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. Pocket: MagSafe-attached AI recorder that turns meetings and ideas into transcripts, summaries, and action items. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Amical when dictating emails, messages, and documents hands-free with app-appropriate formatting matters most, and Pocket when capturing fleeting ideas on the move without typing matters most. Trial each on a few real meetings before you commit — the better fit usually shows fast.
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.
MagSafe-attached AI recorder that turns meetings and ideas into transcripts, summaries, and action items.
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
Pocket is an AI hardware device, built by a Y Combinator-backed team, that captures meetings, ideas, and conversations and converts them into clear notes without requiring the user to interact with a phone during the session. The device attaches magnetically to a phone via MagSafe and includes dual studio microphones plus a contact microphone for capturing phone calls, with onboard storage and cloud sync. A single press starts a recording, and the accompanying AI then produces transcripts, summaries, action items, and mind maps from the captured audio. Pocket supports processing in well over 100 languages and is positioned for people who talk and move quickly and want to record thoughts or discussions on the go rather than typing notes. Captured content is managed through a companion mobile app on iOS, where users can read summaries, recall meeting details without replaying audio, and organize their notes. It targets professionals, founders, and knowledge workers who attend frequent in-person meetings or want a low-friction way to capture spoken information and review it later in structured form. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Amical is open source (open source); Pocket is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Amical | |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Local speech-to-text transcription powered by OpenAI Whisper | MagSafe-compatible wearable recorder with onboard storage |
| Standout feature | On-device LLM processing via Ollama, with a cloud fallback option | Dual studio microphones plus a contact mic for phone calls |
| Team usage | Context-aware formatting that adapts tone to the active app (email, chat, IDE, terminal) | AI transcripts, summaries, action items, and mind maps |
| Integrations | Multi-language and mixed-language dictation support | Support for 120+ languages |
| Languages & capture | Custom vocabulary for domain-specific terms and configurable hotkeys | Companion iOS app with cloud sync |
| Best-fit workflow | Smart voice notes with summaries and task generation (in development) | One-press recording with multi-day battery |
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.
Choose Pocket if you need recording in-person meetings and getting action items automatically — strengths include low-friction, hands-free capture that attaches to your phone.
Amical
It depends on your workflow. Amical is strong for dictating emails, messages, and documents hands-free with app-appropriate formatting, while Pocket is strong for recording in-person meetings and getting action items automatically. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Amical is open source and Pocket is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Sure. Running both makes sense when their strengths don't overlap and the budget allows.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Amical and Pocket.
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.