BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Strella: AI-moderated customer research platform that runs in-depth interviews and synthesizes findings in real time, with an option for human-led calls. 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 Strella when b2b and b2c qualitative studies with built-in recruitment 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.
AI-moderated customer research platform that runs in-depth interviews and synthesizes findings in real time, with an option for human-led calls.
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
Strella is an AI-powered customer research platform designed to run in-depth interviews and generate actionable insights in hours rather than weeks. Teams create a study in minutes using AI-generated, unbiased discussion guides that any team member can refine and launch, and they can either lead interviews themselves or hand moderation to Strella's AI moderator for faster results. During AI-moderated sessions, the platform conducts the conversation and adapts questions in real time based on each participant's responses, asking thoughtful follow-up questions to explore topics more deeply. Strella handles study logistics including recruitment, incentives, and scheduling, and offers a choice between interviewing customers a team already knows or recruiting from a panel of millions of global participants with targeting across professional, demographic, and behavioral segments; it supports research in dozens of languages for both B2B and B2C studies. On the analysis side, the platform synthesizes findings in real time, identifies themes across participants and segments, and lets researchers chat with their research to generate video highlight reels and pull insights at multiple levels, from an individual participant up to broader strategic patterns. The company is venture-backed and reports use by recognized consumer brands. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Strella is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Strella |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | AI moderator conducting adaptive, in-depth interviews in real time |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Optional human-led moderation alongside AI-moderated sessions |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | AI-generated unbiased discussion guides editable by the team |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Recruitment, incentives, and scheduling handled in-platform |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Real-time synthesis with cross-participant and segment-level themes |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Chat-with-research and video highlight reel generation |
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.
Strella
Choose Strella if you need rapid customer discovery and concept validation interviews — strengths include flexibility to run interviews via ai or have a human moderate.
BetterDictation
Strella
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Strella is strong for rapid customer discovery and concept validation interviews. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Strella 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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