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. Whisper Notes: Offline, on-device speech-to-text app for Mac and iPhone that records and transcribes meetings locally using Whisper, with auto meeting detection and summaries on Mac. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Amical when dictating emails, messages, and documents hands-free with app-appropriate formatting matters most, and Whisper Notes when transcribing lectures or interviews offline on a mac or iphone 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.
Offline, on-device speech-to-text app for Mac and iPhone that records and transcribes meetings locally using Whisper, with auto meeting detection and summaries on Mac.
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
Whisper Notes is an offline speech-to-text application for Mac and iPhone that records and transcribes meetings, lectures, and voice memos entirely on the device. It is built on OpenAI's Whisper speech recognition, with model options including Whisper Large V3 Turbo on Mac, Parakeet on iPhone, and SenseVoice for Asian languages, and it supports transcription across 100-plus languages. On Mac, the app can automatically detect when a meeting starts on platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom, then record and transcribe it locally without sending a bot into the call. Because processing is fully offline, the company states that data physically never leaves the device and that privacy is architectural rather than a policy promise. Additional Mac capabilities include auto-generated summaries and titles, on-device AI chat with longer transcripts, streaming transcription output, and system-wide dictation via the function key. Users can also import existing MP3, M4A, and WAV files for transcription and export results with timestamps. The product is sold as a one-time purchase per platform rather than a subscription. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Amical is open source (open source); Whisper Notes is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Amical | Whisper Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Local speech-to-text transcription powered by OpenAI Whisper | 100% offline, on-device transcription with Whisper-based models |
| Standout feature | On-device LLM processing via Ollama, with a cloud fallback option | Automatic meeting detection for Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom on Mac |
| Team usage | Context-aware formatting that adapts tone to the active app (email, chat, IDE, terminal) | Auto-generated summaries and titles for recordings on Mac |
| Integrations | Multi-language and mixed-language dictation support | On-device AI chat with longer transcripts |
| Languages & capture | Custom vocabulary for domain-specific terms and configurable hotkeys | Import of MP3, M4A, and WAV audio files for transcription |
| Best-fit workflow | Smart voice notes with summaries and task generation (in development) | System-wide dictation via the function key on Mac |
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.
Whisper Notes
Choose Whisper Notes if you need recording and transcribing confidential meetings without cloud uploads — strengths include audio and transcripts never leave the device.
Amical
Whisper Notes
It depends on your workflow. Amical is strong for dictating emails, messages, and documents hands-free with app-appropriate formatting, while Whisper Notes is strong for recording and transcribing confidential meetings without cloud uploads. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Amical is open source and Whisper Notes 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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