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. Willow Voice: Willow Voice is a system-wide AI dictation app for Mac, Windows, and iPhone that converts speech into cleaned-up, formatted text and inserts it at the cursor in any application. 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 Willow Voice when writing documents and notes in apps like notion with automatic formatting matters most. Run both through a week of actual calls to see which suits your workflow.
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.
Willow Voice is a system-wide AI dictation app for Mac, Windows, and iPhone that converts speech into cleaned-up, formatted text and inserts it at the cursor in any application.
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
Willow Voice is an AI dictation tool that turns spoken words into polished written text inside any application. Instead of recording meetings, it works at the cursor: you place your cursor in a text field (such as Gmail, Slack, Notion, iMessage, or a code editor), hold a hotkey, speak naturally, and formatted text appears in place. As it transcribes, Willow automatically removes filler words, fixes punctuation, and applies formatting, and it can learn your writing style to adapt tone across different apps. The product is built for professionals who want to write messages, emails, and documents faster than typing. It runs on Mac, Windows, and iPhone, supports voice commands for inserting line breaks and bullet points, handles many languages, and offers an auto-learning dictionary for names and terminology. Willow advertises low-latency transcription and an AI mode that expands brief spoken notes into complete messages. For organizations, it markets SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance, zero data retention, and admin controls. It is a dictation tool rather than a meeting or call recorder.
Best suited for
Amical is open source (open source); Willow Voice is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Amical | Willow Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Local speech-to-text transcription powered by OpenAI Whisper | System-wide dictation that inserts transcribed text at the cursor in any app via a hotkey |
| Standout feature | On-device LLM processing via Ollama, with a cloud fallback option | Automatic cleanup that removes filler words, fixes punctuation, and applies formatting |
| Team usage | Context-aware formatting that adapts tone to the active app (email, chat, IDE, terminal) | Style and tone matching that learns and adapts to your writing across apps |
| Integrations | Multi-language and mixed-language dictation support | AI mode that expands brief spoken notes into complete, polished messages |
| Languages & capture | Custom vocabulary for domain-specific terms and configurable hotkeys | Voice commands for formatting (e.g. new line, bullet point) and an auto-learning dictionary for names and terms |
| Best-fit workflow | Smart voice notes with summaries and task generation (in development) | Cross-platform availability on Mac, Windows, and iPhone with support for many languages |
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.
Willow Voice
Choose Willow Voice if you need drafting emails, slack messages, and chat replies by speaking instead of typing — strengths include works everywhere you type instead of being locked to a single app or note interface.
Amical
Willow Voice
It depends on your workflow. Amical is strong for dictating emails, messages, and documents hands-free with app-appropriate formatting, while Willow Voice is strong for drafting emails, slack messages, and chat replies by speaking instead of typing. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Amical is open source and Willow Voice 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.
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