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
Hedy vs Otter.ai: the honest comparison.
Three tools. Different strengths. Find your fit.
Ottex
Hedy
Otter.aiAll 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.
Hedy
Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Web
Choose if
You want live suggestions during client calls.
Look elsewhere if
You need system-wide dictation for writing across apps.
Otter.ai
Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Web
Choose if
You want meetings automatically captured and organized into structured notes.
Look elsewhere if
You need voice dictation directly into your everyday apps.
The evidence
Pricing
Hedy Pro costs $12.99/mo and Otter.ai Pro $16.99/mo; both cost $99.99/yr. Ottex Pro costs $14/mo or $168/yr and offers free app access with local models and with BYOK; provider API costs are separate.
See the evidence — 13 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Hedy | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers. | PartialSource: hedy.ai/pricing — checked Oct 2026Up to 5 hours per month | PartialSource: otter.ai/start-for-free — checked Oct 2026300 monthly transcription minutes; 30 minutes per conversation; Import and transcribe 3 audio or video files lifetime per user |
| Subscription | $14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included. | $12.99/moSource: hedy.ai/contact — checked Oct 2026Cloud AI is included, local processing is available, optional external speech providers incur separate API charges, and automatic suggestions stop after 120 minutes per session. | $16.99/moSource: otter.ai/pricing — checked Oct 2026The monthly transcription pool is shared across recordings and imports, with the $99.99 annual total published at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/otter-transcribe-voice-notes/id1276437113. |
| One-time payment | Not applicableSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Application is free | $299 one-timeSource: hedy.ai/pricing — checked Oct 2026Lifetime feature access and future updates. | 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: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026Deepgram, OpenAI, and xAI speech recognition accept user API keys and bill usage separately from Hedy. | No public claim |
| Education discount | NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Same pricing for everyone. | No public claim | YesSource: otter.ai/pricing — checked Oct 2026Individual students and teachers using .edu email receive 20% off Pro: $13.59 USD monthly or $79.99 USD annually, advertised as $6.67 per month billed annually. |
The evidence
Platforms
Hedy and Otter.ai support Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Web. Ottex supports Mac and iOS, so choose either compared tool for Windows or Android meeting capture.
See the evidence — 5 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Hedy | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, WebSource: hedy.ai/downloads — checked Oct 2026 | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, WebSource: otter.ai/integrations — checked Oct 2026 |
| Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Native Swift app, ~50MB RAM. | YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026The import documentation identifies the installed Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android clients as native apps. | No public claim |
The evidence
Meetings & team memory
Hedy, Otter.ai and Ottex support bot-free capture. Otter.ai offers Notetaker chat recording notices; Ottex offers an opt-in experimental macOS camera recording watermark, and neither establishes participant consent.
See the evidence — 20 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Hedy | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026With speaker separation. | YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026Saving session audio requires enabling audio recording, which is off by default. | YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Notetaker records Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings. |
| Bot-free captureNo "recording bot" joins your call | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026System-audio capture, no bot joins the call. | YesSource: hedy.ai/downloads — checked Oct 2026Meeting capture does not require a bot to join the call. | YesSource: otter.ai/integrations — checked Oct 2026Desktop applications can capture meeting audio without Notetaker joining. |
| 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: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Notetaker posts configurable meeting-chat notices and optional pre-recording emails, with Enterprise workspace enforcement and configured Teams calendar permission links. |
| Speaker separation | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | PartialSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026Nemotron separates speakers on supported devices, with names inferred from conversation context or entered manually. | YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Users can label speakers and train Otter to recognize speaker names in later transcripts. |
| Calendar detection | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Calendar-based meeting detection. | PartialSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026Mac and Windows detect microphone use by Zoom, Teams, and Webex, with FaceTime detection available on Mac. | YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026The desktop application detects live meetings and can prompt the user to record. |
| Cross-meeting search | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | PartialSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026Topic chat searches related sessions; Free includes one topic, while Pro supports unlimited topics and chat across them. | YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026AI Chat can query multiple conversations together through channels and additional conversation context. |
| Shared team memory | PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace. | PartialSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026Pro users can share Topics containing current and future sessions with recipients who receive read-only access. | YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Channels collect shared recordings and let authorized members query their conversations with AI Chat. |
The evidence
From meeting to finished work
Hedy uses automation for email drafts; Otter.ai drafts them in AI Chat, and Ottex drafts emails and tickets. All three offer ready-made transcript chat prompts; Otter.ai and Ottex extract details into structured document templates.
See the evidence — 16 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Hedy | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | YesSource: otter.ai/blog — checked Oct 2026Ready-made Team Meeting, Sales Call, and 1:1 templates extract transcript information into meeting-specific sections. |
| 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. | YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026Built-in Quick Prompts send preset questions to session chat, with different prompt sets for each session type. | YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026AI Chat supplies selectable starter prompts and reusable examples for extracting decisions, summarizing discussions, and generating content across meetings. |
| Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Decisions with owners extracted. | YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026Session recaps extract action items and next steps into trackable to-do items. | YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Otter generates action items from meetings and automatically assigns responsibilities. |
| Follow-up email draftedThe outcome is sent, not summarized | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Drafted from templates or your own. | PartialSource: hedy.ai/integrations — checked Oct 2026A viaSocket template creates an interview follow-up email draft in Gmail from a Hedy session. | YesSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026AI Chat generates email drafts using meeting content and requested formatting. |
| CRM update / ticket draft | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Structured for the target app. | PartialSource: hedy.ai/integrations — checked Oct 2026A viaSocket workflow sends sales-call notes to a HubSpot contact and requires external automation setup. | PartialSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Configured Salesforce integration exports meeting notes and insights to matching CRM records for eligible calendar meetings with external guests. |
| Your rough notes steer the result | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result. | YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026Up to 10,000 characters of user-written session notes inform summaries, detailed notes, and chat responses. | No public claim |
The evidence
Dictation & transcription AI
Hedy and Otter.ai lack system-wide dictation. Ottex formats dictation, uses a custom dictionary and inserts voice snippets; saved writing rules apply automatically, while Omnibar shortcuts transform existing text.
See the evidence — 31 claims across 3 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Hedy | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engines | Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local. | No public claim | No public claim |
| Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Whisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device. | NoSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. | NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. |
| Model selection per task | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Choose the model per task and per provider. | NoSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. | NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. |
| Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching. | NoSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. | NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide 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. | NoSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. | NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. |
| Custom dictionary | YesSource: ottex.ai/docs — checked Oct 2026Add or delete names and specialist terms with preferred spellings; entries provide recognition context during transcription. | NoSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. | NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Custom vocabulary applies to conversation transcription rather than system-wide 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. | NoSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. |
| 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. | NoSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. | NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. |
| 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. | NoSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. | NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. |
| 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: hedy.ai/help — checked Oct 2026Completed session transcripts can be manually cleaned and translated using cloud AI on the original capturing device. | PartialSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026AI Chat and custom meeting prompts can summarize, reformat, or translate conversation content, with no documented selected-text workflow across other applications. |
| Per-app output rules | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Per-app output rules: exact in AI chats, polished in email. | NoSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | NoSource: help.otter.ai/hc — checked Oct 2026Not supported for system-wide dictation. |
Questions people actually ask.
Hedy vs Otter.ai: which should I choose?
Choose Hedy for live suggestions during calls or Otter.ai for automatic meeting capture and structured notes. Choose Ottex if you also need dictation into other apps with saved writing rules or drafts of meeting-derived tickets.
Is Hedy or Otter.ai free?
Yes, with limits: Hedy allows 5 hours/month; Otter.ai allows 300 minutes/month and 30 minutes per conversation. Ottex offers free app access with local models and with BYOK; provider API usage costs are separate.
How much do Hedy and Otter.ai cost?
Hedy Pro costs $12.99/mo or $99.99/yr, with a $299 lifetime option; Otter.ai Pro costs $16.99/mo or $99.99/yr. Ottex Pro costs $14/mo or $168/yr, while local models and BYOK require no app subscription; BYOK provider charges are separate.
Which is more private, Hedy or Otter.ai?
Neither Hedy nor Otter.ai has a local option, and their exact meeting-audio routing and storage are unverified, so there is no established privacy winner between them. Ottex can run dictation entirely on-device with Whisper or Parakeet v3.
Should I switch from Hedy to Otter.ai?
Switch to Otter.ai for shared channels that teammates can query with AI Chat, beyond Hedy's read-only Topic sharing. Stay with Hedy for live coaching; choose Ottex for ticket drafts or dictation with saved writing rules, accepting public-link sharing instead of a full team workspace.
Do Hedy and Otter.ai work on Windows and Android?
Yes, Hedy and Otter.ai both support Windows and Android, as well as Mac, iOS and Web. Ottex supports Mac and iOS, so it cannot replace them on Windows or Android.
Do Hedy and Otter.ai use a bot to record?
Hedy and Ottex capture without a bot, and Otter.ai offers bot-free desktop capture. Otter.ai can also use Notetaker with chat recording notices; Ottex's opt-in experimental macOS camera recording watermark proves neither visibility nor consent.