FluidVoice is the focused Mac dictation pick. Otter.ai is the broader meeting-notes platform. Ottex, which we make, sits between them with dictation, meetings, and finished-work outputs on Mac and iOS.
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.
FluidVoice
Mac · Limited free
FluidVoice is a free, open-source macOS dictation tool with local model options and system-wide insertion, but it is not a meeting assistant and its public claims are thin on formatting, collaboration, and enterprise controls.
Choose if
You want a free, GPLv3 macOS dictation app with no paid tiers.
You use macOS 15 Sequoia or later and want voice input that works across text fields with a global hotkey.
You want control over speech models, including local options and Whisper support for up to 99 languages.
Look elsewhere if
You need Windows, web, iOS, Android, Linux, or browser-extension support.
You need meeting recording, summaries, action items, speaker identification, calendar integration, or shared team memory.
Otter.ai
Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Web · Limited free · $16.99/mo
Otter.ai is a strong meeting transcription and team-notes platform with real-time summaries, CRM/workflow integrations, and broad apps, but it is not a system-wide dictation tool and relies on cloud transcription with only 6 published input
Choose if
You want AI meeting notes, summaries, speaker labels, follow-ups, and searchable transcripts across Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, web, desktop, iOS, and i
You run a team that needs shared workspaces, Salesforce or HubSpot note sync, Slack/Zapier workflows, API/webhooks, and compliance claims including SOC 2 Type
You need a meeting-focused product with a usable free trial path: Basic has 300 transcription minutes/month, Pro is $16.99/month or $8.33/user/month annually,
Look elsewhere if
You need true system-wide dictation that inserts text into any app; the dossier says this is not supported.
You need private or offline local transcription, BYOK, or zero-data-retention guarantees; imported files upload to Otter and those privacy claims are not public
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 pure cost for Mac dictation because it is free forever with no paid tiers. Otter.ai has a usable meeting trial at 300 monthly transcription minutes, then Pro is $16.99/month and Business is $19.99/seat/month. Ottex has the most flexible model of the three, with free local AI, free BYOK, $0.2/hour PAYG, Pro at $14/month, and Team at $24/seat/month.
See the evidence — 14 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026
Ottex
FluidVoice
Otter.ai
Free tier
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Whisper & Parakeet run on your Mac. Dictation and meetings, $0.
PartialSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Free forever, no paid tiers
PartialSource: otter.ai/start-for-free — checked Jun 2026300 monthly transcription minutes; 30 minutes per conversation; Import and transcribe 3 audio or video files lifetime per user
Subscription
$14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.
NoNo subscription plan
$16.99/moSource: otter.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Annual price is published as $8.33/user/month and monthly price as $16.99/user/month.
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).
NoSubscription only
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: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Optional AI provider API keys can be added for enhanced transcription.
NoSource: otter.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026No public BYOK transcription or LLM-key support claim found.
Education discount
NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Same pricing for everyone.
No public claim
YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Jun 2026Student and teacher discount program is listed for the Pro plan.
Platforms
Otter.ai wins platform coverage with Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Web. FluidVoice is Mac-only, which is fine for a macOS 15 Sequoia workflow but rules out Windows, mobile, and web users. Ottex is also narrower than Otter.ai at Mac and iOS, so it is the better fit only if Apple coverage is enough.
See the evidence — 5 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026
Ottex
FluidVoice
Otter.ai
Platforms
Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
MacSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026
Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, WebSource: otter.ai/integrations — checked Jun 2026
Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Native Swift app, ~50MB RAM.
YesSource: altic.dev/fluid — checked Jun 2026The vendor describes FluidVoice as a native macOS app.
No public claim
Meetings & team memory
Otter.ai wins meeting capture among FluidVoice and Otter.ai because it is the only one of those two marked for meetings, with Basic capped at 300 monthly transcription minutes and paid plans up to 6000 monthly transcription minutes on Business. FluidVoice does not do meeting recording, summaries, speaker identification, calendar integration, or team memory. Ottex is the surprise here because it is also marked formeet
See the evidence — 18 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026
Ottex
FluidVoice
Otter.ai
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026With speaker separation.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Jun 2026Otter Notetaker records and transcribes Zoom meetings in real time.
Bot-free captureNo "recording bot" joins your call
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026System-audio capture, no bot joins the call.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: otter.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Speaker identification is listed on the pricing page.
Calendar detection
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Calendar-based meeting detection.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Jun 2026Notetaker can automatically join synced calendar event meetings.
Cross-meeting search
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: otter.ai — checked Jun 2026Otter AI Chat searches across meetings and connected apps.
Shared team memory
PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Jun 2026Otter Workspaces provide team collaboration and management features.
From meeting to finished work
Otter.ai beats FluidVoice for meeting intelligence because it offers meeting notes, summaries, speaker labels, follow-ups, searchable transcripts, and team workflows, while FluidVoice is not a meeting assistant. Ottex goes further on finished work by turning dictation and meetings into follow-up emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, notes, and docs. Otter.ai is still the safer team-platform pick when Salesforce,
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026
Ottex
FluidVoice
Otter.ai
Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Decisions with owners extracted.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: otter.ai/start-for-free — checked Jun 2026Business trial lists assigning action items to teammates.
Follow-up email draftedThe outcome is sent, not summarized
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Drafted from templates or your own.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: otter.ai — checked Jun 2026Otter creates follow-ups from meetings.
CRM update / ticket draft
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Structured for the target app.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
YesSource: otter.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Pricing lists synced notes to Salesforce or HubSpot and AI Chat with Salesforce.
Your rough notes steer the result
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
No public claim
Dictation & transcription AI
FluidVoice beats Otter.ai for dictation because FluidVoice is a Mac dictation app with BYOK and 99 languages, while Otter.ai is not system-wide dictation and publishes 6 input languages. Ottex is strongest overall for dictation AI because it has dictation, BYOK, localOption, and 100 languages, plus per-app output rules. Otter.ai should only win this section if the dictation need is really meeting transcription.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026
Ottex
FluidVoice
Otter.ai
Engines
Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local.
Nemotron Speech 3.5, Parakeet Flash, Parakeet TDT v3, Parakeet TDT v2, Cohere Transcribe, Apple Speech, Whisper Tiny/Base/Small/Medium/LargeSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026The README lists these supported speech models.
proprietary cloud AI transcriptionSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Jun 2026Otter describes AI transcription and cloud upload for imported files.
Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Whisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device.
PartialSource: altic.dev/fluid — checked Jun 2026Local speech models are supported, while Cohere and AI enhancement use optional cloud providers.
NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Jun 2026Imported files upload to Otter for transcription.
Model selection per task
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Choose the model per task and per provider.
YesSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Users can choose among multiple supported speech models.
NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Jun 2026No user-selectable recognition model is published.
Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching.
No public claim
No 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
No public claim
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.
0 h5 h10 h
0 h7.5 h15 h
Fill the gaps with:
Otter.aiPro+ Dictation Daddy Free for dictation — $0/yr$100/yr$100 + $0Annual price is published as $8.33/user/month and monthly price as $16.99/user/month. · 1200 in-app recording minutes; Up to 90 mins/meeting; 10 monthly audio/video file imports
OttexPro$168/yr$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.
Otter.aiBusiness+ Dictation Daddy Free for dictation — $0/yr$240/yr$240 + $0Business is published for teams at $19.99/user/month billed annually. · Unlimited meetings + in-app recordings; 6000 monthly transcription minutes - 4 hours per conversation; Import and transcribe unlimited audio or video files
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 and BYOK usage are estimated at provider at-cost rates ($0.2/h dictation, $0.5/h meetings) — 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 Jun 2026.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
FluidVoice vs Otter.ai: which should I pick?
Pick FluidVoice if you want free Mac dictation and do not need meetings. Pick Otter.ai if you need meeting notes, summaries, speaker labels, team transcripts, and broad apps across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Web. Pick Ottex if you want one Apple-first tool for dictation, meetings, and finished outputs like emails, tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, and docs.
Is FluidVoice free?
Yes. FluidVoice is listed as free forever with no paid tiers. The tradeoff is that it is Mac-only and does not handle meeting recording, summaries, action items, speaker identification, calendar integration, or shared team memory.
Is Otter.ai free?
Otter.ai has a Basic plan with 300 monthly transcription minutes, a 30-minute limit per conversation, and 3 lifetime file imports per user. That is a trial-style meeting tier, not a full replacement for a paid plan. For a genuinely free option, consider Ottex: unlimited with local models or your own key.
How much does FluidVoice cost compared with Otter.ai?
FluidVoice costs $0 because it has no paid tiers. Otter.ai starts with Basic free, then Pro is $16.99/month and Business is $19.99/seat/month. Ottex adds cheaper paid flexibility with $0.2/hour PAYG and Pro at $14/month.
Is FluidVoice safer than Otter.ai?
FluidVoice is the better privacy fit if you want a free, open-source Mac dictation app with BYOK and model control. Otter.ai is cloud-based, does not offer BYOK, and imported files upload to Otter, so it is weaker if private or offline transcription is the main concern. Ottex is the strongest privacy fit here because it supports localOption and BYOK.
Is it worth switching from FluidVoice to Otter.ai?
Switch from FluidVoice to Otter.ai if your real need is meetings: summaries, speaker labels, follow-ups, searchable transcripts, team workspaces, CRM sync, Slack or Zapier workflows, API, or webhooks. Stay with FluidVoice if you mainly dictate into Mac text fields and want a free tool. Consider Ottex if you want to keep dictation but add meeting capture and finished-work outputs.
Does FluidVoice or Otter.ai work on Windows or Android?
Otter.ai works on Windows and Android, plus Mac, iOS, and Web. FluidVoice is Mac-only, so it is not the right pick for Windows, Android, Linux, iOS, web, or browser-extension workflows. Ottex is also not the answer for Windows or Android because it supports Mac and iOS.
