BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Speakr: Self-hosted web app for transcribing meeting recordings with diarization, summaries, action items, per-recording chat, and library-wide semantic search. 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 Speakr when extracting action items and decisions from recorded calls 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.
Self-hosted web app for transcribing meeting recordings with diarization, summaries, action items, per-recording chat, and library-wide semantic search.
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
Speakr is a self-hosted web application designed for transcribing audio recordings such as meetings, generating concise summaries and titles, and interacting with the content through a chat interface. It runs entirely on the user's own server, giving full control over data, and is dual-licensed under AGPL-3.0 and a commercial license. The project is actively maintained, with a v0.9.0-alpha release dated June 2026 and over 970 commits. Speakr produces transcripts with automatic language detection and optional AI-powered speaker diarization so users can see who said what. Its summarization can be customized with prompts, and meeting summaries include an action-items view that filters out general discussion to surface decisions, tasks, deadlines, and calendar-worthy events. For deeper interaction, a per-recording chat lets users ask questions about a single recording, while an experimental Inquire Mode provides semantic search and natural-language chat across an entire library of recordings. Speakr can capture system or browser-tab audio, supports configurable AI models and endpoints compatible with OpenAI, OpenRouter, and local models, and includes multi-user support with SSO, group workspaces, an admin dashboard, and export and sharing tools aimed at privacy-conscious teams. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Speakr is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Speakr |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Self-hosted transcription with automatic language detection |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Optional AI-powered speaker diarization |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Customizable summaries plus an action-items view for decisions and tasks |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Per-recording chat and an Inquire Mode for semantic search across the whole library |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | System and browser-tab audio capture |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Multi-user support with SSO, group workspaces, and admin dashboard |
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.
Speakr
Choose Speakr if you need privacy-conscious teams self-hosting transcription and summaries for internal meetings — strengths include runs entirely on the user's own infrastructure for full data control.
BetterDictation
Speakr
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Speakr is strong for privacy-conscious teams self-hosting transcription and summaries for internal meetings. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Speakr 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.
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