BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Notably: Notably is an AI-powered qualitative research platform that transcribes interview recordings and analyzes notes, transcripts, and other research data into themes and insights. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist BetterDictation when dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps matters most, and Notably when synthesizing qualitative data into themes and insights for market research and agencies 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.
Notably is an AI-powered qualitative research platform that transcribes interview recordings and analyzes notes, transcripts, and other research data into themes and insights.
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
Notably is an end-to-end qualitative research platform built for analyzing and synthesizing research data rather than capturing live meetings. Teams import diverse inputs—video and audio interview recordings, written notes, usability test recordings, and survey exports—into a centralized research repository. Its interview transcription feature imports cloud recordings and transcribes video and audio so researchers can analyze the spoken content. Notably's AI then automates much of the synthesis: it generates highlights and tags, surfaces themes, produces insight summaries, and can run sentiment analysis across an entire study. A library of customizable AI templates supports stages of the research process, from thematic analysis to persona creation, user journeys, and reporting with AI-generated visuals. Notably is aimed at UX and product researchers, market researchers, agencies, design strategists, academics, and consultants who already have collected data and want faster time-to-insight. Notably does not recruit participants, run surveys, or conduct interviews itself; it focuses on analysis and the research repository. It is a web-based, end-user SaaS product.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Notably is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Notably |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Interview transcription from imported video and audio recordings |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | AI-generated highlights and tags on transcripts |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Automatic theme extraction and insight summaries |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Sentiment analysis across an entire study |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Customizable AI research templates (thematic analysis, personas, journeys) |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Centralized qualitative research repository with interactive reports |
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.
Notably
Choose Notably if you need transcribing and analyzing user interview recordings for ux and product research — strengths include strong ai automation reduces manual tagging and synthesis time.
BetterDictation
Notably
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Notably is strong for transcribing and analyzing user interview recordings for ux and product research. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Notably is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Often yes: teams combine tools when one handles capture and another handles analysis.
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