BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Reduct: Transcription and text-based video editing platform that can capture live Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams calls and make hours of recordings searchable by text. 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 Reduct when reviewing and pulling quotes from qualitative research and ux interview recordings matters most. Trial each on a few real meetings before you commit — the better fit usually shows fast.
A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application.
Transcription and text-based video editing platform that can capture live Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams calls and make hours of recordings searchable by text.
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
Reduct is a transcription and collaborative video platform built around the idea of working with audio and video as searchable text. It transcribes large volumes of recordings and lets teams find, annotate, highlight, redact, edit, and share specific moments by interacting with the transcript rather than scrubbing through a timeline, an approach the company describes as a kind of find-in-page search for video. Reduct's Live Capture feature can join Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams calls when a meeting link is provided, recording and transcribing the conversation so that meetings, interviews, and research sessions become text that the whole team can search and reference. The platform includes a text-based video editor, translation, and redaction tools for sensitive content. Reduct is used by qualitative and UX researchers, legal and public-defense teams, film and production groups, marketers, and educators who need to review long recordings, pull out quotes and clips, and collaborate on the contents of interviews and meetings. It is positioned for teams handling substantial amounts of recorded conversation rather than individual quick transcripts. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Reduct is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Reduct |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Transcription of large volumes of audio and video into searchable text |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Live Capture that joins and records Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams calls |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Text-based video editing by selecting and cutting transcript text |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Annotation, highlighting, and clip-sharing tools for collaboration |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Redaction tools for removing sensitive content from recordings |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Translation of 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.
Reduct
Choose Reduct if you need capturing and transcribing live zoom, meet, or teams meetings and interviews — strengths include makes long recordings navigable by searching and editing transcript text.
BetterDictation
Reduct
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Reduct is strong for capturing and transcribing live zoom, meet, or teams meetings and interviews. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Reduct 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.
More head-to-head comparisons involving BetterDictation and Reduct.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Bliro: Bot-free AI meeting assistant that transcribes online and in-person conversations from device audio without recording audio or video. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Bluedot: Bot-free note taker for Meet, Zoom, Teams plus mobile recording We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. BoardBreeze: AI software that converts board meeting recordings into compliant, formatted minutes capturing motions, votes, and action items. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Boardable: Board meeting platform for nonprofits with AI-generated minutes, an in-meeting assistant, and AI insights that turn discussion into action items. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Bold: Bot-free AI notetaker by Bold App Studios that records meetings on-device, transcribes with speaker detection, and writes summaries with action items. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Boostlingo: Language access platform whose AI Pro engine delivers live AI captioning, translation, and transcription for meetings, webinars, and events. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown: An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Braina: Braina is a Windows AI assistant and speech-to-text software that handles voice dictation, voice commands, and transcription of recorded audio and video files including meetings and interviews. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
BetterDictation and Braindump are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Braindump: Braindump is an AI voice-notes mobile app that records spoken thoughts and meetings, transcribes them, and auto-organizes them into structured, searchable notes. They overlap on ai-meeting-assistants, so the right pick depends on team size, budget, and which meeting workflows you automate.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. BriefMe: Italian mobile app that records conversations, transcribes them automatically, and generates AI summaries with key points, decisions, and action items. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Briefly: AI meeting summaries with CRM and Slack delivery Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Bright Pattern: Bright Pattern is an omnichannel contact center platform that transcribes live and recorded customer interactions and applies AI-powered quality management and analytics across all channels. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.