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 Ottex: the honest comparison.
Two tools. Different strengths. Find your fit.
Ottex
HedyAll 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.
The evidence
Pricing
Hedy Pro costs $99.99/yr versus $168/yr for Ottex Pro. Ottex also offers free app access through local models or your own API key (BYOK); provider API usage may cost money.
See the evidence — 9 claims across 2 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Hedy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Education discount | NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Same pricing for everyone. | No public claim |
The evidence
Platforms
Hedy supports Windows, Android and Web alongside Mac and iOS; Ottex supports Mac and iOS. Choose Hedy if Windows or Android meeting access is essential.
See the evidence — 4 claims across 2 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Hedy |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, WebSource: hedy.ai/downloads — 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. |
The evidence
Meetings & team memory
Ottex and Hedy record without bots; recording notices in meeting chat or calendar are unverified for both. Ottex has an experimental, opt-in macOS camera recording watermark; support for it in Hedy is unverified.
See the evidence — 13 claims across 2 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Hedy |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| Participant noticesRecording notices in chat or calendar | No public claim | No public claim |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
The evidence
From meeting to finished work
Both Ottex and Hedy have transcript chat prompt libraries. Ottex extracts transcript information into document templates and drafts follow-ups; Hedy needs external automation for follow-ups, and its document template library is unverified.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 2 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Hedy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
The evidence
Dictation & transcription AI
Ottex automatically formats dictation, uses a custom dictionary and expands voice snippets; saved writing rules shape text before insertion. Hedy cannot dictate across apps and supports cleanup of completed session transcripts.
See the evidence — 21 claims across 2 toolsverified Oct 2026Show tableHide table
| Feature | Ottex | Hedy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
Questions people actually ask.
Ottex vs Hedy: which should I choose?
Choose Ottex for dictating into apps with your saved writing rules. Choose Hedy for live suggestions during client calls, especially if you need Windows or Android support.
Is Ottex free?
Yes, Ottex offers free app access with local models or BYOK, though provider API usage may cost money. Hedy includes up to 5 meeting hours per month free; unlimited sessions require Pro or Lifetime.
How much do Ottex and Hedy cost?
Ottex Pro costs $14/mo or $168/yr, with free local-model and BYOK app paths; provider fees may apply to BYOK. Hedy Pro costs $12.99/mo or $99.99/yr, with a $299 one-time Lifetime plan.
Is Ottex or Hedy better for privacy?
Choose Ottex for on-device dictation: Whisper and Parakeet v3 run locally. Hedy uses cloud AI for transcript cleanup and translation; its complete audio-processing route is unverified.
Is it worth switching from Ottex to Hedy?
Switch to Hedy if you need live meeting suggestions or Windows and Android access. Stay with Ottex if you rely on system-wide dictation, saved writing rules or built-in follow-up, CRM and ticket drafts; Hedy requires external automation for those meeting workflows.
Do Ottex and Hedy work on Windows or Android?
Hedy supports Windows and Android, plus Mac, iOS and Web, but cannot dictate into other apps. Ottex supports Mac and iOS, so it cannot provide Windows or Android dictation either.
Do Ottex or Hedy use a bot to record?
No, Ottex and Hedy both capture meetings without a bot joining the call. Ottex has an experimental, opt-in macOS camera recording watermark that does not prove consent; Hedy instructs users to obtain consent manually.