BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Speechmatics: Speech-to-text and voice AI provider offering real-time transcription and live captioning APIs. 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 Speechmatics when embedding automated transcription into meeting or media platforms 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.
Speech-to-text and voice AI provider offering real-time transcription and live captioning APIs.
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
Speechmatics is a speech-to-text and voice AI company that provides transcription and captioning technology through APIs, supporting both recorded and real-time audio across many languages. Its core offering converts speech to text for multilingual, multi-speaker conversations, with low-latency real-time processing suitable for live use. The platform powers live captioning for events, sports, news, and broadcasts, and its transcription technology can be embedded into other products, including meeting platforms that need automated note-taking and captions. Because Speechmatics is delivered primarily as a developer-facing engine, it serves teams building their own applications as well as media and enterprise customers who need accurate speech recognition at scale. It supports features such as multi-speaker handling and broad language coverage, and the company emphasizes security and compliance certifications. Speechmatics is aimed at developers, product teams, media organizations, and enterprises that need to add accurate transcription, subtitles, or live captions to their own workflows and applications rather than use a packaged consumer note-taker. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Speechmatics is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Speechmatics |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Speech-to-text transcription for recorded and real-time audio |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Low-latency real-time processing for live use |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Live captioning for events, broadcasts, and streams |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Multi-speaker and multilingual support across many languages |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | APIs for embedding transcription into other applications |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Speech-to-text transcription for recorded and real-time audio |
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.
Speechmatics
Choose Speechmatics if you need adding live captions to broadcasts, sports, and events — strengths include real-time, low-latency transcription suitable for live captioning.
BetterDictation
Speechmatics
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Speechmatics is strong for adding live captions to broadcasts, sports, and events. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Speechmatics 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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