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. Sona Insight: Apple-ecosystem AI app that records, transcribes, summarizes, and lets you chat with meetings, lectures, and interviews. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Amical when dictating emails, messages, and documents hands-free with app-appropriate formatting matters most, and Sona Insight when capturing lectures and interviews with custom summary formats matters most. Test each on your own meetings; the right choice tends to become obvious quickly.
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.
Apple-ecosystem AI app that records, transcribes, summarizes, and lets you chat with meetings, lectures, and interviews.
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
Sona Insight (also presented simply as Sona, at sona.wtf) is an AI-powered voice-to-text and meeting assistant built for the Apple ecosystem, with support across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and additional Apple platforms, plus a web browser experience. The app records conversations and transcribes them into text across a wide range of languages, then automatically summarizes key points and action items. Users can apply custom summary templates tailored to meetings, lectures, or interviews, and an AI chat feature lets them ask follow-up questions, brainstorm, or draft follow-ups based on the captured conversation. Sona supports offline recording, with internet required only for processing and AI queries, and it includes Apple-native touches such as Live Activities, Dynamic Island support, and an Apple Watch app for quick capture. Transcripts and summaries are stored in each user's personal account and can be exported and shared as PDF or text. The product targets people who want to stay present in a meeting or lecture while letting AI handle transcription, summarization, and recall afterward. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Amical is open source (open source); Sona Insight is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Amical | Sona Insight |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Local speech-to-text transcription powered by OpenAI Whisper | Records and transcribes meetings, lectures, and interviews |
| Standout feature | On-device LLM processing via Ollama, with a cloud fallback option | Automatic summaries with key points and action items |
| Team usage | Context-aware formatting that adapts tone to the active app (email, chat, IDE, terminal) | Custom summary templates for different conversation types |
| Integrations | Multi-language and mixed-language dictation support | AI chat to ask questions and draft follow-ups from transcripts |
| Languages & capture | Custom vocabulary for domain-specific terms and configurable hotkeys | Offline recording with PDF/TXT export and sharing |
| Best-fit workflow | Smart voice notes with summaries and task generation (in development) | Apple-native Live Activities, Dynamic Island, and Apple Watch support |
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.
Sona Insight
Choose Sona Insight if you need recording and summarizing meetings while staying present — strengths include deep apple-ecosystem integration across iphone, ipad, mac, and watch.
Amical
Sona Insight
It depends on your workflow. Amical is strong for dictating emails, messages, and documents hands-free with app-appropriate formatting, while Sona Insight is strong for recording and summarizing meetings while staying present. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Amical is open source and Sona Insight 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.
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