COMPARISONEvery claim sourced · verified Aug 2026

Alter vs FluidVoice: the honest comparison.

Choose FluidVoice for free, local desktop dictation across Mac and beta Windows, with 99-language model support. Choose Alter if meeting recording matters and Mac-only support is acceptable. We make Ottex, the reference option combining dictation, meetings, and finished work.

Ottex icon

Ottex

Mac, iOS · Free tier · $14/mo · PAYG

Ottex is unusually broad for a young Mac/iOS-first tool: it turns dictation and meetings into emails, tickets, CRM updates, notes, and docs, but it is not the pick if you need Windows, Android, web, browser extension, or compliance paperwork.

Choose if
  • You want one tool for system-wide dictation, meeting recording, and finished written outcomes like follow-up emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, and docs
  • You want a real free path: unlimited local dictation, file transcription, and meetings on Mac with Whisper/Parakeet, or BYOK instead of a forced subscription
  • You need multilingual dictation with 100+ languages, auto-detection, mixed-language speech, personal vocabulary, and per-app output rules
Look elsewhere if
  • You need Windows, Android, Linux, web access, or a browser extension
  • You need mature team infrastructure such as a shared workspace, API/webhooks, third-party note destinations, or assistant chat over transcripts today.
Alter icon

Alter

Mac · Limited free · $2/mo · $720 one-time

Alter looks like a Mac-focused tool for dictating into apps and recording meetings, but its public claims are thin: pricing, languages, transcription imports, summaries, privacy posture, and non-Mac platforms are all unverified.

Choose if
  • You want a Mac app that publicly positions itself around writing by voice in other apps.
  • You want one product that at least publicly mentions both dictation and meeting recording, and you are willing to verify the missing details directly with the0
Look elsewhere if
  • You need confirmed Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, web, or browser-extension support.
  • You need published pricing, trial details, language coverage, offline/local processing, or compliance claims before buying.
FluidVoice icon

FluidVoice

Mac · Free tier

FluidVoice is a compelling free, open-source choice for local, system-wide dictation with 99-language model support, but it offers no meeting recording or intelligence.

Choose if
  • You want free, unlimited local dictation without sending voice or transcripts to the vendor.
  • You need system-wide desktop dictation with per-app prompts, voice commands, and custom vocabulary.
  • You want to transcribe audio and video files locally, with TXT or JSON export.
Look elsewhere if
  • You need a meeting assistant for recording, summaries, action items, or team collaboration.
The evidence

What actually differs, claim by claim.

Each section opens with the takeaway. The table underneath is the receipt — every cell carries its source and the date we checked it.

Pricing

FluidVoice wins on simplicity: its published plan is free, with unlimited local dictation. Alter also offers free core features through local models or your own API keys, then charges $29 per year for Local+, $240 per year for Pro, or $720 once for Lifetime; its paid paths make sense only if you want its expanded models, cloud allowance, or meeting capability.

See the evidence — 15 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show table
Ottex iconOttexAlter iconAlterFluidVoice iconFluidVoice
Free tier YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers. PartialSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026All core features; uses own API keys or local models; 7 days unlimited access to 50+ AI models; free meeting recording is Very Slow (Whisper) and has no speaker identification. YesSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026The core app and local inference are free; optional cloud enhancement uses the user's provider key.
Subscription$14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.$2/moSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Optional annual add-on for advanced local speech-to-text and meeting recording. NoNo subscription plan
Pay-as-you-go / one-timeEscape the flat subscription$0.2/hourSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Hosted models at cost: dictation ~$0.2/h, meetings ~$0.5/h (~$3/mo average).$720 one-timeSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Permanent access to Alter, future platform upgrades, all current and future features, and all AI models subject to fair use. NoSubscription only
Bring your own keyPay the model provider, not the middleman YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026OpenRouter, Google AI, OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, and compatible providers. YesSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Free plan supports connecting own AI providers like OpenAI and Anthropic. YesSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Users can supply OpenAI, Groq, or custom provider API credentials for optional enhancement.
Education discount NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Same pricing for everyone. YesSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Special pricing is available for students and academics by email request. NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026No separate education discount is published because the product is free.

Platforms

FluidVoice wins platform coverage because it supports Mac and publishes beta prereleases for Windows, while Alter is Mac-only. The input does not establish whether either app is native or Electron-based, so app quality cannot honestly break the tie.

See the evidence — 6 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show table
Ottex iconOttexAlter iconAlterFluidVoice iconFluidVoice
PlatformsMac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026MacSource: docs.alterhq.com — checked Jun 2026MacSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Some platforms in beta/waitlist
Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Native Swift app, ~50MB RAM. YesSource: linkedin.com/company — checked Jun 2026LinkedIn describes Alter as built natively in Swift. PartialSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026The macOS app is native Swift while the Windows beta uses Flutter with native speech and input components.

Meetings & team memory

Alter wins meeting capture because it records meetings, while FluidVoice does not. Alter’s free Whisper recording is described as very slow and lacks speaker identification, so buyers needing polished capture should treat that support as basic rather than complete.

See the evidence — 17 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show table
Ottex iconOttexAlter iconAlterFluidVoice iconFluidVoice
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026With speaker separation. YesSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Alter records meeting audio from applications or the system microphone. NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
Bot-free captureNo "recording bot" joins your call YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026System-audio capture, no bot joins the call. YesSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Alter records from the Mac audio system without a bot joining the meeting. NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
Speaker separation YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026 YesSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Paid plans include speaker identification for meeting recordings. NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
Calendar detection YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Calendar-based meeting detection. YesSource: docs.alterhq.com/getting-started — checked Jun 2026Alter detects common meeting apps and prompts the user to record. NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
Cross-meeting search YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026 YesSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Alter allows search through all past meetings. NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
Shared team memory PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace.No public claim NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.

From meeting to finished work

Neither Alter nor FluidVoice is a strong meeting-intelligence choice: FluidVoice has no meetings, while Alter’s stated capability stops at recording without verified follow-ups, CRM updates, or tickets. Ottex is the reference winner here because it turns meetings into emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, and documents.

See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show table
Ottex iconOttexAlter iconAlterFluidVoice iconFluidVoice
Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Decisions with owners extracted. YesSource: docs.alterhq.com/getting-started — checked Jun 2026Docs list extracting decisions from meetings. NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
Follow-up email draftedThe outcome is sent, not summarized YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Drafted from templates or your own. YesSource: docs.alterhq.com/getting-started — checked Jun 2026Docs list a follow-up email draft based on a meeting as a common prompt. NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
CRM update / ticket draft YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Structured for the target app. PartialSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Meetings page says summaries and action items can be pushed to CRM or project management tools after meetings. NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
Your rough notes steer the result YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result.No public claim NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.

Dictation & transcription AI

FluidVoice wins dictation AI for most buyers with free, unlimited local operation, 99-language model support, per-app prompts, voice commands, and custom vocabulary. Alter supports local models and your own API keys but lists 50+ AI models and 50 languages; its $29-per-year Local+ plan adds Whisper Pro and Parakeet v3.

See the evidence — 12 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show table
Ottex iconOttexAlter iconAlterFluidVoice iconFluidVoice
EnginesCloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local.Whisper, Whisper Pro, Parakeet v3, local models, cloud models via own API keys or Alter routersSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Pricing names Whisper, Whisper Pro, Parakeet v3, local models, BYOK cloud models, and 50+ cloud models on Pro.Nemotron Speech 3.5, Parakeet Flash, Parakeet TDT v3 and v2, Cohere Transcribe, Apple Speech, WhisperSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026The app publishes seven recognition-engine families with multiple variants.
Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Whisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device. YesSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Meetings page says no internet is required for recording and local processing with Parakeet V3. YesSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Supported speech models run on the device after any required download.
Model selection per task YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Choose the model per task and per provider. YesSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Pro routes to a model or lets the user choose a favorite model. YesSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Users select among the supported recognition models during onboarding or in settings.
Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching.No public claimNo public claim
Per-app output rules YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Per-app output rules: exact in AI chats, polished in email.No public claim YesSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Different prompt sets can be assigned to different applications.
Cost

What a year actually costs at your volume.

Personal or team — switch tabs. Subscriptions are flat; usage-based pricing depends on how much you speak and meet.

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Fill the gaps with:
Ottex iconOttexOttex Provider — PAYG$135/yr
Ottex iconOttexSubscription - Pro$168/yr

Estimates, not quotes. Striped bar segments are the cost of the second app you picked above to cover the gap — rankings use that combined total. PAYG uses hosted at-cost estimates ($0.2/h dictation, $0.5/h meetings); BYOK is estimated at about a third of that because you pay the model provider directly. Bring-your-own-key plans still pay the model provider per use. One-time licenses are amortized over 2 years. Subscriptions use published pricing, checked Aug 2026.

FAQ

Questions people actually ask.

Alter vs FluidVoice: which should I choose?

Choose FluidVoice for free, private, system-wide dictation, 99-language model support, and beta Windows access. Choose Alter only when meeting recording matters enough to accept Mac-only availability and basic free recording without speaker identification.

Is Alter free?

Yes, Alter’s free plan includes its core features using local models or your own API keys, plus seven days of unlimited access to 50+ AI models. Free meeting recording uses very slow Whisper processing and has no speaker identification.

Is FluidVoice free?

Yes, FluidVoice is published as free and offers unlimited local dictation. It is the clearer free choice for dictation, but it does not record or analyze meetings.

How much do Alter and FluidVoice cost?

FluidVoice is free, while Alter offers Free, Local+ at $29 per year, Pro at $240 per year, and Lifetime for a $720 one-time payment. Alter’s cheapest paid path is Local+, while local models or your own API keys keep its core features free.

Is Alter or FluidVoice safer for private dictation?

FluidVoice is the clearer privacy choice because it can run locally without sending voice or transcripts to the vendor. Alter also supports local models and your own API keys, but its broader privacy posture is not established here.

Does Alter or FluidVoice work on Windows?

FluidVoice publishes Windows installers as beta prereleases, while Alter is Mac-only. Neither tool lists Android support.

Does Alter or FluidVoice work offline?

Both offer local processing options, but FluidVoice is the stronger offline dictation choice because its unlimited local mode is free. Alter supports free local models, with more advanced Whisper Pro and Parakeet v3 models available through Local+ at $29 per year.

Alter iconMore Alter alternativesFluidVoice iconMore FluidVoice alternatives

Try Ottex for Mac and iOS.

Free with local models or your own key. Keep Alter and FluidVoice installed while you decide — they coexist fine.

Try for freeSee how Ottex works

We make Ottex, and this page says so plainly. Where Alter or FluidVoice is the better pick, we say it by name. Found an outdated claim? Tell us at [email protected] and we'll fix it within a week. Last verified Aug 2026.