The free trial
When you install InkSpoke, you don't sign up for a trial — you're already on one. Every new device (and every new account) starts on a Pro trial automatically the first time it runs, so you get the full experience from your very first dictation. No credit card, no "start trial" button, nothing to activate.
This page explains how the trial is measured, what Pro unlocks while it lasts, and what happens when it runs out.
How the trial starts
The trial is granted the moment a device registers with InkSpoke — which happens quietly on first launch. There's no payment step and no card on file. Behind the scenes your device is placed on the Pro tier with a trial marker, and you can immediately use everything Pro offers.
What Pro unlocks during the trial
While the trial is active you're on the full Pro tier — not a stripped-down preview. That means the features that are otherwise reserved for paid plans are all available to try:
| Pro feature | What you get during the trial |
|---|---|
| All speech models | Not just the free Whisper Small — the full range of Whisper models, including the larger, more accurate ones. See Models and providers. |
| Advanced AI refinement | The higher-tier refinement models, not just basic clean-up. See How refinement works. |
| Cloud transcription and BYOK | Use cloud speech/text providers, download on-device models, or bring your own provider keys. See On-device vs. cloud. |
| Voice commands | Map spoken commands to actions — a Pro-only capability. See Voice commands. |
| Unlimited workspaces | Build as many workspaces as you need. See What are workspaces. |
| Cloud sync | Sync your workspaces and dictionaries across devices, end-to-end encrypted. See Synced data and privacy. |
The trial is the ideal moment to switch to a larger speech model, turn on cloud sync, and set up a workspace or two. Those are the features that make the strongest case for upgrading, and they're all open to you right now.
How the trial is measured
Here's the important part: the trial is metered by how much audio you dictate, not by a countdown on the calendar. You get an audio allowance of about 20 minutes (1,200 seconds) of dictation. How the time side works depends on the platform:
| Desktop | Mobile (iOS / Android) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time limit | None — the trial doesn't expire on a date | About 14 days |
| Audio allowance | ~20 minutes (1,200 seconds) | ~20 minutes (1,200 seconds) |
| Ends when | You've used up the audio allowance | You've used the allowance or the ~14-day window closes |
So on desktop, you could install InkSpoke, use it lightly, and still have trial minutes left weeks later — there's no clock ticking down. The trial ends only when your ~20 minutes of dictation are spent. On mobile, both limits apply: whichever comes first — the audio allowance or the roughly two-week window — ends the trial.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Pro trial │
│ Audio used ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░ ~13 of ~20 min │
│ Time Desktop: no limit │
│ Mobile: ~14 days │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
You may see a "7-day trial" mentioned in marketing copy. What your app actually enforces is the audio allowance described above (with the ~14-day window on mobile), so treat the trial as "Pro until your ~20 minutes of dictation are used" rather than a fixed 7-day countdown.
Offline dictation still counts
InkSpoke can transcribe entirely on your own device, with no network involved — but that dictation still counts toward your trial allowance. The app reports the seconds you dictate (even offline) so your usage is metered accurately. In other words, there's no way to "reset the clock" by working offline; every minute you speak draws down the same ~20-minute pool.
What happens when the trial ends
When the allowance (or, on mobile, the time window) is used up, the trial goes inactive:
- On desktop, your device is downgraded to the Free tier. You keep using InkSpoke — Free still includes on-device dictation with Whisper Small, basic refinement, the hotkey, and the wake word — but the Pro-only features above become unavailable until you subscribe.
- On mobile, the trial simply ends. To keep Pro features, you subscribe on the web (see below).
Nothing you've created is lost when the trial ends. Your workspaces, dictionaries, and history stay put; only the tier changes.
In the current Android build, in-app sign-in and the account screens aren't wired up yet, so you may not see trial or subscription status inside the app. See Set up InkSpoke on Android for what's available today.
Keeping Pro after the trial
To stay on Pro, you subscribe on the web — that's the only place purchases happen. In-app purchase isn't available, so both mobile and desktop send you to the InkSpoke site to check out through Stripe.
You have two ways to keep Pro:
- A Pro subscription — monthly or yearly, managed through Stripe.
- A perpetual license — a one-time purchase you then activate on your device with a license key.
For current prices, see the InkSpoke pricing page. For the full picture of how subscriptions and perpetual licenses work — activation, managing billing, and moving between devices — see the pages linked below.
There's no "Buy" button inside the desktop or mobile apps. Sign in at the InkSpoke website to subscribe or to activate a perpetual license. Your device then picks up the upgraded tier.
Next steps
- Plans and pricing — what Free, Pro, and Perpetual each include.
- Subscriptions and licenses — how to buy, activate, and manage Pro.
- Usage and limits — how audio and model usage are measured.
- Subscription and billing — manage your plan from the web account.