Willow makes unlimited AI dictation free on iPhone, shifting the competitive landscape for mobile dictation tools
Published by AINave Editorial • Reviewed by Ramit
Willow has made its AI-powered dictation keyboard free and unlimited on iPhone, removing the previous Pro plan cap of $15/month. The move shifts the competitive landscape for mobile dictation tools by offering a cloud-based, zero-data-retention alternative that works directly inside any app.
What happened
Willow launched its voice keyboard on iOS last November, initially with a capped weekly word limit for free users and unlimited dictation reserved for the Pro plan. Now the company has announced that unlimited AI dictation is available for free in its keyboard app. The underlying Frontier Mini model runs in the cloud, which Willow claims makes it faster and more accurate than rivals such as Wispr Flow, OpenAI, and Deepgram. Willow also states that the service has zero data retention, meaning voice recordings are not stored on its servers after transcription.
Why AI builders should care
For teams building iOS apps that rely on voice input, Willow's free tier introduces a cloud-based dictation option that can be embedded into any iPhone app without requiring users to pay for a subscription. This could reduce the need to build custom speech-to-text pipelines or depend on device-local models with limited accuracy. Willow's Frontier Mini model processes speech in the cloud, enabling faster transcription than on-device alternatives, and the zero-data-retention policy may appeal to privacy-conscious users and developers.
Practical implications
AI builders and product teams should consider how Willow's free tier changes the voice input landscape. Google recently launched its own no-cost option, AI Edge Eloquent, so competition is heating up. For now, Willow's Unlimited free dictation works directly in any app, making it straightforward for users to adopt. However, developers should note that the app's settings still display a prompt to subscribe to the Pro plan, which suggests the rollout may not be fully complete. If Willow's free tier remains reliable and widely available, it could become a default choice for iPhone dictation, potentially reducing the need for specialized dictation features in third-party apps.
Caveats
Willow's performance claims -- that Frontier Mini is faster and more accurate than Wispr Flow, OpenAI, and Deepgram -- come from the company's own testing and have not been independently verified. The app's current UI still shows a Pro subscription prompt, indicating that the free unlimited rollout may not be fully live for all users. Additionally, the cloud-based model requires an internet connection, which may not suit all use cases. Builders should monitor whether Willow maintains the free tier over time or reintroduces limits.
