FluidVoice is the free, open-source pick for private system-wide dictation. Vowen adds bot-free meetings and finished notes for $49 once. We make Ottex, shown here as a broader Mac and iOS reference.
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.
Vowen
Mac, Windows · Limited free · $49 one-time
Vowen is a strong local-first dictation and meeting recorder for Mac and Windows, especially at $49 one-time, but its mobile apps, team memory, consent controls, and compliance posture are still mostly unproven or enterprise-only.
Choose if
You want offline-capable dictation and transcription on Mac or Windows with local Whisper/Parakeet plus optional cloud engines.
You prefer a $49 one-time Pro license over another recurring subscription for unlimited meetings, file transcriptions, Command Mode, tones, and workflows.
You need bot-free meeting capture from Zoom, Teams, Meet, Slack Huddles, or system audio, with AI summaries, action items, and follow-ups.
Look elsewhere if
You need a proven iOS, Android, web, browser extension, or Linux workflow today; mobile is only coming soon and no web or Linux app is claimed.
You need mature team collaboration, shared workspace, cross-meeting memory, CRM/task drafting, or visible consent controls; those public claims are absent or un
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 pure cost because local dictation and file transcription are free. Vowen’s free plan includes unlimited dictation but caps file transcriptions at 10 and meeting recording at 5 hours; its $49 one-time Pro license is the better value when you need unlimited meetings, files, workflows, and tones. Ottex offers free local and BYOK paths, $0.20 per hour, or Pro at $14 per month and $168 per year.
See the evidence — 14 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
FluidVoice
Vowen
Free tier
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers.
YesSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026The core app and local inference are free; optional cloud enhancement uses the user's provider key.
PartialSource: docs.vowen.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Unlimited voice dictation; 10 audio/video transcriptions; 5 hours total meeting notes recording; 5 Command Mode calls per day; 1 custom tone; 1 text expansion; 1 custom API integration.
Subscription
$14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026$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/hourSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Hosted models at cost: dictation ~$0.2/h, meetings ~$0.5/h (~$3/mo average).
NoSubscription only
$49 one-timeSource: vowen.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Lifetime updates
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 Aug 2026Users can supply OpenAI, Groq, or custom provider API credentials for optional enhancement.
YesSource: docs.vowen.ai/introduction — checked Jun 2026Cloud transcription and AI enhancement use user-provided provider keys.
Education discount
NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Same pricing for everyone.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026No separate education discount is published because the product is free.
No public claim
Platforms
Vowen has the stronger Mac-and-Windows proposition today. FluidVoice also supports both, but its published Windows installers are beta prereleases. Ottex is the alternative for Mac and iOS, but it does not cover Windows.
See the evidence — 5 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
FluidVoice
Vowen
Platforms
Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
MacSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Some platforms in beta/waitlist
Mac, WindowsSource: docs.vowen.ai/introduction — checked Jun 2026Some platforms in beta/waitlist
Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Native Swift app, ~50MB RAM.
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.
No public claim
Meetings & team memory
Vowen wins decisively because it records Zoom, Teams, Meet, Slack Huddles, and system audio without a meeting bot, with speaker-aware notes, summaries, and action items. FluidVoice does not record meetings or provide team memory. Ottex records meetings on Mac, but neither reference product claims mature shared workspaces or cross-meeting team memory.
See the evidence — 16 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
FluidVoice
Vowen
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026With speaker separation.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
YesSource: docs.vowen.ai/introduction — checked Jun 2026Vowen captures meetings from Zoom, Teams, Meet, Slack Huddles, or any app that produces sound.
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 Aug 2026Not supported.
YesSource: docs.vowen.ai/introduction — checked Jun 2026Silent meeting capture records without a bot or banner.
Speaker separation
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
PartialSource: vowen.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Speaker identification is a Pro feature.
Calendar detection
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Calendar-based meeting detection.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
PartialSource: vowen.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Auto-detect meetings is a Pro feature.
Cross-meeting search
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
No public claim
Shared team memory
PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
No public claim
From meeting to finished work
Vowen wins because it turns captured meetings into summaries, action items, and follow-ups, while FluidVoice offers no meeting intelligence. Vowen still lacks established claims for shared team memory, CRM or task drafting, and mature collaboration. Ottex goes further for finished work such as emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, and documents, though its team infrastructure is still immature.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
FluidVoice
Vowen
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 Aug 2026Not supported.
YesSource: vowen.ai — checked Jun 2026Chat with meetings can surface decisions.
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 Aug 2026Not supported.
YesSource: vowen.ai — checked Jun 2026Meeting chat can surface follow-ups.
CRM update / ticket draft
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Structured for the target app.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
No public claim
Your rough notes steer the result
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Not supported.
PartialSource: docs.vowen.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Custom note instructions are Pro-only.
Dictation & transcription AI
Both FluidVoice and Vowen support local dictation, BYOK, file transcription, and 99 languages. FluidVoice stands out for free system-wide dictation, per-app prompts, voice commands, and custom vocabulary; Vowen adds local Whisper or Parakeet, optional cloud engines, custom tones, and Command Mode. Ottex narrowly leads language coverage at 100 and adds mixed-language speech, auto-detection, vocabulary, and per-app output rules.
See the evidence — 13 claims across 3 toolsverified Aug 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
FluidVoice
Vowen
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 and v2, Cohere Transcribe, Apple Speech, WhisperSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026The app publishes seven recognition-engine families with multiple variants.
Local Whisper and Parakeet; cloud models from Groq, Deepgram, AssemblyAI, ElevenLabs, Mistral, Soniox, and moreSource: docs.vowen.ai/introduction — checked Jun 2026The docs say users can choose from 10+ engines.
Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Whisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device.
YesSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Supported speech models run on the device after any required download.
YesSource: docs.vowen.ai/introduction — checked Jun 2026Local Whisper and Parakeet run offline on the device.
Model selection per task
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Choose the model per task and per provider.
YesSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Users select among the supported recognition models during onboarding or in settings.
YesSource: docs.vowen.ai/introduction — checked Jun 2026Users can pick and switch transcription engines.
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.
YesSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Aug 2026Different prompt sets can be assigned to different applications.
YesSource: docs.vowen.ai/introduction — checked Jun 2026Per-app writing styles are listed in the docs.
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.
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 Vowen: which should I choose?
Choose FluidVoice if you want free, open-source, system-wide local dictation and do not need meetings. Choose Vowen if bot-free meeting capture, summaries, action items, and workflows justify its $49 one-time Pro license.
Is FluidVoice free?
Yes. FluidVoice is free for local dictation and local audio or video file transcription, with no paid plan listed.
Is Vowen free?
Yes, but its free plan limits file transcription to 10 files, meeting recording to 5 total hours, Command Mode to 5 calls per day, and customization to one tone, one text expansion, and one API integration. Dictation itself is unlimited, while the $49 one-time Pro license removes the listed meeting, transcription, Command Mode, workflow, and tone limits.
How much do FluidVoice and Vowen cost?
FluidVoice costs $0, so its listed yearly cost is also $0. Vowen has a free plan and a $49 one-time Pro license rather than a monthly or annual subscription.
Is FluidVoice or Vowen safer for private dictation?
FluidVoice is the clearer privacy pick because it can run local dictation without sending voice or transcripts to the vendor. Vowen is also offline-capable with local Whisper or Parakeet, but it additionally offers optional cloud engines.
Is it worth switching from FluidVoice to Vowen?
Switch if you need bot-free meeting recording, summaries, action items, follow-ups, or reusable workflows. Stay with FluidVoice if private system-wide dictation and local file transcription already cover your needs, because it remains free.
Does FluidVoice or Vowen work on Windows?
Both work on Mac and Windows, but Vowen is the safer Windows choice today. FluidVoice’s Windows installers are published as beta prereleases.
