Vocalinux and OpenWhispr are free, offline options.
By the Blip AI team; we make a competing app. Facts about Aqua Voice were checked on aquavoice.com on 29 September 2026.
Does Aqua Voice work on Linux?
No. Aqua Voice is available on Mac, Windows and iPhone, with Android on a waitlist. There's no Linux app, and Aqua's blog post on dictating into a terminal suggests command-line tools such as nerd-dictation, voice2json and whisper.cpp for Linux instead.
That's a fair pointer if you're comfortable wiring up a CLI tool. If you wanted a hold-to-talk app that puts clean text into any window, the options below are closer.
What Aqua Voice is, and what a Linux version would need
Aqua's pitch is that speaking beats typing: "We've typed for 150 years. It's time to speak." It's a cloud dictation app with a fast changelog and a custom dictionary. Pricing starts with your first 1,000 words free, then Pro at $10/month ($8/month billed yearly) and Max at $30/month ($24/month yearly), which adds Realtime Mode.
A Linux replacement should give you push-to-talk into any app, cleanup of the transcript, a custom dictionary, and Wayland support that isn't a shell script.
The best Aqua Voice alternatives on Linux
Blip AI: the same kind of app, with a Linux build
AppImage · Wayland and X11 · Ubuntu/Debian, Fedora, Arch · free plan with 2,000 words a month; Pro $15/month or $12/month billed yearly
Blip AI and Aqua Voice are the same kind of product: hold a key, speak, and get polished text in the focused window. Blip's Linux version is a native AppImage for Wayland and X11, with the same core features as on Mac and Windows: filler and self-correction cleanup, a custom dictionary, voice shortcuts, and Action Mode, where you start with "Hey Blip" and describe the reply you want.
How Blip AI compares with Aqua Voice:
- Free plan: Blip gives 2,000 words every month; Aqua's free Starter plan covers your first 1,000 words.
- Pro price: Blip is $15/month or $12/month billed yearly; Aqua Pro is $10/month or $8/month yearly. Aqua is cheaper.
- Platforms: Blip runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. Aqua runs on Mac, Windows and iPhone.
- Realtime Mode: Aqua's Max plan has it; Blip doesn't have an equivalent streaming mode.
- Processing: Aqua is cloud based. Blip is cloud by default, with downloadable on-device Whisper models for offline dictation, on Linux too.
Where Blip is behind: Aqua's Pro plan is cheaper, its changelog moves fast, and its support replies are unusually good. Where Blip is ahead: it runs on Linux, and Aqua doesn't. If you only use a Mac, Aqua is a good choice. If your daily driver is Linux, it isn't an option.
A known rough edge on Blip's side: language auto-detection when you mix languages in one dictation. Set the language explicitly and it's fine.
Vocalinux: free and local
Open source · Wayland and X11 · free
If you'd rather not send audio anywhere, Vocalinux (AGPL-3.0) runs whisper.cpp locally by default and types into the focused app on both display protocols. It doesn't clean up filler words, and it needs hardware that can run a decent model.
The CLI tools Aqua recommends: nerd-dictation, whisper.cpp and voice2json
Aqua's blog isn't wrong that these work, with caveats. nerd-dictation runs the Vosk engine offline and types into the focused window via xdotool, ydotool or dotool; you bind your own key to start and stop it. It hasn't had a commit since October 2025. whisper.cpp is an actively developed speech engine, the one underneath many of the apps on this page, with a live microphone example rather than a dictation app. voice2json is archived and hasn't been updated since 2022, so skip it. All three are free and fully local, and all assume you'll read a README, edit a config and bind your own keys.
Handy: offline and minimal
MIT · limited Wayland support · free
Handy is a small local dictation app that's easy to install, removes filler words by default, and can add AI cleanup if you plug in a model. On Wayland it needs helper tools such as wtype or dotool.
OpenWhispr: open source, with AI cleanup
MIT · free
OpenWhispr is the open-source option closest to Aqua's "clean text, not a raw transcript" approach. It transcribes locally or with your own API key, then a local or cloud language model removes filler words and applies self-corrections. Expect some setup on Wayland.
Aqua Voice vs Linux alternatives
| Aqua Voice | Blip AI | Vocalinux | nerd-dictation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | No (its blog points to CLI tools) | Yes: AppImage | Yes | Yes |
| Wayland | — | Yes | Yes | Via ydotool or dotool |
| Processing | Cloud | Cloud by default, on-device option | Local | Local |
| Cleanup | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Custom dictionary | Yes | Yes | No | Manual config |
| Free | First 1,000 words | 2,000 words a month | Free | Free |
| Pro | $10/month, or $8/month yearly | $15/month, or $12/month yearly | — | — |
| Other platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Linux only | Linux only |
Prices checked 29 September 2026 on Aqua Voice's pricing page and Blip's pricing page.
How to install Blip AI on Linux
On X11, the AppImage works out of the box: make it executable with chmod +x and run it. On Wayland, there are four short steps so Blip can type into other windows: install wtype, wl-clipboard and ydotool, join the input group, start the ydotool user service, then run the AppImage. It takes about two minutes. The full commands for Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch are in our Linux dictation guide and on the download page.
FAQ
Does Aqua Voice work on Linux? No. Aqua Voice is available on Mac, Windows and iPhone. Android is on a waitlist, and Linux isn't offered.
What does Aqua Voice recommend for Linux? Aqua's blog post on terminal dictation points Linux users to nerd-dictation, voice2json and whisper.cpp, which are command-line tools that run locally. Note that voice2json is archived and hasn't been updated since 2022.
What's the closest Aqua Voice alternative on Linux? Blip AI: the same hold-to-talk cloud dictation with cleanup and a custom dictionary, plus a native Linux AppImage.
Is there a cheaper Aqua Voice alternative on Linux? The open-source tools, such as Vocalinux, OpenWhispr and Handy, are free. Among paid cloud apps, Aqua's own Pro plan ($8/month billed yearly) is cheaper than Blip's ($12/month billed yearly), but Aqua doesn't run on Linux.
The full list: the best dictation apps for Linux. Feature comparison: Blip AI vs Aqua Voice.