COMPARISONEvery claim sourced · verified Aug 2026

FluidVoice vs VoiceInk: the honest comparison.

Choose FluidVoice for free, unlimited local dictation and partial Windows support. Choose VoiceInk for a native Mac-first experience with offline models and a $25 one-time license. We make Ottex, the reference option when you also need meeting capture and finished work.

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 · 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.

VoiceInk

Mac, iOS · $25 one-time

VoiceInk is a strong pick for Mac-first, privacy-conscious dictation with local/offline transcription and a $25-$49 one-time license, but it is not a meeting assistant and has no Windows, web, Android, or team workflow story.

Choose if

You want native macOS dictation on Apple Silicon with local models that can run offline.
You prefer a one-time lifetime license: $25 for 1 Mac, $39 for 2 Macs, or $49 for 3 Macs.
You want power-user dictation controls like global hotkeys, personal dictionary, snippets, filler-word removal, per-app rules, and searchable transcription history.

Look elsewhere if

You need meeting recording, summaries, action items, speaker identification, calendar detection, or follow-up drafts.
You need Windows, Android, Linux, browser, or web support instead of a Mac/iPhone/iPad setup dominated by macOS use.

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 price because its unlimited local dictation is free. VoiceInk charges once rather than yearly: $25 for 1 Mac, $39 for 2 Macs, or $49 for 3 Macs, making it the better paid path for Mac users who want a lifetime license.

See the evidence — 15 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show table

	Ottex	FluidVoice	VoiceInk
Free tier	YesForever free with local models and BYOK providers.	YesThe core app and local inference are free; optional cloud enhancement uses the user's provider key.	NoNo free plan
Subscription	$14/mo$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.	NoNo subscription plan	NoNo subscription plan
Pay-as-you-go / one-timeEscape the flat subscription	$0.2/hourHosted models at cost: dictation ~$0.2/h, meetings ~$0.5/h (~$3/mo average).	NoSubscription only	$25 one-timeLifetime of updates
Bring your own keyPay the model provider, not the middleman	YesOpenRouter, Google AI, OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, and compatible providers.	YesUsers can supply OpenAI, Groq, or custom provider API credentials for optional enhancement.	YesCloud and custom models may require adding the provider API key.
Education discount	NoSame pricing for everyone.	NoNo separate education discount is published because the product is free.	PartialStudent discount is available by contacting the vendor with student ID; no public percentage is listed.

Platforms

FluidVoice covers Mac and offers Windows installers as beta prereleases, while VoiceInk provides a native macOS experience plus iOS support. Pick FluidVoice if Windows matters, but choose VoiceInk for an Apple-only setup.

See the evidence — 6 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show table

	Ottex	FluidVoice	VoiceInk
Platforms	Mac, iOS	MacSome platforms in beta/waitlist	Mac, iOS
Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke	YesNative Swift app, ~50MB RAM.	PartialThe macOS app is native Swift while the Windows beta uses Flutter with native speech and input components.	YesThe GitHub README describes VoiceInk as a native macOS application.

Meetings & team memory

Neither FluidVoice nor VoiceInk records meetings, separates speakers, or provides team memory, so neither wins meeting capture. Ottex is the reference option here because it records meetings alongside dictation and file transcription.

See the evidence — 18 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show table

	Ottex	FluidVoice	VoiceInk
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all	YesWith speaker separation.	NoNot supported.	NoNot supported.
Bot-free captureNo "recording bot" joins your call	YesSystem-audio capture, no bot joins the call.	NoNot supported.	NoNot supported.
Speaker separation	Yes	NoNot supported.	NoNot supported.
Calendar detection	YesCalendar-based meeting detection.	NoNot supported.	NoNot supported.
Cross-meeting search	Yes	NoNot supported.	NoNot supported.
Shared team memory	PartialPublic share links, not a full team workspace.	NoNot supported.	NoNot supported.

From meeting to finished work

Neither FluidVoice nor VoiceInk creates meeting summaries, action items, follow-up drafts, CRM updates, or tickets. Ottex wins this dimension by turning meetings and dictation into emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, notes, and docs.

See the evidence — 12 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show table

	Ottex	FluidVoice	VoiceInk
Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear	YesDecisions with owners extracted.	NoNot supported.	NoNot supported.
Follow-up email draftedThe outcome is sent, not summarized	YesDrafted from templates or your own.	NoNot supported.	NoNot supported.
CRM update / ticket draft	YesStructured for the target app.	NoNot supported.	NoNot supported.
Your rough notes steer the result	YesRough notes and instructions steer the result.	NoNot supported.	NoNot supported.

Dictation & transcription AI

FluidVoice wins for free multilingual flexibility with local models, BYOK, per-app prompts, file transcription, and support for 99 languages. VoiceInk is stronger for Mac power users who value offline local models, snippets, filler-word removal, transcription history, and per-app rules, but no language count is specified.

See the evidence — 13 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show table

	Ottex	FluidVoice	VoiceInk
Engines	Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local.	Nemotron Speech 3.5, Parakeet Flash, Parakeet TDT v3 and v2, Cohere Transcribe, Apple Speech, WhisperThe app publishes seven recognition-engine families with multiple variants.	Local models, Groq, ElevenLabs, Deepgram, Parakeet, Gemini, Mistral, Soniox, custom OpenAI-compatible modelsVoiceInk lists local, cloud, and custom transcription model options.
Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine	YesWhisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device.	YesSupported speech models run on the device after any required download.	YesLocal models run directly on the Mac without an internet connection.
Model selection per task	YesChoose the model per task and per provider.	YesUsers select among the supported recognition models during onboarding or in settings.	YesUsers can choose and set a default transcription model.
Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence	Yes100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching.	No public claim	No public claim
Per-app output rules	YesPer-app output rules: exact in AI chats, polished in email.	YesDifferent prompt sets can be assigned to different applications.	YesPower Mode can automatically apply app or website-specific transcription and enhancement settings.

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.

You dictate about 3 h a week≈ 23,400 words at ~130 wpm

0 h5 h10 h

and sit in 4 h of meetings a weekhours you'd want captured and turned into follow-ups

0 h7.5 h15 h

Fill the gaps with:

Dictation appadded to meetings-only toolsMeetings appadded to dictation-only tools

OttexOttex Provider — PAYG$135/yrHosted models at cost: dictation ~$0.2/h, meetings ~$0.5/h (~$3/mo average).

OttexSubscription - Pro$168/yr$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.

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.

FluidVoice vs VoiceInk: which should I choose?

Choose FluidVoice if you want free, unlimited local dictation, 99-language model support, or beta Windows access. Choose VoiceInk if you use Mac and iOS and prefer native macOS software, offline models, and a $25-$49 lifetime license.

Is FluidVoice free?

Yes. FluidVoice offers free, unlimited local dictation, supports BYOK, and does not require sending voice or transcripts to the vendor.

Is VoiceInk free?

No free VoiceInk plan is listed. It costs $25 once for 1 Mac, $39 for up to 2 Macs, or $49 for up to 3 Macs.

How much do FluidVoice and VoiceInk cost?

FluidVoice costs $0, while VoiceInk has no annual subscription: its lifetime licenses cost $25, $39, or $49 depending on whether you need 1, 2, or 3 Macs. FluidVoice is the cheaper path, while VoiceInk trades the free price for a native Mac-first product.

Is FluidVoice or VoiceInk safer for private dictation?

Both are strong privacy choices because FluidVoice can keep voice and transcripts away from its vendor, while VoiceInk offers local models that run offline. FluidVoice is the clearer pick if free, vendor-independent local use is the deciding factor.

Is it worth switching from FluidVoice to VoiceInk?

Switch if you are committed to Mac and want VoiceInk’s native experience, offline models, snippets, filler-word removal, and searchable history. Stay with FluidVoice if free unlimited use, 99-language support, Windows beta access, or local TXT and JSON export matters more.

Does FluidVoice or VoiceInk work on Windows or Android?

FluidVoice publishes Windows installers as beta prereleases, while VoiceInk does not support Windows or Android. Neither tool offers Android support, and Ottex does not either.

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