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, Windows, iOS, Linux
You want unlimited offline dictation without a subscription.
You need a shared workspace for team meeting notes.
Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
You want automatically formatted dictation across computers and phones.
You need dictation that works entirely offline.
Spokenly Pro is $99.99/year; Wispr Flow Pro is $144/year; Ottex Pro is $168/year. Spokenly and Ottex offer free app access with local models or your own API key (BYOK); provider API charges are separate.
| Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers. | PartialSource: spokenly.app/pricing — checked Oct 2026No usage limits | 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. | $6.99/moSource: spokenly.app/team — checked Oct 2026Each seat includes full Pro with a permanent 30% discount and centralized billing. | $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: spokenly.app/pricing — 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: spokenly.app/privacy — checked Oct 2026BYOK audio and text travel directly from the device to the selected provider. | No public claim |
| Education discount | NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Same pricing for everyone. | YesSource: spokenly.app/students — checked Oct 2026Verified students receive 50% off Pro at $4.99/month or $49.99/year after signing in with an academic email and emailing a student ID to support. | 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. |
All three support Mac and iOS; Spokenly also supports Windows and Linux, while Wispr Flow supports Windows and Android. Ottex is limited to Mac and iOS.
| Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026 | Mac, Windows, iOS, LinuxSource: spokenly.app/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. | YesSource: spokenly.app/android — checked Oct 2026The macOS and iOS applications are built with Swift. | No public claim |
All three record without bots; Spokenly requires Mac, Wispr Flow offers desktop recording notices in meeting chat, and Ottex offers an experimental, opt-in macOS camera recording watermark.
| Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026With speaker separation. | PartialSource: spokenly.app/dictation-for-mac — checked Oct 2026Meeting recording ships on Mac and requires macOS 14.4 or later. | 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. | YesSource: spokenly.app/blog — checked Oct 2026Mac meeting recording captures audio without a bot joining the call. | 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: spokenly.app/blog — checked Oct 2026Saved meeting recordings can be transcribed with voice-based speaker labels that may require manual correction. | 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: spokenly.app/releases — checked Oct 2026Mac meeting detection is documented in release notes, including Safari support. | 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 | No public claim | 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. |
Spokenly needs AI instructions for summaries; Wispr Flow generates summaries and searches shared notes. Ottex drafts follow-ups, CRM updates and tickets, but public links do not provide a full team workspace.
| 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. | No public claim | 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. | NoSource: spokenly.app/comparison — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | 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. |
Spokenly automatically applies saved dictation instructions; Ottex does too and formats lists. Wispr Flow formats lists, but automatic saved prompts require desktop beta; it and Ottex insert saved text on spoken triggers.
| Feature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Engines | Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local. | Whisper, NVIDIA Parakeet, Apple Speech Analyzer, OpenAI GPT-4o Transcribe, Deepgram Nova, SonioxSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Oct 2026Local and cloud transcription engines are selectable per mode. | 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: spokenly.app/docs — checked Oct 2026Downloaded local models transcribe offline, and Local Only Mode blocks outbound network access. | 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: spokenly.app/docs — checked Oct 2026Users choose transcription models and AI providers per mode. | No public claim |
| Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence | YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Oct 2026100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching. | PartialSource: spokenly.app/blog — checked Oct 2026100+ languages · Gemini 3.5 Transcribe supports switching languages mid-sentence. | 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: spokenly.app/docs — checked Oct 2026Models add punctuation, and optional Smart Paragraphs on Mac adds paragraph breaks; automatic list formatting remains unverified. | 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. | PartialSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Oct 2026Supported models accept custom keyterms; ElevenLabs live transcription applies only the first 50 terms. | 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. | NoSource: spokenly.app/comparison — checked Oct 2026Not supported. | 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: spokenly.app/docs — checked Oct 2026Saved mode AI Instructions process each dictation before its configured auto-insert action using the selected AI provider. | 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. | No public claim | 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. | PartialSource: spokenly.app/docs — checked Oct 2026Mac modes automatically activate for configured applications or websites. | 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 Spokenly for unlimited free offline dictation and saved writing instructions, or Wispr Flow for Android, automatic lists and voice snippets. Choose Ottex on Mac or iOS for automatic lists, voice snippets and saved writing rules; it lacks Windows support.
Spokenly has unlimited free local dictation and free BYOK app access; Ottex also offers free local and BYOK app access, with provider charges separate. Wispr Flow caps free dictation at 2,000 desktop or 1,000 mobile words/week—just about 15 or 8 minutes of speech.
Spokenly Pro is $9.99/month or $99.99/year; Wispr Flow Pro is $15/month, with annual listings of $144 and $143.99. Ottex Pro is $14/month or $168/year; Spokenly and Ottex also have free local/BYOK app paths, with separate provider charges.
For keeping audio on your device, choose Spokenly with downloaded local models and Local Only Mode; Ottex also runs Whisper and Parakeet v3 on-device. Wispr Flow uses cloud transcription; BYOK in Spokenly or Ottex uses your chosen provider.
Switch to Wispr Flow if Android, automatic list formatting or inserting saved text by voice matter; stay with Spokenly for offline dictation or Linux. Ottex offers list formatting and voice snippets alongside saved writing rules and local models, but only on Mac and iOS.
Both Spokenly and Wispr Flow work on Windows, but only Wispr Flow supports Android among these three. Spokenly also supports Linux; Ottex supports Mac and iOS only, which both compared tools also support.
Spokenly, Wispr Flow and Ottex each support 100 languages. Ottex supports mid-sentence switching; Spokenly supports it with Gemini 3.5 Transcribe, while Wispr Flow supports selected Hinglish and Polish blends and detects one language per dictation.