BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Lyrebird Health: Lyrebird Health is an AI medical scribe that listens during clinical consultations and automatically generates transcribed, structured clinical notes and documents. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist BetterDictation when dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps matters most, and Lyrebird Health when generating referral letters, medical certificates, and other clinical documents from consultation audio matters most. Run both through a week of actual calls to see which suits your workflow.
A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application.
Lyrebird Health is an AI medical scribe that listens during clinical consultations and automatically generates transcribed, structured clinical notes and documents.
BetterDictation is a system-wide dictation tool for macOS that converts speech into typed text inside any application. Users trigger it with a keyboard shortcut (Option+Space) and can choose push-to-talk or toggle-to-talk modes; the transcribed text is then inserted directly where the cursor sits. It runs OpenAI's Whisper model locally on Apple's Neural Engine, so basic transcription works fully offline and, per the vendor, no audio recordings or transcripts are stored. It supports 100+ languages and applies automatic punctuation. The app requires Apple Silicon (M1 or newer); Intel Macs are not supported. An optional Pro add-on adds stammer correction, automatic formatting, and post-processing of dictations. It is aimed at people who write or capture text frequently, such as founders, engineers, and writers, who want to dictate emails, documents, notes, and messages rather than type them. Because it works across all apps, it can be used to capture spoken notes alongside meetings, though it is a general dictation utility rather than a dedicated meeting-recording assistant.
Best suited for
Lyrebird Health is an AI medical scribe built for healthcare practitioners. It listens in the background during a consultation, transcribes the conversation into text in real time, and then generates a structured clinical note (such as SOAP format or a custom template) within seconds of the consultation ending. Beyond notes, it can draft documents like referral letters and medical certificates ready for review. The product runs in the browser (Chrome recommended) on desktop and mobile, supports terminal-server and remote-desktop environments, and is compatible with in-person and telehealth (phone and video) consultations. It offers direct dictation and AI-driven "smart dictate" modes, learns each clinician's documentation style, and includes a translation feature for non-English consults. Lyrebird integrates with electronic medical record systems including Best Practice, Genie/Gentu, and FHIR-compliant systems for one-click note transfer. It is aimed at doctors, specialists, nurses, allied health professionals, dentists, psychologists, and other clinical roles across solo practices, clinics, and enterprise healthcare organizations.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Lyrebird Health is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Lyrebird Health |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Background listening with real-time voice-to-text transcription during consultations |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Automatic generation of structured clinical notes (SOAP and customizable templates) |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Drafting of clinical documents such as referral letters and medical certificates |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | EMR integrations including Best Practice, Genie/Gentu, and FHIR-compliant systems for one-click transfer |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Direct dictate and AI-powered smart dictate modes |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Telehealth-compatible and browser-based with desktop and mobile support |
BetterDictation
Choose BetterDictation if you need dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps — strengths include runs locally on-device for privacy; vendor states no audio or transcripts are stored.
Lyrebird Health
Choose Lyrebird Health if you need automating clinical note-taking for doctors and specialists during in-person or telehealth consultations — strengths include purpose-built for clinical documentation and adapts to each clinician's note-taking style.
BetterDictation
Lyrebird Health
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Lyrebird Health is strong for automating clinical note-taking for doctors and specialists during in-person or telehealth consultations. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Lyrebird Health is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
You can — some teams pair them when each covers a different part of the meeting workflow.
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