Spokenly and Willow Voice are both system-wide dictation tools for Mac, Windows, and iOS. Spokenly is stronger on cost, local models, and BYOK; Willow Voice is cleaner for managed team dictation. Ottex is shown here because we make it, and because it adds meetings and finished work on top of dictation.
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.
Spokenly
Mac, Windows, iOS · Limited free · $9.99/mo
Spokenly is a strong pick for Mac-first dictation with real offline and BYOK options, but it is not a meeting assistant and has no web, Linux, Android, or live meeting workflow.
Choose if
You want system-wide push-to-talk dictation on macOS, iOS, or Windows, with text inserted directly into the active app.
You want unlimited free local dictation in 100+ languages, or BYOK transcription where Spokenly charges nothing beyond your provider costs.
You need file transcription from the terminal, including batch audio/video jobs and TXT, SRT, VTT, Markdown, or JSON output.
Look elsewhere if
You need meeting recording, calendar detection, summaries, action items, follow-up emails, or shared meeting memory.
You need a browser, web app, Android, or Linux workflow instead of installed desktop/mobile apps.
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
Spokenly wins pure dictation pricing: unlimited local models are free, BYOK is free apart from provider costs, and Pro is $9.99/mo. Willow Voice's free tier is only 2,000 words/week, about 15 minutes of speech, then $15/mo for Individual or $12/seat/mo for Team with a 3-seat minimum. Ottex is the pricing surprise if you also need meetings or files: free local, free BYOK, $0.2/hour PAYG, $14/mo Pro, and $24/seat/mo Team.
See the evidence — 13 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Spokenly
Willow Voice
Free tier
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers.
PartialSource: spokenly.app/pricing — checked Jun 2026Unlimited use; no usage limits
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.
$9.99/moSource: spokenly.app/pricing — checked Jun 2026The pricing page shows annual billing at $99.99 per year and references Pro cloud features.
$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.
YesSource: spokenly.app/pricing — checked Jun 2026Users can connect their own API keys from OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq, ElevenLabs, Mistral, and other providers.
No public claim
Education discount
NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Same pricing for everyone.
YesSource: spokenly.app/pricing — checked Jun 2026Verified students get 50% off Pro after contacting support with an academic email.
No public claim
Platforms
Spokenly and Willow Voice tie on stated OS coverage with Mac, Windows, and iOS, so either is safer than Ottex if Windows matters. Ottex is Mac and iOS only, which is narrower but acceptable for Apple-first users. No native-versus-Electron distinction is stated, so the practical platform winner is the pair with Windows: Spokenly and Willow Voice.
See the evidence — 5 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Spokenly
Willow Voice
Platforms
Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
Mac, Windows, iOSSource: spokenly.app/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
Ottex is the only one of the three with meetings enabled, so it wins meeting capture outright. Spokenly has dictation but no meetings, and Willow Voice also has dictation but no meetings. If the job is recording calls rather than talking into any text field, Spokenly and Willow Voice both miss the requirement.
See the evidence — 18 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Spokenly
Willow Voice
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026With speaker separation.
NoSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
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.
NoSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Speaker separation
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
NoSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Not supported for live meetings.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Calendar detection
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Calendar-based meeting detection.
NoSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Cross-meeting search
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
NoSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Shared team memory
PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace.
NoSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
From meeting to finished work
Ottex wins meeting intelligence because it turns dictation and meetings into follow-up emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, notes, and docs. Spokenly does not offer meeting summaries, action items, follow-up emails, or shared meeting memory. Willow Voice also does not offer meeting summaries, action items, speaker identification, or follow-up drafts.
See the evidence — 12 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Spokenly
Willow Voice
Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Decisions with owners extracted.
NoSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
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.
NoSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
CRM update / ticket draft
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Structured for the target app.
NoSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
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.
NoSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Dictation & transcription AI
Spokenly and Ottex are the strongest AI dictation choices because both support 100+ languages, local models, and BYOK. Willow Voice also supports dictation in 100+ languages, but it has no local option and no BYOK path. Pick Willow Voice for managed team dictation controls; pick Spokenly or Ottex when model choice, offline/local use, or provider control matters.
See the evidence — 12 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Spokenly
Willow Voice
Engines
Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local.
Whisper, Parakeet, Apple Speech Analyzer, GPT-4o Transcribe, Deepgram Nova 3, Soniox, Groq, ElevenLabs, Mistral, Fireworks, CerebrasSource: spokenly.app/pricing — checked Jun 2026Published pages name local, BYOK, managed cloud, and third-party providers across pricing and privacy materials.
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.
YesSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Local Only Mode keeps transcription on-device and blocks network access.
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.
YesSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Jun 2026Docs say users choose between fast and high-accuracy dictation 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
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.
No public claim
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.
OttexSubscription - Pro$168/yr$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.
SpokenlyPro+ Granola for meetings — $168/yr$268/yr$100 + $168The pricing page shows annual billing at $99.99 per year and references Pro cloud features. · High-accuracy cloud models; AI text processing; works out of the box; priority support
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 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.
Spokenly vs Willow Voice: which should I pick?
Pick Spokenly if you want the cheaper and more flexible dictation setup: free unlimited local models, free BYOK, or $9.99/mo Pro. Pick Willow Voice if you want polished team dictation controls and can accept $15/mo Individual or $12/seat/mo Team with a 3-seat minimum.
Is Spokenly free?
Yes, Spokenly has two real free paths: unlimited local models and BYOK where Spokenly charges nothing, though you pay the provider directly. That makes Spokenly a better free dictation choice than Willow Voice's 2,000 words/week cap, which is only about 15 minutes of speech.
Is Willow Voice free?
Willow Voice has a free tier, but 2,000 words/week is only about 15 minutes of dictation, so it is a teaser rather than a real operating plan. For unlimited dictation, Willow Voice moves to $15/mo Individual or $12/seat/mo Team with at least 3 seats.
How much does Spokenly cost compared with Willow Voice?
Spokenly is free with local models, free with your own API keys, or $9.99/mo for Pro. Willow Voice is free only up to about 15 minutes of speech a week, then $15/mo for Individual or $12/seat/mo for Team with a 3-seat minimum.
Is Spokenly safer or more private than Willow Voice?
Spokenly is the stronger privacy pick because it offers local models and BYOK, so you can avoid a forced cloud subscription path. Willow Voice has no local option and no BYOK in the provided details. Ottex is also worth considering for privacy because it supports local models and BYOK.
Is it worth switching from Willow Voice to Spokenly?
Yes, if you want local dictation, BYOK, or a lower paid plan at $9.99/mo instead of $15/mo. Stay with Willow Voice if your main reason is team dictation controls like a shared dictionary, shared shortcuts, and centralized billing.
Does Spokenly or Willow Voice work on Windows or Android?
Both Spokenly and Willow Voice work on Mac, Windows, and iOS. Neither lists Android, Linux, web, or browser support here, so neither is the right pick for those workflows.
