BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Talat: A privacy-first desktop meeting notes app that records and transcribes calls entirely on your own machine, with no bot and no cloud upload. 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 Talat when keeping a searchable local archive of meeting notes in markdown or obsidian matters most. Test each on your own meetings; the right choice tends to become obvious quickly.
A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application.
A privacy-first desktop meeting notes app that records and transcribes calls entirely on your own machine, with no bot and no cloud upload.
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
Talat is a lightweight desktop application that records and transcribes meetings entirely on the user's own computer, keeping audio and notes off cloud servers. It captures both the microphone and system audio, automatically detecting active conferencing apps such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and FaceTime, and transcribes both sides of the conversation in real time with low latency. Speakers are identified automatically and can be adjusted manually, and transcript segments can be edited, split, or deleted. When a meeting ends, an on-device large language model generates a summary highlighting key points, decisions, and action items. Because transcription and summarization run locally using hardware acceleration, the app functions offline and does not send meeting data to external providers, though users can optionally connect their own cloud LLM if they prefer. Talat supports exporting notes to Markdown for tools like Obsidian, along with webhooks and Model Context Protocol (MCP) support for integrating meeting data into other workflows, plus full local search across past recordings. Available for Apple Silicon Macs and Windows, it is sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription, making it suited to privacy-conscious individuals and small teams who want local control of their meeting records. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Talat is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Talat |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Fully local, on-device recording and transcription with no cloud upload |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Captures microphone and system audio from Zoom, Teams, Meet, and FaceTime |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Real-time speaker identification with editable transcript segments |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | On-device LLM summaries of key points, decisions, and action items |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Markdown export to tools like Obsidian, plus webhooks and MCP support |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Local search across all previously recorded meetings |
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.
Talat
Choose Talat if you need recording and transcribing meetings without sending audio to the cloud — strengths include audio and notes never leave the device, supporting strong privacy and offline use.
BetterDictation
Talat
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Talat is strong for recording and transcribing meetings without sending audio to the cloud. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Talat 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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