BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Soniox: Multilingual speech AI platform offering real-time and async speech-to-text and translation APIs for meetings and voice apps. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist BetterDictation when dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps matters most, and Soniox when building voice agents and dictation features into apps 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.
Multilingual speech AI platform offering real-time and async speech-to-text and translation APIs for meetings and voice apps.
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
Soniox is a multilingual speech AI platform that provides speech-to-text, translation, and text-to-speech APIs aimed at developers building voice-enabled applications, including meeting transcription, voice agents, dictation, and call-center tools. Its speech recognition supports real-time streaming with low latency as well as asynchronous processing of recorded files, and it covers a broad set of languages with the ability to handle conversations where speakers switch languages mid-sentence. For meeting and multi-party scenarios, Soniox offers speaker separation so transcripts can attribute speech to individual participants, along with handling of names, alphanumerics, and domain-specific terms. The platform also includes real-time speech translation across many language pairs, which is useful for international calls and meetings. Soniox markets enterprise-grade compliance, including SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR, and offers multi-region deployment with data-residency options and a privacy-oriented architecture where audio is processed in real time. Because it is delivered as APIs and SDKs, organizations typically embed Soniox into their own products rather than using it as a standalone meeting application. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Soniox is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Soniox |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Real-time and asynchronous speech-to-text APIs |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Speaker separation for multi-participant conversations |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Real-time speech translation across many language pairs |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Code-switching support for mid-sentence language changes |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Web and server SDKs for browser and backend integration |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Enterprise compliance with SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR |
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.
Soniox
Choose Soniox if you need transcribing multilingual meetings and calls in real time — strengths include strong multilingual and translation capabilities for global meetings.
BetterDictation
Soniox
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Soniox is strong for transcribing multilingual meetings and calls in real time. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Soniox 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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