Granola is for bot-free meeting notes. Willow Voice is for system-wide dictation. We make Ottex, which combines dictation, meetings, file transcription, and finished outputs on Mac and iOS.
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.
Granola is a strong bot-free meeting notes tool with polished AI summaries and team memory, but it is not a general dictation or file-transcription app.
Choose if
You want bot-free meeting capture that records from your mic and computer audio without joining calls.
You want AI meeting notes shaped by your own notes, with action items, decisions, follow-up emails, and reusable prompts.
You want a team meeting memory with shared workspaces, folders, cross-meeting Q&A, and Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar support.
Look elsewhere if
You need system-wide dictation, hotkeys, voice commands, auto-formatting, snippets, or text insertion into other apps.
You need imported audio or video file transcription, batch processing, timestamps, or export controls with public vendor claims behind them.
Willow Voice
Mac, Windows, iOS · Limited free · $12/mo
Willow Voice looks strong if you want polished, system-wide AI dictation across Mac, Windows, and iPhone, but it is not a file transcription or meeting-notes tool, and its free tier is only about 15 minutes of speech a week.
Choose if
You want system-wide dictation that inserts text into whatever field your cursor is in.
You dictate across Mac, Windows, and iPhone and care about 100+ languages, custom vocabulary, and tone/style cleanup.
You need team dictation controls like a shared dictionary, shared shortcuts, centralized billing, and a 3-seat minimum is fine.
Look elsewhere if
You need meeting recording, summaries, action items, speaker identification, or follow-up drafts.
You need audio/video file transcription, batch processing, timestamps, or speaker labels from uploaded media files.You need a genuinely usable free plan; 2,000
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
Ottex has the most flexible pricing: free local AI, free BYOK, $0.2/hour PAYG, $14/month Pro, and $24/seat/month Team. Granola is simpler for meetings, with 25 free meetings/month and $18/seat/month for unlimited meetings. Willow Voice's free tier is only 2,000 words/week, about 15 minutes of speech, then $15/month for Individual or $12/seat/month for Team with a 3-seat minimum.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026
Ottex
Granola
Willow Voice
Free tier
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Whisper & Parakeet run on your Mac. Dictation and meetings, $0.
PartialSource: granola.ai/pricing — checked Jun 202625 meetings/month
PartialSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 20262,000 free words per week
Subscription
$14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.
$18/moSource: granola.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Business is $18 per member/month or $14 per member/month billed annually.
$12/moSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Jun 2026Pricing page shows $10/month billed annually; help center says $12 per user/month with 20% off 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.
No public claim
No public claim
Education discount
NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Same pricing for everyone.
No public claim
No public claim
Platforms
Granola wins platform coverage with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. Willow Voice covers Mac, Windows, and iOS, so it is strong for dictation teams that do not need Android. Ottex is Mac and iOS only, which is a real limitation if Windows, Android, web, or browser access matters.
See the evidence — 5 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026
Ottex
Granola
Willow Voice
Platforms
Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
Mac, Windows, iOS, AndroidSource: granola.ai/download — checked Jun 2026
Mac, Windows, iOSSource: willowvoice.com/download — 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.
No public claim
PartialSource: willowvoice.com/download — checked Jun 2026Mac download appears native; Windows download URL references Electron builds.
Meetings & team memory
Granola wins meeting capture because it is built for bot-free meetings, records mic and computer audio without joining calls, and adds shared workspaces, folders, cross-meeting Q&A, and Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar support. Ottex also records meetings, but its own caveat is that mature team infrastructure is not there today. Willow Voice does not offer meeting recording, summaries, action items, or speaker ID.
See the evidence — 17 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026
Ottex
Granola
Willow Voice
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026With speaker separation.
YesSource: help.granola.ai/article — checked Jun 2026Granola records and transcribes meetings without joining as a bot.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/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.
YesSource: granola.ai — checked Jun 2026Granola does not send a bot to meetings.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Speaker separation
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
No public claim
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Calendar detection
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Calendar-based meeting detection.
YesSource: help.granola.ai/article — checked Jun 2026Granola surfaces calendar events and can start notes from upcoming meetings.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Cross-meeting search
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
YesSource: help.granola.ai/article — checked Jun 2026Ask Granola can answer across past meetings.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Shared team memory
PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace.
YesSource: granola.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Business workspaces include shared notes and folders for teams.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
From meeting to finished work
Granola wins meeting intelligence for notes, action items, decisions, follow-up emails, reusable prompts, and team meeting memory. Ottex is the surprise if the goal is finished work beyond notes, because it turns dictation and meetings into emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, and docs. Willow Voice is not a meeting-notes tool, so it loses this dimension outright.
See the evidence — 12 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026
Ottex
Granola
Willow Voice
Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Decisions with owners extracted.
YesSource: help.granola.ai/article — checked Jun 2026Granola can extract decisions from meetings through templates and AI notes.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/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.
YesSource: help.granola.ai/article — checked Jun 2026Recipes can generate follow-up emails from meetings.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
CRM update / ticket draft
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Structured for the target app.
YesSource: help.granola.ai/article — checked Jun 2026Granola lists Attio as an integration for sending meeting notes to CRM records.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Your rough notes steer the result
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result.
YesSource: help.granola.ai/article — checked Jun 2026User notes are used to guide the generated meeting notes.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Dictation & transcription AI
Willow Voice beats Granola for dictation because it is system-wide, inserts into the active cursor field, supports 100+ languages, and includes custom vocabulary plus tone and style cleanup. Ottex is broader for Mac and iOS users because it adds 100+ languages, local models, BYOK, mixed-language speech, personal vocabulary, and per-app output rules. Granola is not a dictation app.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026
Ottex
Granola
Willow Voice
Engines
Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local.
No public claim
cloud-based AI modelsSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Jun 2026Vendor describes the recognition stack as cloud-based AI models without naming providers.
Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Whisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device.
NoSource: help.granola.ai/article — checked Jun 2026Granola states it requires an internet connection to transcribe and generate notes.
PartialSource: help.willowvoice.com/en — checked Jun 2026Help center lists offline dictation on Individual Pro, while privacy docs say cloud models are used for the main experience.
Model selection per task
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Choose the model per task and per provider.
No public claim
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
YesSource: apps.apple.com/us — checked Jun 2026100+ languages · App Store listing says users can switch languages on the fly.
Per-app output rules
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Per-app output rules: exact in AI chats, polished in email.
NoSource: granola.ai — checked Jun 2026Not supported
PartialSource: apps.apple.com/us — checked Jun 2026App Store listing says style matching adapts tone by context; TechCrunch reports styles across app categories.
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.
OttexPro$168/yr$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.
GranolaBusiness+ Dictation Daddy Free for dictation — $0/yr$168/yr$168 + $0Business is $18 per member/month or $14 per member/month billed annually. · Unlimited meetings
Willow VoiceTeam+ Granola for meetings — $168/yr$283/yr$115 + $168Pricing page shows $10/month billed annually; help center says $12 per user/month with 20% off annually. · Unlimited words; minimum 3 seats
Willow VoiceIndividual+ Granola for meetings — $168/yr$312/yr$144 + $168Pricing page shows $12/month billed annually; help center says $15/month with 20% off annual billing. · Unlimited words to dictate; up to 8 minutes of recording per session
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 and BYOK usage are estimated at provider at-cost rates ($0.2/h dictation, $0.5/h meetings) — 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.
Granola vs Willow Voice: which should I pick?
Pick Granola if your real job is meetings: bot-free capture, AI notes, action items, decisions, follow-up emails, and team memory. Pick Willow Voice if your real job is system-wide dictation across Mac, Windows, and iPhone with 100+ languages. Pick Ottex if you want dictation, meetings, file transcription, and finished outputs in one Mac/iOS app.
Is Granola free?
Granola has a Basic free plan with 25 meetings/month. That is a real meeting-note trial path, but unlimited meetings move to Business at $18/seat/month. Willow Voice's free tier is much smaller for actual speech work: 2,000 words/week is only about 15 minutes of dictation.
Is Willow Voice free?
Willow Voice has a free plan, but 2,000 words/week is about 15 minutes of speech, so it is a teaser rather than a practical weekly dictation plan. Paid Willow Voice is $15/month for Individual or $12/seat/month for Team with a 3-seat minimum. For a genuinely free option, consider Ottex: it offers free local AI and free BYOK paths.
How much does Granola cost compared with Willow Voice?
Granola is free for 25 meetings/month, then $18/seat/month for unlimited meetings. Willow Voice is free for about 15 minutes of dictation a week, then $15/month Individual or $12/seat/month Team with a 3-seat minimum. Ottex adds cheaper Mac/iOS paths with free local AI, free BYOK, $0.2/hour PAYG, and $14/month Pro.
Is Granola safe?
If privacy is the main concern, Granola is still a cloud-style meeting workflow in this comparison because the input does not claim local or BYOK processing. Willow Voice also has no local option or BYOK in the provided digest. Ottex is the privacy-forward pick here because it supports local models and BYOK.
Is it worth switching from Granola to Willow Voice?
Switch from Granola to Willow Voice only if meetings are no longer the problem and system-wide dictation is. Granola is better for bot-free meeting capture, shared meeting memory, action items, decisions, and follow-up emails. Stay with Granola if your team runs on meeting notes.
Does Granola or Willow Voice work on Windows or Android?
Granola works on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, so it wins broad platform coverage. Willow Voice works on Mac, Windows, and iOS, but not Android in the provided digest. Ottex is Mac and iOS only.
