Ottex
Mac, iOS
Choose if
You want dictated emails to follow your saved writing instructions.
Look elsewhere if
You need voice dictation on a Windows computer.
ComparisonEvery claim sourced · verified Oct 2026
Aqua Voice vs Dragon NaturallySpeaking: the honest comparison.
Three tools. Different strengths. Find your fit.
Ottex
Aqua Voice
Dragon NaturallySpeakingAll comparisons
FAQ
At a glance
Which one fits your work?
Each tool takes a different approach. Here’s a quick side-by-side to help you choose based on your workflow, platforms, and goals.
Aqua Voice
Mac, Windows, iOS
Choose if
You want saved writing instructions applied automatically to dictation.
Look elsewhere if
You need meeting recordings turned into structured summaries.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Windows
Choose if
You want offline Windows dictation with custom vocabulary.
Look elsewhere if
You need desktop dictation on a Mac.
The evidence
Pricing
Aqua Voice Pro costs $10/month or $96/year; Dragon NaturallySpeaking has custom pricing. Ottex Pro costs $14/month or $168/year, with free app access using local models or BYOK; BYOK provider charges are separate.
See the evidence — 13 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Aqua Voice | Dragon NaturallySpeaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers. | PartialSource: aquavoice.com/vs — checked Oct 20261,000 free words | NoNo free plan |
| Subscription | $14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included. | $10/moSource: aquavoice.com/pricing — checked Oct 2026Includes Custom Instructions and an expanded dictionary. | NoNo subscription plan |
| One-time payment | Not applicableSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Application is free | NoNo one-time payment plan | NoNo one-time payment plan |
| Bring your own keyPay the model provider, not the middleman | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026OpenRouter, Google AI, OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, and compatible providers. | No public claim | No public claim |
| Education discount | NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Same pricing for everyone. | YesSource: aquavoice.com/pricing — checked Oct 2026Students with eligible school emails receive 70% off: Pro costs $3/month monthly or $2.40/month billed annually, and Max costs $9/month monthly or $7.20/month billed annually; accepted domains include .edu, .ac.uk, .ac.jp, .ac.kr, and .ac.in. | YesSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Qualified K–12 and higher-education organizations receive OLP discounts with unpublished prices, billing periods and percentages; the separate K–12 site program covers up to 250 computers. |
The evidence
Platforms
Aqua Voice runs on Mac, Windows and iOS; Dragon NaturallySpeaking requires Windows, while Ottex runs on Mac and iOS. Choose Aqua Voice for dictation across Windows and Apple devices.
See the evidence — 4 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Aqua Voice | Dragon NaturallySpeaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | Mac, Windows, iOSSource: aquavoice.com/guide — checked Oct 2026Some platforms in beta/waitlist | WindowsSource: dragon.nuance.com/shared — checked Oct 2026 |
| Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Native Swift app, ~50MB RAM. | No public claim | No public claim |
The evidence
Meetings & team memory
Aqua Voice and Dragon NaturallySpeaking lack meeting recording and disclosure. Ottex records without a bot and has an opt-in experimental macOS camera recording watermark; recording notices in meeting chat or calendar are unverified.
See the evidence — 23 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Aqua Voice | Dragon NaturallySpeaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026With speaker separation. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
| Bot-free captureNo "recording bot" joins your call | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026System-audio capture, no bot joins the call. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
| Camera recording watermarkShow recording in your camera video | PartialExperimental macOS virtual camera adds an Ottex icon to video; install/enable the extension, select it and turn video on. Guide covers Meet in Chrome and Zoom desktop; effects may obscure it. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
| Participant noticesRecording notices in chat or calendar | No public claim | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
| Speaker separation | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
| Calendar detection | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Calendar-based meeting detection. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
| Cross-meeting search | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
| Shared team memory | PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
The evidence
From meeting to finished work
Aqua Voice and Dragon NaturallySpeaking cannot summarize meetings; Ottex offers templates that structure transcript information into documents, separate transcript chat prompts, and follow-up, CRM and ticket drafts.
See the evidence — 18 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Aqua Voice | Dragon NaturallySpeaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting template libraryTurn a transcript into a structured document | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Choose a ready-made document template to extract relevant information from a meeting transcript into a structured document, such as a product review or client-call report. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Meeting-transcript document templates are not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Document templates that extract and structure information from meeting transcripts are not supported. |
| Transcript chat prompt libraryReady-made prompts for AI chat about meetings | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Use ready-made reusable prompts in AI chat to ask questions, analyze discussions and extract information from meeting transcripts. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Reusable prompts for chat over meeting transcripts are not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Reusable AI chat prompts for analyzing meeting transcripts are not supported. |
| Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Decisions with owners extracted. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
| Follow-up email draftedThe outcome is sent, not summarized | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Drafted from templates or your own. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
| CRM update / ticket draft | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Structured for the target app. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
| Your rough notes steer the result | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: dragon.nuance.com/en-us — checked Oct 2026Not supported. |
The evidence
Dictation & transcription AI
Aqua Voice on eligible plans and Ottex automatically format dictation and apply saved writing rules; Dragon NaturallySpeaking supports offline recognition and configurable formatting. All three support custom dictionaries and voice snippets.
See the evidence — 26 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Aqua Voice | Dragon NaturallySpeaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engines | Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local. | Avalon 1.5, WhisperSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Oct 2026Desktop model choices vary by app version and account access. | Nuance Dragon speech engineSource: dragon.nuance.com/shared — checked Oct 2026The desktop recognition engine uses Nuance Deep Learning technology. |
| Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Whisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device. | PartialSource: aquavoice.com/changelog — checked Oct 2026The iOS changelog documents downloadable offline models, but supported models and modes remain unspecified. | YesSource: nuance.com/asset — checked Oct 2026Local recognition supports disconnected operation, subject to administrative configuration in managed deployments. |
| Model selection per task | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Choose the model per task and per provider. | PartialSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Oct 2026The desktop Transcription Model selector exposes models available to the account. | No public claim |
| Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching. | No public claim | No public claim |
| Automatic formatting | YesSource: ottex.ai/docs — checked Oct 2026Dictation automatically fixes punctuation, groups ideas into paragraphs and formats enumerations as lists. Formatting toggles and profile rules customize output. | YesSource: aquavoice.com/changelog — checked Oct 2026Dictation automatically adds punctuation and paragraph breaks, with additional formatting configurable through Custom Instructions. | PartialSource: nuance.com/products — checked Oct 2026Configurable rules format numbers, dates and addresses and optionally insert commas and periods; automatic paragraph and list structuring was not verified. |
| Custom dictionary | YesSource: ottex.ai/docs — checked Oct 2026Add or delete names and specialist terms with preferred spellings; entries provide recognition context during transcription. | YesSource: aquavoice.com/guide — checked Oct 2026Users can add and remove names, specialist terms, and acronyms in Dictionary. | YesSource: nuance.com/products — checked Oct 2026The Vocabulary Editor adds and trains words and phrases with custom written forms, pronunciations and formatting properties. |
| Voice snippetsSay a saved phrase to insert a link or text | YesSource: ottex.ai/docs — checked Oct 2026Save a voice trigger and expansion text; saying the trigger while dictating inserts the saved URL or text in place. | YesSource: aquavoice.com/guide — checked Oct 2026Replacements expand spoken phrases into saved text such as calendar links and email addresses. | YesSource: nuance.com/products — checked Oct 2026Speaking a saved Auto-Text command inserts user-defined text or graphics, with global, application-specific or window-specific availability. |
| Custom voice instructionsFree-form rules applied after dictation | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Saved profile instructions automatically process dictation before insertion; rules can include writing examples, personal phrasing and email signatures. | PartialSource: aquavoice.com/guide — checked Oct 2026Plans with Custom Instructions automatically apply saved writing rules and examples to dictation, including email signatures. | No public claim |
| Tone presetsChoose a predefined writing style | YesSelect built-in Messaging or Email profiles for casual or professional dictation; assigning apps or websites enables automatic profile activation. | PartialSource: aquavoice.com/changelog — checked Oct 2026Casual Messaging is a selectable lowercase style for messaging apps; a broader preset selector is unverified. | No public claim |
| Text transforms / AI ShortcutsApply an AI action to existing text | YesSource: ottex.ai/docs — checked Oct 2026Select or copy existing text, open Omnibar and run an AI Shortcut to rewrite, translate, summarize or apply a custom prompt; the result is copied/pasted. | YesSource: aquavoice.com/edit-mode — checked Oct 2026Edit Mode rewrites selected text by voice on desktop, excluding search fields, address bars, and selections over 6,000 characters. | No public claim |
| Per-app output rules | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Per-app output rules: exact in AI chats, polished in email. | PartialSource: aquavoice.com/changelog — checked Oct 2026Casual Messaging enforces lowercase in apps such as Slack, iMessage, and Discord. | No public claim |
Questions people actually ask.
Aqua Voice vs Dragon NaturallySpeaking: which should I choose?
Choose Aqua Voice for saved dictation rules on Windows or Mac, or Dragon NaturallySpeaking for offline Windows recognition with trained vocabulary. Choose Ottex on Mac or iOS when you also need meeting summaries.
Is Aqua Voice or Dragon NaturallySpeaking free?
Aqua Voice offers 1,000 free words, roughly 8 minutes of dictation; Dragon NaturallySpeaking has custom pricing with no verified free tier. Ottex offers free app access using local models or BYOK, with provider charges separate.
How much do Aqua Voice and Dragon NaturallySpeaking cost?
Aqua Voice Pro costs $10/month or $96/year, with a separate $119/year Pro offer and a $0.49/hour dictation rate; Dragon NaturallySpeaking requires a custom quote. Ottex Pro costs $14/month or $168/year; local models and BYOK provide free app access, with BYOK provider charges separate.
Is Aqua Voice safe for private dictation?
For local audio processing, choose Dragon NaturallySpeaking on Windows or Ottex using on-device Whisper or Parakeet v3. Aqua Voice documents iOS offline models with unspecified modes; its remaining audio routing is unverified, while Ottex BYOK uses your chosen API provider.
Is it worth switching from Dragon NaturallySpeaking to Aqua Voice?
Switch to Aqua Voice if you need Mac support or saved writing rules automatically applied to dictation. Stay with Dragon NaturallySpeaking for offline Windows recognition and trained vocabulary; Ottex offers saved writing rules and local recognition on Mac and iOS.
Do Aqua Voice and Dragon NaturallySpeaking work on Windows or Android?
Aqua Voice supports Mac, Windows and iOS; Dragon NaturallySpeaking supports Windows; Ottex supports Mac and iOS. None has verified Android support.
Do Aqua Voice and Dragon NaturallySpeaking work offline?
Dragon NaturallySpeaking supports offline Windows recognition, subject to managed-deployment settings; Ottex runs Whisper and Parakeet v3 on-device. Aqua Voice documents downloadable iOS offline models, but supported modes remain unspecified.