BetterDictation: A macOS speech-to-text app that uses on-device Whisper to turn spoken words into typed text in any application. Whisper Memos: iPhone and Apple Watch voice recorder that transcribes memos and meetings and emails you a formatted transcript with an AI summary. 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 Whisper Memos when recording meetings and extracting action items via custom summary prompts 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.
iPhone and Apple Watch voice recorder that transcribes memos and meetings and emails you a formatted transcript with an AI summary.
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
Whisper Memos is an AI voice-recording app for iPhone and Apple Watch, created by independent developer Vojtech Rinik, that records spoken memos and delivers them back as nicely formatted email transcripts within seconds. You can start a recording from a one-tap iPhone lock-screen widget or hands-free from an Apple Watch complication, making it suited to quick capture of rambling thoughts, meeting notes, lectures, or journal entries. Under the hood it offers multiple transcription engines, including OpenAI Whisper, ElevenLabs, and Cohere, and supports many languages with automatic paragraphing. Every voice note can get an automatic AI summary, and you can create custom summary tabs with your own prompts, for example to extract action items from meeting notes or to reorganize thoughts by topic. The app supports importing audio files in formats such as MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, and FLAC. An Agents system routes different memos to different destinations, and integrations cover Notion, Trello, Things 3, Todoist, Day One, Evernote, Reflect, and Drafts, plus thousands more via Zapier or Mail Drop. It markets itself explicitly as a dictaphone, an audio recorder for meetings, and a voice journaling app, and has been covered by outlets like Six Colors and MacSparky. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades (paid); Whisper Memos is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BetterDictation | Whisper Memos |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | System-wide dictation that inserts text into any macOS application | One-tap iPhone lock-screen and hands-free Apple Watch recording |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription using OpenAI's Whisper on Apple's Neural Engine | Multiple transcription engines (OpenAI Whisper, ElevenLabs, Cohere) |
| Team usage | Offline operation for basic dictation with no cloud round-trips | Automatic AI summaries with custom prompt-based summary tabs |
| Integrations | Support for 100+ languages with automatic punctuation | Transcripts delivered as formatted email with automatic paragraphs |
| Languages & capture | Push-to-talk and toggle-to-talk recording modes | Audio file import (MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, FLAC) |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional Pro post-processing: stammer correction and automatic formatting | Integrations with Notion, Things 3, Todoist, Day One, and Zapier |
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.
Whisper Memos
Choose Whisper Memos if you need dictating quick notes or ideas hands-free and receiving them by email — strengths include frictionless capture from lock screen or apple watch.
BetterDictation
Whisper Memos
It depends on your workflow. BetterDictation is strong for dictating emails, documents, and notes hands-free across mac apps, while Whisper Memos is strong for dictating quick notes or ideas hands-free and receiving them by email. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BetterDictation is a free tier with paid upgrades and Whisper Memos 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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