Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. HoverNotes: Chrome extension that watches lecture and course videos with you and generates AI notes saved as Markdown. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Amical when dictating emails, messages, and documents hands-free with app-appropriate formatting matters most, and HoverNotes when capturing code and diagrams from technical youtube lectures matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs.
Chrome extension that watches lecture and course videos with you and generates AI notes saved as Markdown.
Amical is an open-source, MIT-licensed AI dictation application that turns speech into formatted text directly on your device. It runs OpenAI's Whisper for speech recognition locally and uses open-source LLMs (via Ollama) for intelligent processing, so dictation can work offline once a local model is set up; for machines that can't handle local inference, it offers a cloud fallback. Built with Electron and TypeScript, it runs on Mac and Windows as a desktop app with a floating widget interface and configurable hotkeys. Its standout feature is context-aware formatting: it detects the active application and adapts tone and structure accordingly, producing professional text in email, casual phrasing in chat apps, or prompt and command-style output in IDEs and terminals. It supports many languages plus mixed-language dictation, and custom vocabulary for domain-specific terms. Beyond dictation, it is adding smart voice notes with summaries and task generation. It targets privacy-conscious writers, developers, and professionals wanting a free alternative to paid dictation tools.
Best suited for
HoverNotes is an AI-powered note-taking tool delivered as a Chrome extension, designed for students and learners who study from recorded lectures and online course videos. Rather than relying on audio transcription alone, HoverNotes analyzes video frames as you watch, so it can capture on-screen context such as code snippets, mathematical equations, and diagrams alongside spoken content. The extension generates AI notes while you watch and saves them as plain Markdown files directly to your local file system, which makes them easy to use with tools like Obsidian or other Markdown-based knowledge bases. Users can also capture single-click screenshots embedded with clickable timestamps that jump back to the exact moment in the video. HoverNotes works across common video learning platforms including YouTube, Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Bilibili, and university lecture portals. It runs on a freemium model with a limited monthly allotment of AI note generation on the free plan and paid tiers for heavier use. The tool is best suited to self-directed learners studying from video, and its local-Markdown approach appeals to people who want full ownership of their notes. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Amical is open source (open source); HoverNotes is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Amical | HoverNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Local speech-to-text transcription powered by OpenAI Whisper | Chrome extension that generates AI notes while watching videos |
| Standout feature | On-device LLM processing via Ollama, with a cloud fallback option | Video frame analysis to capture on-screen code, equations, and diagrams |
| Team usage | Context-aware formatting that adapts tone to the active app (email, chat, IDE, terminal) | Notes saved locally as Markdown files for use in Obsidian and similar tools |
| Integrations | Multi-language and mixed-language dictation support | One-click timestamped screenshots that link back to the video moment |
| Languages & capture | Custom vocabulary for domain-specific terms and configurable hotkeys | Support for YouTube, Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Bilibili, and lecture portals |
| Best-fit workflow | Smart voice notes with summaries and task generation (in development) | Freemium plan with paid tiers for more usage |
Amical
Choose Amical if you need dictating emails, messages, and documents hands-free with app-appropriate formatting — strengths include fully open source (mit) and actively maintained with frequent releases.
HoverNotes
Choose HoverNotes if you need taking notes from coursera and udemy course videos — strengths include captures visual on-screen content, not just audio, for technical lectures.
Amical
HoverNotes
It depends on your workflow. Amical is strong for dictating emails, messages, and documents hands-free with app-appropriate formatting, while HoverNotes is strong for taking notes from coursera and udemy course videos. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Amical is open source and HoverNotes is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Amical and HoverNotes.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. AmpUp: AI sales coaching platform with a native notetaker that records and transcribes calls, then delivers prep briefs, debriefs, and practice scenarios. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. AmplifAI: AmplifAI is an AI-powered contact center platform that transcribes and analyzes customer conversations across voice, chat, and messaging to automate quality assurance, coaching, and CX intelligence. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. Anarlog: Open-source, local-first AI meeting notepad (formerly Hyprnote) by Fastrepl that records and summarizes private meetings on your own device with no bot. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. Aqua Voice: Aqua Voice is an AI-powered, system-wide voice dictation app that turns speech into refined text in real time across the apps you already use on Mac and iPhone. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. AskElephant: AI workflow platform for revenue teams that captures calls and meetings and automates CRM updates, handoffs, and coaching. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. Askmeety: A bot-free, fully on-device AI meeting notetaker for macOS that records, transcribes, summarizes, and searches your meetings locally without uploading audio to any server. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. Aspect: AI interview assistant that records, transcribes, and summarizes recruiting interviews, then autofills ATS scorecards. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. Attendee: Open-source, self-hostable meeting bot API that sends bots into Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to capture recordings and transcripts. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. Attention: AI conversation intelligence platform that records and transcribes sales calls, scores them against frameworks, and automates CRM updates and follow-ups. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. Attio Call Intelligence: Attio's native call intelligence records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings and syncs every conversation to the Attio CRM automatically. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. AudioNotes: AI note taker for voice, audio, video, and text that records meetings and memos and turns them into structured notes and summaries. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
Amical: Amical is an open-source, local-first AI dictation and voice-notes app that transcribes speech to text on your own machine using Whisper and open-source LLMs. AudioPen: AudioPen records spoken voice notes, transcribes them, and rewrites the rambling speech into clear, structured text in a style you choose. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.