FluidVoice is the free Mac-only dictation choice. Wispr Flow is the polished cross-platform dictation choice. Ottex sits beside them as our broader Mac/iOS option for dictation, files, and meetings.
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.
Wispr Flow is a polished cross-platform dictation app for turning speech into formatted writing, but it is cloud-only and does not cover meeting recording, notes, or file transcription.
Choose if
You want system-wide voice dictation across Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android.
You want cloud dictation with formatting help, snippets, custom dictionary, command mode, and 100+ languages.
You are comfortable paying $15/user/month, or $12/user/month billed annually, for unlimited dictation.
Look elsewhere if
You need offline or local transcription; Flow says transcription always happens in the cloud.
You need meeting recording, summaries, action items, speaker identification, or meeting memory workflows.
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 if your only requirement is Mac dictation at $0 because it has a Free forever plan with no paid tiers. Wispr Flow’s free tier is mostly a teaser: 2,000 words/week on Mac or Windows is about 15 minutes of dictation, and iPhone gets about 8 minutes at 1,000 words/week, so real use points to Flow Pro at $12/seat/mo annually or $15/seat/mo monthly. Ottex is the strongest value path when you want more than
See the evidence — 14 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
FluidVoice
Wispr Flow
Free tier
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers.
PartialSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Free forever, no paid tiers
PartialSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 20262,000 words per week on Mac or Windows; 1,000 words per week on Flow for iPhone; Unlimited words per week on Android (limited time only)
Subscription
$14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.
NoNo subscription plan
$12/moSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Annual price is published as $12/user/mo billed annually.
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: wisprflow.ai/data-controls — checked Jun 2026No bring-your-own-key option is published; Flow uses its own model providers.
Education discount
NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Same pricing for everyone.
No public claim
YesSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Students get three months free and 50% off the Pro plan.
Platforms
Wispr Flow clearly wins platform coverage with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. FluidVoice is Mac-only, and Ottex is Mac and iOS only. Choose Wispr Flow if Windows or Android matters; choose FluidVoice or Ottex only if your workflow is already Apple-centered.
See the evidence — 5 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
FluidVoice
Wispr Flow
Platforms
Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
MacSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026
Mac, Windows, iOS, AndroidSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — 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
Ottex is the only tool here with meetings support. FluidVoice and Wispr Flow are dictation tools, not meeting recorders, and their digests do not include meeting recording, speaker identification, calendar workflows, or shared team memory. If meetings are part of the job, FluidVoice and Wispr Flow are the wrong category.
See the evidence — 18 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
FluidVoice
Wispr Flow
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026With speaker separation.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
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: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Speaker separation
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Calendar detection
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Calendar-based meeting detection.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Cross-meeting search
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
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.
NoSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported for meetings.
From meeting to finished work
Ottex wins meeting intelligence because it is built to turn dictation and meetings into follow-up emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, notes, and docs. FluidVoice has no meetings support, and Wispr Flow has no meetings support, so neither moves from captured conversation into finished team work. Wispr Flow is better than FluidVoice for formatted dictation, but not for meeting intelligence.
See the evidence — 12 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
FluidVoice
Wispr Flow
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.
NoSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
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.
NoSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
CRM update / ticket draft
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Structured for the target app.
NoSource: github.com/altic-dev — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
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.
NoSource: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Dictation & transcription AI
Wispr Flow wins broad consumer coverage with dictation on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android plus 100 languages, but it is cloud-only and has no BYOK. FluidVoice is better for free Mac dictation with BYOK, file transcription, and 99 languages. Ottex is the control pick with BYOK, file transcription, local models, and 100 languages, but it stays Mac/iOS.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
FluidVoice
Wispr Flow
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.
cloud transcription using open-source models and proprietary LLM providersSource: wisprflow.ai/data-controls — checked Jun 2026Data controls say transcription always occurs in the cloud and Flow uses LLAMA 3.1 plus providers such as OpenAI.
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: wisprflow.ai/data-controls — checked Jun 2026Transcription always occurs on the cloud.
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.
No public claim
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
PartialSource: wisprflow.ai/data-controls — checked Jun 2026Flow uses the app name to format messages, but no user-configurable per-app rules are published.
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.
Wispr FlowFlow Pro+ Granola for meetings — $168/yr$312/yr$144 + $168Annual price is published as $12/user/mo billed annually. · Unlimited words per week on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android
Wispr FlowFlow Pro+ Granola for meetings — $168/yr$348/yr$180 + $168Monthly price is published as $15/user/mo. · Unlimited words per week on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android
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 Jun 2026.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
FluidVoice vs Wispr Flow: which should I pick?
Pick Wispr Flow if you need dictation across Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android. Pick FluidVoice if you only need Mac dictation and want a $0 tool with no paid tiers. Pick neither if meetings, follow-ups, CRM updates, tickets, or docs are the real job; Ottex covers those on Mac and iOS.
Is FluidVoice free?
Yes. FluidVoice lists a Free forever plan with no paid tiers. The tradeoff is that it is Mac-only and does not include meeting recording or meeting intelligence.
Is Wispr Flow free?
Only in a limited way. Flow Basic gives 2,000 words/week on Mac or Windows, which is about 15 minutes of dictation, and 1,000 words/week on iPhone, which is about 8 minutes. For a genuinely free option, consider Ottex — unlimited with local AI or your own key.
How much does FluidVoice or Wispr Flow cost?
FluidVoice costs $0 because its listed plan is Free forever with no paid tiers. Wispr Flow costs $15/seat/mo monthly or $12/seat/mo billed annually for unlimited words, with Enterprise on custom pricing. Ottex adds a cheaper usage path at $0.20/hour, plus $14/mo Pro.
Is FluidVoice safer than Wispr Flow?
FluidVoice is the better fit if you want BYOK control on Mac, while Wispr Flow is not BYOK and its notes say transcription always happens in the cloud. Wispr Flow may still be the better app if platform coverage matters more than privacy control. If privacy is the actual deciding factor, Ottex is strongest here because it supports local models and BYOK.
Is it worth switching from FluidVoice to Wispr Flow?
Yes, if you need Windows, iPhone, Android, polished formatting, snippets, custom dictionary, command mode, or 100 languages. No, if you are happy on Mac and the main reason you use FluidVoice is that it costs $0. Switching means moving from free Mac-only dictation to a $12/seat/mo annual or $15/seat/mo monthly cloud product.
Does FluidVoice or Wispr Flow work on Windows or Android?
Wispr Flow works on Windows and Android, as well as Mac and iOS. FluidVoice is Mac-only. Ottex is also not the answer for Windows or Android because it is Mac and iOS only.
