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 MacWhisper: the honest comparison.
Three tools. Different strengths. Find your fit.
Ottex
Aqua Voice
MacWhisperAll 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.
MacWhisper
Mac, iOS
Choose if
You want offline Mac transcription with a one-time Pro purchase.
Look elsewhere if
You want automatic dictation rewriting without configuring an AI service.
The evidence
Pricing
Aqua Voice Pro costs $96/year; MacWhisper Pro costs $73.2 once. Ottex Pro costs $168/year or offers free app access with local models or your own API key (BYOK), with provider usage billed separately.
See the evidence — 14 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Aqua Voice | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | YesSource: goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l — checked Oct 2026Free local transcription and basic dictation have no published usage cap, with advanced models and workflows reserved for Pro. |
| 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. | $9.99/moSource: apps.apple.com/us — checked Oct 2026Assistant funds hosted transcription and transcript AI in the App Store editions; capture entitlements and dictation coverage remain unverified. |
| One-time payment | Not applicableSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Application is free | NoNo one-time payment plan | $73.2 one-timeSource: goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l — checked Oct 2026All future updates included. |
| 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 | YesSource: docs.macwhisper.com/article — checked Oct 2026Users can configure their own provider credentials, with provider charges separate from the application purchase. |
| 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: docs.macwhisper.com/article — checked Oct 2026Students, journalists and nonprofits can request 25% off the one-time direct-download license by email; no discounted amount or monthly or annual education offer is published. |
The evidence
Platforms
Aqua Voice supports Mac, Windows and iOS; MacWhisper and Ottex support Mac and iOS. Choose Aqua Voice for Windows; none lists Android support.
See the evidence — 5 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Aqua Voice | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | Mac, Windows, iOSSource: aquavoice.com/guide — checked Oct 2026Some platforms in beta/waitlist | Mac, iOSSource: docs.macwhisper.com/article — checked Oct 2026 |
| Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Native Swift app, ~50MB RAM. | No public claim | YesSource: goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l — checked Oct 2026The vendor identifies MacWhisper as a native macOS application. |
The evidence
Meetings & team memory
Aqua Voice cannot record meetings; MacWhisper and Ottex record without bots. Ottex has an experimental, opt-in macOS camera recording watermark; support for chat/calendar recording notices is unverified for both recorders.
See the evidence — 20 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Aqua Voice | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026With speaker separation. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | PartialSource: docs.macwhisper.com/article — checked Oct 2026Pro records meetings, while automatic recording remains labeled beta in its dedicated documentation. |
| 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. | YesSource: macwhisper.com/meeting-recording — checked Oct 2026Meetings are captured locally without a bot joining. |
| 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. | No public claim |
| Participant noticesRecording notices in chat or calendar | No public claim | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | No public claim |
| Speaker separation | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | PartialSource: apps.apple.com/us — checked Oct 2026Pro live meetings support speaker identification when enabled with a compatible recognition model. |
| Calendar detection | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Calendar-based meeting detection. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | PartialSource: docs.macwhisper.com/article — checked Oct 2026Users enable app-based meeting notifications in direct-download MacWhisper; detection excludes FaceTime and remains labeled beta in its documentation. |
| Cross-meeting search | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | YesSource: goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l — checked Oct 2026Full-text and speaker search spans saved transcripts, including meeting transcripts. |
| Shared team memory | PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | No public claim |
The evidence
From meeting to finished work
Aqua Voice has no meeting summaries; MacWhisper and Ottex summarize transcripts and offer ready-made transcript chat prompts. Ottex also uses document templates to structure transcripts and drafts follow-up emails, CRM updates and tickets.
See the evidence — 14 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Aqua Voice | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | No public claim |
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.macwhisper.com/article — checked Oct 2026Users select predefined reusable prompts for an opened transcript and run them through a configured AI model. |
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.macwhisper.com/article — checked Oct 2026Configured transcript AI can produce meeting action points. |
| 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. | No public claim |
| CRM update / ticket draft | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Structured for the target app. | NoSource: aquavoice.com/creators — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | No public claim |
| 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. | No public claim |
The evidence
Dictation & transcription AI
Aqua Voice with Custom Instructions and Ottex apply saved writing rules and format dictation automatically. MacWhisper Pro applies saved dictation rules too, but needs AI-service setup.
See the evidence — 28 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Aqua Voice | MacWhisper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | WhisperSource: goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l — checked Oct 2026Whisper is explicitly documented for system-wide dictation. |
| 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: macwhisper.com — checked Oct 2026Whisper recognition can run locally after downloading a model. |
| 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. | PartialSource: goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l — checked Oct 2026Dictation supports different Whisper models, with advanced models requiring Pro. |
| 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: goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l — checked Oct 2026Pro can improve dictation punctuation through a configured AI service; automatic lists and paragraphing are unverified. |
| 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. | No public claim |
| 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. | No public claim |
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.macwhisper.com/article — checked Oct 2026Saved user-authored Pro dictation prompts automatically process recognized text before insertion, with AI-service setup required. |
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.macwhisper.com/article — checked Oct 2026Users can run saved or custom AI prompts to rewrite or query an opened transcript; arbitrary selected-text actions across other apps are unverified. |
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.macwhisper.com/article — checked Oct 2026Pro lets users assign a saved dictation prompt to each selected destination app. |
Questions people actually ask.
Aqua Voice vs MacWhisper: which should I choose?
Choose Aqua Voice for Windows dictation or saved writing rules without AI-service setup; choose MacWhisper for offline Mac transcription and a $73.2 one-time Pro license. Ottex suits Mac/iOS dictation with saved rules plus meeting document templates and follow-up drafts.
Are Aqua Voice and MacWhisper free?
Aqua Voice offers 1,000 free words, roughly 8 minutes of speech, so it is a trial-sized allowance. MacWhisper has a free tier; Ottex offers free app access with local models or BYOK, with separate provider charges.
How much do Aqua Voice and MacWhisper cost?
Aqua Voice lists Pro at $96/year and a separate Pro offer at $119/year, plus dictation at $0.49/hour. MacWhisper Pro costs $73.2 once, with optional Assistant at $89.99/year; Ottex Pro costs $168/year, with free local-model or BYOK app access and separate BYOK provider charges.
Is Aqua Voice safe for private dictation?
Choose MacWhisper or Ottex with local recognition if keeping audio on-device is the priority. Aqua Voice documents downloadable iOS offline models, but their supported modes are unspecified; audio routing for other processing paths is unverified.
Is it worth switching from Aqua Voice to MacWhisper?
Switch to MacWhisper for offline Mac recognition or a one-time Pro license; stay with Aqua Voice if you need Windows or automatic rewriting without AI-service setup. Ottex also applies saved dictation rules and adds meeting document templates and follow-up drafts on Mac/iOS.
Do Aqua Voice and MacWhisper work on Windows or Android?
Aqua Voice supports Windows, Mac and iOS; MacWhisper and Ottex support Mac and iOS, with no Windows support listed. None lists Android support.
Do Aqua Voice and MacWhisper work offline?
MacWhisper and Ottex support fully local speech recognition. Aqua Voice documents downloadable iOS offline models, but their supported modes are unspecified; language counts are 50 for Aqua Voice and 100 each for MacWhisper and Ottex.