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
FluidVoice vs Willow Voice: the honest comparison.
Three tools. Different strengths. Find your fit.
Ottex
FluidVoice
Willow VoiceAll 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.
FluidVoice
Mac
Choose if
You want free offline dictation shaped by your instructions.
Look elsewhere if
You need meeting recording in a stable release.
Willow Voice
Mac, Windows, iOS
Choose if
You want unlimited everyday dictation without a subscription.
Look elsewhere if
You need custom writing instructions applied automatically after dictation.
The evidence
Pricing
FluidVoice is free; Willow Voice offers free dictation and $15/mo Pro. Ottex offers $14/mo Pro or free app access with local models and bring your own API key (BYOK); BYOK provider charges are separate.
See the evidence — 13 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | FluidVoice | Willow Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers. | PartialSource: fluidvoice.org/download — checked Oct 2026no trial, word limit or paid tier | PartialSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Oct 202620 Scribe uses per week |
| Subscription | $14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included. | NoNo subscription plan | $15/moSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Oct 2026Includes Frontier Pro dictation; annual billing is advertised at $12/user/month without a published annual total. |
| One-time payment | Not applicableSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Application is free | Not applicableSource: fluidvoice.org/download — checked Oct 2026Application is free | Not applicableSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Oct 2026Application is free |
| Bring your own keyPay the model provider, not the middleman | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026OpenRouter, Google AI, OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, and compatible providers. | YesSource: fluidvoice.org/docs — checked Oct 2026Optional cloud cleanup uses the user's API key and separately billed provider account. | No public claim |
| Education discount | NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Same pricing for everyone. | No public claim | YesSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Oct 2026Verified students and educators can request 30% off Willow Pro with proof of affiliation; discounted monthly and annual dollar prices and billing applicability are not published. |
The evidence
Platforms
Willow Voice supports Mac, Windows and iOS; FluidVoice supports Mac with a Windows pre-release. Ottex supports Mac and iOS, so choose Willow Voice for Windows without a pre-release.
See the evidence — 6 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | FluidVoice | Willow Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | MacSource: fluidvoice.org/download — checked Oct 2026Some platforms in beta/waitlist | Mac, Windows, iOSSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Oct 2026Some platforms in beta/waitlist |
| Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Native Swift app, ~50MB RAM. | PartialSource: raw.githubusercontent.com/altic-dev — checked Oct 2026The macOS application uses SwiftUI and AppKit; the Windows implementation was not verified. | PartialSource: willowvoice.com/blog — checked Oct 2026The vendor explicitly identifies Windows as native; implementation details for the other applications are unverified. |
The evidence
Meetings & team memory
FluidVoice records in its Mac beta; Willow Voice recording is unverified. Ottex records without a bot with an experimental, opt-in Mac camera recording watermark; recording notices in meeting chat or calendar are unverified for all three.
See the evidence — 13 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | FluidVoice | Willow Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026With speaker separation. | PartialSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Oct 2026FluidMeet records meetings locally in macOS v1.6.10-beta.7. | No public claim |
| Bot-free captureNo "recording bot" joins your call | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026System-audio capture, no bot joins the call. | PartialSource: raw.githubusercontent.com/altic-dev — checked Oct 2026The macOS beta captures meeting-application audio and microphone audio directly on the computer. | No public claim |
| 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. | No public claim | No public claim |
| Participant noticesRecording notices in chat or calendar | No public claim | No public claim | No public claim |
| Speaker separation | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | PartialSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Oct 2026FluidMeet includes speaker labels in the macOS beta; automatic identification of participants by real name is unverified. | No public claim |
| Calendar detection | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Calendar-based meeting detection. | PartialSource: raw.githubusercontent.com/altic-dev — checked Oct 2026The macOS beta optionally detects Zoom, Teams, Webex, and supported browser meetings, then offers user-started recording. | PartialSource: willowvoice.com/privacy-policy — checked Oct 2026The privacy policy describes optional read-only Google Calendar linking for meeting notifications and session association, but platform and rollout details are unverified. |
| Cross-meeting search | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | PartialSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Oct 2026The macOS beta's Global Search includes transcripts across the application. | No public claim |
| Shared team memory | PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace. | No public claim | No public claim |
The evidence
From meeting to finished work
FluidVoice offers local summaries in its Mac beta; Willow Voice meeting summaries are unverified. Ottex uses document templates to structure transcripts and drafts follow-up emails, CRM updates and tickets.
See the evidence — 7 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | FluidVoice | Willow Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | No public claim | 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. | No public claim | No public claim |
| Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Decisions with owners extracted. | PartialSource: raw.githubusercontent.com/altic-dev — checked Oct 2026The macOS beta offers a Key decisions output, while assignment of decision owners is unverified. | No public claim |
| Follow-up email draftedThe outcome is sent, not summarized | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Drafted from templates or your own. | No public claim | No public claim |
| CRM update / ticket draft | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Structured for the target app. | No public claim | No public claim |
| Your rough notes steer the result | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result. | No public claim | No public claim |
The evidence
Dictation & transcription AI
All three have custom dictionaries. FluidVoice and Ottex apply saved instructions after dictation; Willow Voice has tone presets, but saved instructions are unverified. Ottex and Willow Voice format lists and expand voice snippets.
See the evidence — 29 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | FluidVoice | Willow Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engines | Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local. | Nemotron Speech 3.5, Nemotron 3.5 Multilingual, Parakeet Flash Beta, Parakeet TDT v3, Parakeet TDT v2, Cohere Transcribe, Apple Speech, WhisperSource: fluidvoice.org/models — checked Oct 2026The macOS model lineup varies by hardware and operating-system compatibility. | Frontier Mini, Frontier ProSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Oct 2026These are the published dictation model names; underlying recognition providers are unspecified. |
| Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Whisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device. | YesSource: fluidvoice.org — checked Oct 2026Local recognition and local cleanup work offline after their required assets are installed. | PartialSource: willowvoice.com/blog — checked Oct 2026Optional offline dictation is documented for Mac and iOS; Windows offline support is unverified. |
| Model selection per task | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Choose the model per task and per provider. | YesSource: fluidvoice.org/models — checked Oct 2026Users can download and switch speech models in the application. | No public claim |
| Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching. | PartialSource: fluidvoice.org/docs — checked Oct 202699+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching can produce errors and requires testing with the selected model. | YesSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Oct 2026Automatic detection supports switching languages during dictation. |
| 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. | PartialSource: raw.githubusercontent.com/altic-dev — checked Oct 2026Optional AI cleanup fixes punctuation and capitalization, while spoken directives create line breaks and list items. | YesSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Oct 2026Automatically adds punctuation, paragraph breaks and lists, with optional spoken formatting commands. |
| 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: fluidvoice.org/features — checked Oct 2026Custom Dictionary accepts preferred spellings for names and jargon, with JSON import and export. | YesSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Oct 2026Users can add, edit and delete dictionary terms for recognition during dictation. |
| 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. | No public claim | YesSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Oct 2026Saying a saved shortcut phrase followed by “shortcut” inserts its stored text. |
| 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. | YesSource: fluidvoice.org/docs — checked Oct 2026Saved user-written prompts automatically process dictation before insertion when AI cleanup is enabled. | 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. | No public claim | YesSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Oct 2026Selectable presets include Default, Casual Friendly, Excited and Hypercasual for supported writing contexts. |
| 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. | PartialSource: fluidvoice.org/features — checked Oct 2026Write Mode replaces selected text using spoken rewrite instructions in Accessibility-compatible fields, with AI-provider compatibility restrictions. | YesSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Oct 2026Scribe rewrites selected text in place using spoken instructions for tone, translation, shortening and restructuring. |
| Per-app output rules | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Per-app output rules: exact in AI chats, polished in email. | YesSource: fluidvoice.org/docs — checked Oct 2026User-authored per-app instructions are selected automatically for the focused application. | YesSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Oct 2026Users choose presets for messaging, work messaging, email and note-taking contexts that apply automatically. |
Questions people actually ask.
FluidVoice vs Willow Voice: which should I choose?
Choose FluidVoice for free offline dictation with saved writing instructions; choose Willow Voice for automatic paragraphs, lists and voice snippets. Ottex combines saved instructions, automatic formatting and voice snippets on Mac and iOS, but lacks Windows support.
Are FluidVoice and Willow Voice free?
FluidVoice is free with no trial, word cap or paid tier; Willow Voice offers unlimited free dictation and 20 Scribe text rewrites per week. Ottex offers free app access with local models or BYOK, which can incur provider charges.
How much do FluidVoice and Willow Voice cost?
FluidVoice is free; Willow Voice Pro costs $15/mo, with no published annual price supplied. Ottex Pro costs $14/mo or $168/yr, while local models and BYOK require no app subscription; BYOK provider charges are separate.
Is FluidVoice safe for private dictation?
Choose FluidVoice if both recognition and AI cleanup must stay on-device. Willow Voice documents offline dictation on Mac and iOS, while Windows offline support is unverified; Ottex runs Whisper and Parakeet v3 on-device.
Is it worth switching from FluidVoice to Willow Voice?
Switch to Willow Voice for voice snippets and automatic paragraphs and lists; stay with FluidVoice for saved instructions after dictation. Ottex combines these controls on Mac and iOS; all three can rewrite selected text, though FluidVoice has AI-provider and editable-field restrictions.
Do FluidVoice and Willow Voice work on Windows or Android?
Willow Voice supports Windows, Mac and iOS; FluidVoice supports Mac and has an official Windows pre-release. Ottex supports Mac and iOS; Android support is unverified for all three.
Do FluidVoice and Willow Voice work offline?
FluidVoice supports offline recognition and AI cleanup after the required assets are installed; Willow Voice supports offline dictation on Mac and iOS, with Windows offline support unverified. Ottex supports on-device recognition using Whisper and Parakeet v3.