Aqua Voice is the clearer pick for system-wide dictation across Mac, Windows, and iOS. Alter is harder to buy because pricing, languages, and non-Mac support are not published. Ottex is our product, and it belongs in the comparison if you want dictation, meetings, and file transcription in one Mac/iOS-first tool.
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.
Alter
Mac · Limited free · $2/mo · $720 one-time
Alter looks like a Mac-focused tool for dictating into apps and recording meetings, but its public claims are thin: pricing, languages, transcription imports, summaries, privacy posture, and non-Mac platforms are all unverified.
Choose if
You want a Mac app that publicly positions itself around writing by voice in other apps.
You want one product that at least publicly mentions both dictation and meeting recording, and you are willing to verify the missing details directly with the0
Look elsewhere if
You need confirmed Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, web, or browser-extension support.
You need published pricing, trial details, language coverage, offline/local processing, or compliance claims before buying.
Aqua Voice
Mac, Windows, iOS · Limited free · $8/mo
Aqua Voice is a polished system-wide dictation app for Mac, Windows, and iOS, with 49 languages and strong formatting controls, but it is not a meeting recorder or file transcription tool and dictation is processed server-side.
Choose if
You want fast, system-wide voice dictation across Mac, Windows, or iOS for everyday writing.
You want dictated text cleaned up automatically with punctuation, paragraphs, filler-word removal, snippets, custom vocabulary, and tone rules.
You are comfortable paying $10/month or $96/year after the 1,000-word trial, which is only about 8 minutes of speech.
Look elsewhere if
You need meeting recording, summaries, action items, speaker identification, or calendar-based meeting workflows.
You need audio or video file transcription with timestamps, speaker labels, exports, batch processing, or watch folders.
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
Aqua Voice wins pricing clarity over Alter: its free tier is only 1,000 words, about 8 minutes of speech, then $10/mo or $96/yr for unlimited use, while Alter publishes no pricing beyond custom. Ottex has the broadest price model of the three, with free local AI, free BYOK, PAYG at $0.20/hour, $14/mo Pro, and $24/seat/mo Team.
See the evidence — 14 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Aqua Voice
Free tier
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers.
PartialSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026All core features; uses own API keys or local models; 7 days unlimited access to 50+ AI models; free meeting recording is Very Slow (Whisper) and has no speaker identification.
PartialSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 20261,000 free words, no card required
Subscription
$14/moSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026$14/mo — unlimited dictation and meeting intelligence, all hosted models included.
$2/moSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Optional annual add-on for advanced local speech-to-text and meeting recording.
$8/moSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026FAQ says Pro is $8/month billed annually after the free words.
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).
$720 one-timeSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Permanent access to Alter, future platform upgrades, all current and future features, and all AI models subject to fair use.
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: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Free plan supports connecting own AI providers like OpenAI and Anthropic.
No public claim
Education discount
NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Same pricing for everyone.
YesSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Special pricing is available for students and academics by email request.
YesSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Students with a .edu email get 70% off annual plans.
Platforms
Aqua Voice wins platform coverage with Mac, Windows, and iOS. Alter lists only Mac, and Ottex lists Mac and iOS. No digest here confirms native versus Electron quality, so the practical platform call is 3 listed platforms for Aqua Voice, 2 for Ottex, and 1 for Alter.
See the evidence — 5 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Aqua Voice
Platforms
Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
MacSource: docs.alterhq.com — checked Jun 2026
Mac, Windows, iOSSource: aquavoice.com/download — checked Jun 2026
Native app footprintLight on memory, instant to invoke
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Native Swift app, ~50MB RAM.
YesSource: linkedin.com/company — checked Jun 2026LinkedIn describes Alter as built natively in Swift.
No public claim
Meetings & team memory
Ottex wins meeting capture because it is the only one of the three with meetings marked as supported. Alter publicly points toward meeting recording but the verified digest does not confirm meetings, and Aqua Voice is explicitly not a meeting recorder. If recording, file transcription, and meeting workflows matter, Ottex is the only confirmed option here.
See the evidence — 17 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Aqua Voice
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026With speaker separation.
YesSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Alter records meeting audio from applications or the system microphone.
NoSource: aquavoice.com/info — 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: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Alter records from the Mac audio system without a bot joining the meeting.
NoSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Speaker separation
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
YesSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Paid plans include speaker identification for meeting recordings.
NoSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Calendar detection
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Calendar-based meeting detection.
YesSource: docs.alterhq.com/getting-started — checked Jun 2026Alter detects common meeting apps and prompts the user to record.
NoSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Cross-meeting search
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
YesSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Alter allows search through all past meetings.
NoSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Shared team memory
PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace.
No public claim
NoSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
From meeting to finished work
Ottex wins meeting intelligence because its notes point to finished outcomes: follow-up emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, notes, and docs. Aqua Voice is built for cleaned-up dictation, not summaries, action items, or calendar meeting workflows, and Alter does not have verified summaries, privacy posture, or transcription details. For finished work after a call, Ottex is the only tool in this trio with that 1
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Aqua Voice
Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Decisions with owners extracted.
YesSource: docs.alterhq.com/getting-started — checked Jun 2026Docs list extracting decisions from meetings.
NoSource: aquavoice.com/info — 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: docs.alterhq.com/getting-started — checked Jun 2026Docs list a follow-up email draft based on a meeting as a common prompt.
NoSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
CRM update / ticket draft
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Structured for the target app.
PartialSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Meetings page says summaries and action items can be pushed to CRM or project management tools after meetings.
NoSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Your rough notes steer the result
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result.
No public claim
NoSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Dictation & transcription AI
Aqua Voice beats Alter for confirmed dictation because it supports dictation, 49 languages, and unlimited use on paid plans, while Alter has no verified language count, pricing, or local option. Ottex beats both on control and breadth with dictation, 100 languages, local AI, BYOK, file transcription, and per-app output rules, but it does not cover Windows.
See the evidence — 12 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Aqua Voice
Engines
Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local.
Whisper, Whisper Pro, Parakeet v3, local models, cloud models via own API keys or Alter routersSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Pricing names Whisper, Whisper Pro, Parakeet v3, local models, BYOK cloud models, and 50+ cloud models on Pro.
Avalon proprietary speech modelSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Aqua says it runs on its own Avalon speech model.
Local / on-device optionAudio never leaves the machine
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Whisper and Parakeet v3 run fully on-device.
YesSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Meetings page says no internet is required for recording and local processing with Parakeet V3.
NoSource: aquavoice.com/vs — checked Jun 2026Aqua requires an internet connection and processes audio server-side.
Model selection per task
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Choose the model per task and per provider.
YesSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Pro routes to a model or lets the user choose a favorite model.
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: aquavoice.com/guide — checked Jun 202649+ languages · Language guide says Aqua supports multilingual speakers.
Per-app output rules
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Per-app output rules: exact in AI chats, polished in email.
No public claim
PartialSource: aquavoice.com/info — checked Jun 2026Aqua formats for the destination app, but no per-app rule editor is documented.
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.
Aqua VoicePro Annual+ Granola for meetings — $168/yr$264/yr$96 + $168FAQ says Pro is $8/month billed annually after the free words. · Unlimited use
Aqua VoicePro Monthly+ Granola for meetings — $168/yr$288/yr$120 + $168A vendor comparison page lists Pro at $10/month. · Unlimited use
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.
Alter vs Aqua Voice: which should I pick?
Pick Aqua Voice if you want a ready dictation app with Mac, Windows, iOS, 49 languages, and clear $96/yr pricing. Pick Alter only if you specifically want a Mac-focused voice-writing tool and are willing to verify pricing, language support, privacy, and meeting claims directly.
Is Aqua Voice free?
Aqua Voice has a free tier, but it is only 1,000 words, which is about 8 minutes of speech at 130 words per minute. After that, the listed paid paths are $10/mo or $96/yr for unlimited use. For a genuinely free option, consider Ottex: it offers free local AI or free BYOK.
Is Alter free?
Alter does not publish a confirmed free plan or public pricing in the provided digest. Treat it as unknown until Alter gives you trial terms, limits, and renewal pricing directly.
How much does Alter and Aqua Voice cost?
Aqua Voice lists $10/mo, $96/yr, and enterprise custom pricing after a 1,000-word trial. Alter pricing is not published and is listed only as custom, so Aqua Voice is the only one of the two with a known yearly number.
Is Alter or Aqua Voice safer for privacy?
Neither tool wins on privacy from the provided facts. Aqua Voice processes dictation server-side, and Alter has no verified privacy posture or offline/local processing claim. If privacy is the deciding factor, Ottex is the stronger fit because it supports local AI and BYOK.
Does Alter or Aqua Voice work on Windows?
Aqua Voice works on Windows, Mac, and iOS. Alter is listed only for Mac, so Windows users should choose Aqua Voice between these two.
Does Alter or Aqua Voice work offline?
Neither Alter nor Aqua Voice has a confirmed local or offline option in the digest, and Aqua Voice is server-side. That makes Aqua Voice clearer for online dictation, but not for offline privacy. Ottex is the offline pick here because it supports local AI.
