Ottex
Mac, iOS
You want dictated emails to follow your saved writing instructions.
You need voice dictation on a Windows computer.
Three tools. Different strengths. Find your fit.
Each tool takes a different approach. Here’s a quick side-by-side to help you choose based on your workflow, platforms, and goals.
Mac, iOS
You want dictated emails to follow your saved writing instructions.
You need voice dictation on a Windows computer.
Mac
You want free offline dictation shaped by your instructions.
You need meeting recording in a stable release.
Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
You want automatically formatted dictation across computers and phones.
You need dictation that works entirely offline.
FluidVoice is free; Wispr Flow Pro costs $15/mo or $144/yr. Ottex Pro costs $14/mo or $168/yr, with free app access through local models or BYOK; BYOK provider usage may cost extra.
| Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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: wisprflow.ai/pricing — checked Oct 20262,000/week on desktop; 1,000/week on mobile; Weekly limit |
| Subscription | $14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included. | NoNo subscription plan | $15/moSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Pro also serves teams at the same per-user prices without a minimum seat requirement; Notetaker access is rolling out gradually. |
| One-time payment | Not applicableSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Application is free | Not applicableSource: fluidvoice.org/download — checked Oct 2026Application is free | NoNo one-time payment plan |
| 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: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Eligible students can claim $0/year on desktop or purchase $7.50/month or $72/year, representing 50% off standard Pro; the separate student marketing page advertises three months free followed by $6/month billed annually, which conflicts with the plans documentation. |
Wispr Flow supports Mac, Windows, iOS and Android; FluidVoice supports Mac with a Windows prerelease; Ottex supports Mac and iOS. Choose Wispr Flow for Android or released Windows support.
| Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | MacSource: fluidvoice.org/download — checked Oct 2026Some platforms in beta/waitlist | Mac, Windows, iOS, AndroidSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026 |
| 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. | No public claim |
FluidVoice records without a bot in its Mac beta; Wispr Flow records without a bot with configurable recording notices in meeting chat. Ottex records without a bot with an experimental, opt-in Mac camera recording watermark.
| Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Notetaker records on Mac and Windows, with account rollout, organization, and HIPAA restrictions. |
| 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. | YesSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Notetaker captures audio from the user's device without joining the call as a bot. |
| 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 | PartialSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Mac and Windows can post chat notices in Zoom, Teams, Slack huddles, and foreground Chrome Google Meet; Google Calendar notices require organizer write access, while organization policy can lock chat notices on. |
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Names use calendar details, visible participant tiles, and spoken introductions; unsupported apps, hidden tiles, or shared microphones can retain numbered labels. |
| 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. | YesSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Notetaker detects calls and presents a recording card, with configurable automatic starting. |
| 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. | YesSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Ask Wispr in the Notetaker hub searches across meeting notes and cites source meetings. |
| Shared team memory | PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace. | No public claim | PartialSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Shared notes appear in search and Ask Wispr context, subject to sharing permissions and separate transcript-access restrictions. |
FluidVoice generates local summaries in its Mac beta; Wispr Flow can draft follow-ups through connected AI tools. Ottex drafts follow-up emails, CRM updates and tickets from meetings.
| Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | YesSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Generated summaries include a Decisions section with speaker labels. |
| Follow-up email draftedThe outcome is sent, not summarized | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Drafted from templates or your own. | No public claim | PartialSource: wisprflow.ai/notetaker — checked Oct 2026Connected AI tools can draft follow-ups from meeting history through MCP; a dedicated built-in follow-up-email action is unverified. |
| 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 | PartialSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Ask Wispr reads typed meeting notes as chat context; automatic summaries are stored separately, and note-guided automatic summary generation is unverified. |
FluidVoice applies saved prompts with optional AI cleanup; Ottex applies saved profile instructions before inserting dictation. Wispr Flow formats dictation automatically; applying saved prompts after dictation requires its desktop beta.
| Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | Cloud speech recognition with proprietary post-processingSource: wisprflow.ai/why-flow — checked Oct 2026Wispr describes proprietary models layered over speech recognition and introduced its Canto speech model in September 2026. |
| 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. | NoSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Dictation transcription requires an internet connection and runs in the cloud. |
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026100+ languages · Mixed Hindi-English speech is supported through explicitly selected Hinglish, and Polish preserves language blends while detection chooses one language per 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: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Smart Formatting automatically structures punctuation and lists, with controls on desktop and iOS and formatting always applied on Android. |
| 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: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Users can add names, technical terms, and jargon to an editable dictionary and configure recurring spelling replacements. |
| 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: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Speaking a saved trigger inserts its stored text during dictation; personal snippets are available on every plan. |
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Desktop beta Auto Apply After Dictation runs a saved custom prompt with optional writing samples before insertion, accepts 1–1,000 words, skips specified cleanup and rapid-repeat cases, and is subject to organization controls. |
| 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 | PartialSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Formal., Casual, very casual, and Excited! presets change capitalization and punctuation with category restrictions and English-only style notices. |
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Desktop beta Transforms rewrite selected or readable field text with built-in or saved prompts at 1–1,000 words; iOS Polish accepts 10–1,000 words with different controls. |
| 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. | PartialSource: docs.wisprflow.ai/articles — checked Oct 2026Styles are selected for app categories, with web-app detection on desktop; some iOS layouts apply one default style everywhere. |
Choose FluidVoice for free offline dictation with saved writing rules, or Wispr Flow for automatically formatted dictation across computers and phones. Choose Ottex on Mac/iOS if you want automatic formatting, saved profile instructions and voice triggers that insert stored text.
FluidVoice is free without a trial or word cap; Wispr Flow allows 2,000 words/week on desktop and 1,000 on mobile—about 15 and 8 minutes of speech, respectively. Ottex offers free app access with local models or BYOK, though API providers may charge.
FluidVoice costs $0 with no paid tier; Wispr Flow Pro costs $15/mo or $144/yr. Ottex Pro costs $14/mo or $168/yr, with free local-model and BYOK app paths; BYOK provider usage may cost extra.
For keeping audio on-device, choose FluidVoice with local recognition and cleanup or Ottex with on-device Whisper or Parakeet v3. Wispr Flow requires cloud transcription, so it is unsuitable if your audio must stay on your device.
Switch to Wispr Flow for phone dictation, automatic list formatting and voice triggers that insert saved text; stay with FluidVoice for free offline dictation with saved rules. Ottex offers automatic formatting, saved profile rules and voice-triggered text insertion on Mac/iOS.
Wispr Flow supports Windows and Android. FluidVoice offers a Windows prerelease but lists no Android support; Ottex supports Mac and iOS, with no Windows or Android support.
FluidVoice works offline after local recognition and cleanup assets are installed; Wispr Flow requires internet access for transcription. Ottex can dictate offline using on-device Whisper or Parakeet v3.