BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Typist: AI speech-to-text service that converts audio and video into text and exports captions, with tiered models for speed or accuracy. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist BetterDictation when dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps matters most, and Typist when generating srt or webvtt captions for podcasts and videos 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 speech-to-text service that converts audio and video into text and exports captions, with tiered models for speed or accuracy.
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
Typist is an AI transcription service that converts audio and video files into text and caption files. Users upload recordings in common formats such as MP3, MP4, M4A, WAV, OGG, FLAC, and WebM, and Typist returns a transcript that can be exported to DOCX, SRT subtitles, WebVTT captions, PDF, or plain text. The platform offers multiple transcription models, described as Turbo for speed, Pro for a balance of speed and accuracy, and Studio for the highest accuracy, with the Studio tier adding speaker identification. Typist supports a wide range of languages and accents and provides word-level and segment-level timestamps, which makes it suitable for producing subtitles that import cleanly into video editors. The product positions itself around fast turnaround for pre-recorded content and predictable, credit-based usage. Its documented use cases span lectures, podcasts, interviews, research and client calls, and consulting meetings, alongside students, therapists, and video editors. A free tier with a limited number of minutes lets new users try the service before moving to paid plans, and a web dashboard handles uploads, transcription, and exports. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Typist is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Typist |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | Audio and video to text transcription across many file formats |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Export to SRT subtitles, WebVTT captions, DOCX, PDF, and TXT |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Multiple transcription models trading off speed and accuracy |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Speaker identification on the highest-accuracy tier |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Word-level and segment-level timestamps for clean subtitle timing |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Support for a wide range of languages and accents |
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.
Typist
Choose Typist if you need transcribing recorded interviews and research or client calls — strengths include clean subtitle exports (srt and webvtt) that import into video editors.
BetterDictation
Typist
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Typist is strong for transcribing recorded interviews and research or client calls. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Typist 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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