BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Slipbox: Privacy-first, bot-free AI meeting companion that captures system audio locally on Mac and Windows and turns it into transcripts, notes, and summaries. 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 Slipbox when privacy-conscious professionals who cannot use cloud meeting bots 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.
Privacy-first, bot-free AI meeting companion that captures system audio locally on Mac and Windows and turns it into transcripts, notes, and summaries.
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
Slipbox is a privacy-first AI meeting companion built for individual professionals and teams who want to capture meetings without sending a bot into the call. Instead of joining a conference as a visible participant, Slipbox runs on your own machine and captures the device's system audio alongside your microphone, then transcribes the conversation on-device in real time. As the meeting progresses it can surface real-time insights and cues, and once the conversation ends it generates AI summaries using customizable templates, tagged notes, and searchable meeting records. Because the core transcription happens locally, audio does not need to leave the device, and the product uses a hybrid model in which optional cloud features can be turned on when needed; users can also bring their own LLM API key or point Slipbox at local models such as Ollama to keep data within their firewall. It works across common communication apps including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Slack, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Discord, and Webex, and integrates with note tools like Obsidian. Slipbox is available for macOS, Windows, and iPhone, and is suited to consultants, researchers, and privacy-conscious knowledge workers who want a personal meeting record without a meeting bot. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Slipbox is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Slipbox |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Bot-free capture of system audio plus microphone directly on the device |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | On-device, real-time transcription with optional hybrid cloud features |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | AI summaries from customizable templates, tagged notes, and searchable records |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Automatic meeting detection across Zoom, Teams, Meet, Slack, FaceTime and more |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Bring-your-own LLM API key or local model support (e.g. Ollama) |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Speaker identification, semantic search, and Obsidian integration |
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.
Slipbox
Choose Slipbox if you need consultants and researchers keeping private records of client and interview calls — strengths include no bot joins the call, so capture is discreet across many platforms.
BetterDictation
Slipbox
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Slipbox is strong for consultants and researchers keeping private records of client and interview calls. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Slipbox 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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