Ottex and Alter both target voice work on Mac, but they make different bets. Ottex is broader across dictation, meetings, and finished outputs; Alter is simpler if you want a Mac voice app with local and one-time pricing paths.
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.
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
Ottex wins if you want a real free path: local AI and your own key are free, with PAYG at $0.20/hour, Pro at $14/mo, and Team at $24/seat/mo. Alter wins only if its pricing shape matters more: Local+ is $29/yr, Pro is $240/yr, and Lifetime is $720 one-time, while its free plan uses your own keys or local models and limits free meeting recording to Very Slow Whisper with no speaker identification.
See the evidence — 10 claims across 2 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Platforms
Ottex has the wider platform story because it supports Mac and iOS. Alter is Mac-only, so neither tool covers Windows, Android, Linux, web, or a browser extension, but Ottex is the better pick if mobile Apple support matters.
See the evidence — 4 claims across 2 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Platforms
Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
MacSource: docs.alterhq.com — 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.
Meetings & team memory
Both Ottex and Alter support meetings, but Ottex is the stronger meeting-capture choice because meetings are included in its free local and BYOK paths on Mac. Alter records meetings too, but its free meeting recording is Very Slow Whisper and has no speaker identification, which is a real limitation for multi-speaker calls.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 2 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
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.
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.
Speaker separation
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
YesSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Paid plans include speaker identification for meeting recordings.
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.
Cross-meeting search
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
YesSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Alter allows search through all past meetings.
Shared team memory
PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace.
No public claim
From meeting to finished work
Ottex wins meeting intelligence because it turns dictation and meetings into follow-up emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, docs, and notes. Alter mentions dictation and meeting recording, but the input does not confirm finished work outputs, summaries, CRM updates, tickets, or team memory.
See the evidence — 7 claims across 2 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
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.
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.
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.
Your rough notes steer the result
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result.
No public claim
Dictation & transcription AI
Ottex wins dictation AI for breadth: it supports 100+ languages, local models, BYOK, auto-detection, mixed-language speech, personal vocabulary, and per-app output rules. Alter also supports dictation, local models, BYOK, file transcription, and 50+ AI models on some plans, but its language count is 50 versus Ottex at 100.
See the evidence — 8 claims across 2 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
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.
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.
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.
Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching.
No public claim
Per-app output rules
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Per-app output rules: exact in AI chats, polished in email.
No public claim
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.
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.
Ottex vs Alter: which should I pick?
Pick Ottex if you want one Mac/iOS tool for dictation, meeting recording, file transcription, and finished outputs like emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, and docs. Pick Alter if you only need a Mac voice app and prefer its $29/yr Local+ or $720 lifetime pricing path.
Is Ottex free?
Yes. Ottex has free local AI and free BYOK paths for dictation, file transcription, and meetings on Mac, plus PAYG at $0.20/hour if you use Ottex Provider.
Is Alter free?
Alter has a free plan with core features using your own API keys or local models, plus 7 days of unlimited access to 50+ AI models. Its free meeting recording is limited: Very Slow Whisper and no speaker identification.
How much does Ottex cost compared with Alter?
Ottex has free local and BYOK paths, PAYG at $0.20/hour, Pro at $14/mo, and Team at $24/seat/mo. Alter has Free, Local+ at $29/yr, Pro at $240/yr, and Lifetime at $720 one-time.
Is Ottex safer than Alter?
Ottex is the clearer privacy choice in this input because it offers local AI and BYOK paths. Alter also supports local models and BYOK, but its notes say privacy posture and compliance claims are unverified.
Does Ottex or Alter work on Windows or Android?
Neither Ottex nor Alter supports Windows or Android in this input. Ottex supports Mac and iOS, while Alter supports Mac only.
Does Ottex or Alter work offline?
Both tools have a local option. Ottex has free local AI, while Alter has local models on Free and advanced local voice models through Local+ at $29/yr.
