BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. toruno: Ricoh's Japanese meeting recording service combining transcription, audio recording, and screen capture for online and in-person meetings. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist BetterDictation when dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps matters most, and toruno when organizations wanting screen context preserved alongside the transcript matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application.
Ricoh's Japanese meeting recording service combining transcription, audio recording, and screen capture for online and in-person meetings.
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
toruno is a meeting recording service from Ricoh Company, Ltd. in Japan that captures meetings as a combination of transcription, audio recording, and screen capture, so users can later review who said what and what was shown on screen. It works with web meetings on platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom as well as on-site meetings. toruno offers several capture methods: a Windows desktop application that performs real-time transcription during live meetings, an iPhone app for recording on-site discussions, and a web interface for uploading existing audio or video files. After capture, it can generate AI summaries with customizable templates to turn raw transcripts into structured meeting minutes. Japanese transcription is the primary focus, and a business/AI summary plan also supports transcription of other languages such as English and Chinese. The service includes enterprise-grade security and administration features, including two-factor authentication, IP restrictions, and per-user permission management over transcriptions, plus integration with kintone. It is aimed at Japanese businesses that want a searchable, shareable record of meetings and negotiations. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); toruno is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | toruno |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Combined transcription, audio recording, and screen capture of meetings |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Real-time transcription via Windows desktop app, plus iPhone and file-upload capture |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | AI-generated summaries with customizable minutes templates |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Japanese-first transcription with English and Chinese support on higher plans |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Enterprise security: two-factor authentication and IP restrictions |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Per-user permission management over transcriptions |
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.
toruno
Choose toruno if you need japanese teams needing searchable records of meetings and business negotiations — strengths include screen capture alongside transcript preserves visual context from meetings.
BetterDictation
toruno
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while toruno is strong for japanese teams needing searchable records of meetings and business negotiations. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and toruno 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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