Alter is the thinner public case: Mac-only, unpublished pricing, and many unverified claims. Superwhisper is the safer pick for private system-wide dictation, while Ottex adds a broader Mac/iOS workflow layer for meetings and finished work.
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.
Superwhisper is a strong pick if you want private, system-wide dictation with local processing, 100+ languages, and a reasonably priced Pro plan, but it is less convincing as a full meeting-workflow system because calendar capture, shared w
Choose if
You want system-wide voice-to-text in native macOS, Windows, or iOS apps rather than a browser-first workflow.
You care about privacy: local transcription, no Superwhisper server retention, no AI training on user data, and BYO API keys are all publicly claimed.
You want dictation plus basic meeting recording in one personal tool, with Pro at $8.49/month, $84.99/year, or $249.99 once.
Look elsewhere if
You need a mature team meeting hub with calendar integration, shared workspaces, cross-meeting search, CRM updates, or automatic follow-up drafts.
You need Android, Linux, or a browser extension as a primary platform; those are not publicly claimed in the dossier.
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
Superwhisper wins pricing transparency over Alter and Ottex when you want a simple personal plan: Alter publishes no price, Superwhisper lists a limited free tier, $8.49/month, $84.99/year, and $249.99 lifetime, while Ottex offers free local or BYOK use, $0.2/hour PAYG, $14/month Pro, and $24/seat/month Team.
See the evidence — 15 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Superwhisper
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: superwhisper.com — checked Jun 2026Pro features for 15 minutes of recording for free; free tier available forever
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.
$7/moSource: superwhisper.com/docs — checked Jun 2026Annual Pro is listed as $84.99/year.
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.
$249.99 one-timeSource: superwhisper.com/docs — checked Jun 2026All Pro billing options include the same features and work on all platforms.
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.
YesSource: superwhisper.com — checked Jun 2026Pro includes use of your own AI API keys.
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: superwhisper.com — checked Jun 2026The pricing section advertises 40% off for students.
Platforms
Superwhisper wins platform coverage because it supports Mac, Windows, and iOS; Alter is Mac-only, and Ottex is Mac and iOS. Alter and Ottex do not claim Windows, Android, Linux, web, or browser-extension support, while Superwhisper still does not cover Android, Linux, or browser extensions.
See the evidence — 6 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Superwhisper
Platforms
Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
MacSource: docs.alterhq.com — checked Jun 2026
Mac, Windows, iOSSource: superwhisper.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.
YesSource: superwhisper.com/download — checked Jun 2026Vendor distributes platform-specific macOS, Windows, and iOS apps.
Meetings & team memory
Ottex has the broadest verified meeting-capture story because it supports meetings alongside dictation and file transcription; Superwhisper also supports meetings, but its notes frame that as basic personal recording rather than a mature team meeting hub. Alter is the weak link here because its digest has no verified meeting support, even though its public positioning needs direct verification.
See the evidence — 14 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Superwhisper
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.
YesSource: superwhisper.com/docs — checked Jun 2026Meeting Mode records meeting audio and produces summaries with action items.
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.
YesSource: superwhisper.com/docs — checked Jun 2026Docs describe local recording by starting Superwhisper rather than adding a meeting bot.
Speaker separation
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
YesSource: alterhq.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Paid plans include speaker identification for meeting recordings.
YesSource: superwhisper.com/docs — checked Jun 2026Speaker separation can be enabled in Advanced Settings.
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.
No public claim
Cross-meeting search
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
YesSource: alterhq.com/meetings — checked Jun 2026Alter allows search through all past meetings.
No public claim
Shared team memory
PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace.
No public claim
No public claim
From meeting to finished work
Ottex wins meeting intelligence because it is positioned to turn meetings into follow-up emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, and docs. Superwhisper can record and transcribe, but it is not the better pick for shared workspaces, calendar capture, CRM updates, or automatic follow-up drafts; Alter has no verified summaries, workflows, or team memory in the digest.
See the evidence — 8 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Superwhisper
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.
YesSource: superwhisper.com/docs — checked Jun 2026Meeting Mode highlights key decisions.
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.
No public claim
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.
No public claim
Your rough notes steer the result
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Rough notes and instructions steer the result.
No public claim
No public claim
Dictation & transcription AI
Superwhisper beats Alter for dictation AI because it has verified dictation, file transcription, local AI, BYOK, and 100 languages; Alter has none of those verified. Ottex matches Superwhisper on dictation, file transcription, local AI, BYOK, and 100 languages, then adds per-app output rules in its notes, but it lacks Superwhisper's Windows support.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Alter
Superwhisper
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 voice models, cloud voice models, Anthropic, OpenAI, Groq, and user-connected API tokensSource: superwhisper.com/docs — checked Jun 2026Docs describe local and cloud voice models and cloud language models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Groq.
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.
YesSource: superwhisper.com/offline-transcription — checked Jun 2026Vendor says offline speech recognition runs on Mac, Windows, and iOS with no upload.
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.
YesSource: superwhisper.com/docs — checked Jun 2026Users can pick voice models and select cloud or local AI models during setup.
Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching.
No public claim
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
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.
Alter vs Superwhisper: which should I pick?
Pick Superwhisper unless you have a specific reason to bet on Alter's Mac app after verifying details directly. Superwhisper has published pricing at $8.49/month, $84.99/year, and $249.99 lifetime, plus local AI, BYOK, file transcription, 100 languages, and Mac, Windows, and iOS support.
Is Alter free?
Alter does not publish pricing in the input, so there is no verified free plan to rely on. If price clarity matters, Superwhisper is the safer comparison point, and its paid path is $84.99/year or $249.99 once. For a genuinely free option, consider Ottex: unlimited local use or BYOK is listed as free.
Is Superwhisper free?
Superwhisper has a forever free tier, but the stated Pro-feature allowance is only 15 minutes of recording, so treat it as a trial-sized path rather than a full work setup. Its real personal plan is $8.49/month, $84.99/year, or $249.99 lifetime. For a genuinely free option, consider Ottex: unlimited local use or BYOK is listed as free.
How much does Alter cost vs Superwhisper?
Alter pricing is not published, so you cannot compare a real yearly cost from the available facts. Superwhisper is clear: $8.49/month, $84.99/year, $249.99 lifetime, or custom Enterprise.
Is Alter or Superwhisper safer for privacy?
Superwhisper wins privacy on the stated facts because it claims local transcription, BYO API keys, no Superwhisper server retention, and no AI training on user data. Alter has no verified privacy posture, offline processing, or compliance claims in the input.
Is it worth switching from Alter to Superwhisper?
Yes, if you need verified pricing, Windows or iOS support, local AI, BYOK, file transcription, or 100-language dictation. Stay with Alter only if its Mac workflow already fits you and you have directly verified the missing pricing, platform, language, and privacy details.
Does Alter or Superwhisper work on Windows or Android?
Superwhisper works on Windows, Mac, and iOS; Alter is listed only for Mac. Neither Alter nor Superwhisper claims Android support in the input.
