BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Mentalyc: Mentalyc is a HIPAA-compliant AI documentation tool that records or transcribes therapy sessions and generates clinical progress notes for mental health professionals. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist BetterDictation when dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps matters most, and Mentalyc when documenting psychiatric and assessment notes such as mse and biopsychosocial assessments 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.
Mentalyc is a HIPAA-compliant AI documentation tool that records or transcribes therapy sessions and generates clinical progress notes for mental health professionals.
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
Mentalyc is an AI documentation platform built for therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, PMHNPs, social workers, and other behavioral health professionals. It captures sessions in several ways: recording telehealth or in-person sessions with client consent, uploading an audio file, dictating a recap, or typing a short summary. The session audio is transcribed, and according to the company audio is processed and deleted while transcripts are stripped of identifying details. From this input it auto-generates clinical notes in multiple formats, including SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, PIRP, PIE, intake notes, MSE, biopsychosocial assessments, and supervision/consultation notes. Beyond notes, it produces treatment plans with measurable goals and tracks client progress over time. Mentalyc is web-based and accessed through a browser after signup, and it can sync with EHR systems such as SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Jane App or run as a standalone tool. It states it is HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant and does not use customer data to train AI models.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Mentalyc is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Mentalyc |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Transcribes recorded, uploaded, dictated, or typed sessions into structured notes |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Generates multiple note formats (SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, PIRP, PIE, MSE, intake, supervision) |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Automated treatment plans with measurable goals |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Progress tracking across sessions without client questionnaires |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | EHR integrations with SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Jane App |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant with audio deleted after processing and de-identified transcripts |
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.
Mentalyc
Choose Mentalyc if you need generating progress notes from recorded or in-person therapy sessions — strengths include purpose-built for mental health documentation with many clinical note formats.
BetterDictation
Mentalyc
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Mentalyc is strong for generating progress notes from recorded or in-person therapy sessions. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Mentalyc 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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