Choose Hedy for live meeting coaching and bot-free capture across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and web. Choose Willow Voice for system-wide dictation in 100+ languages. Ottex is the Mac/iOS alternative when you want dictation, meetings, files, and finished outputs in one 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.
Hedy is strongest as a bot-free live meeting coach and searchable conversation memory, with local/offline options and broad platform support, but it is not a system-wide dictation tool and lacks proven speaker labels, hotkeys, snippets, or
Choose if
You want real-time coaching during meetings, with questions, blind-spot alerts, talking points, summaries, to-dos, and follow-up recaps after the session.
You need bot-free capture for Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, in-person conversations, or imported audio/video, with apps across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and web
You value privacy controls: local speech recognition by default, optional local AI, optional cloud sync, GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 Type I claims.
Look elsewhere if
You need system-wide dictation that inserts polished text into any app; Hedy explicitly does not support system-wide insertion or context-aware dictation.
You need meeting transcripts with publicly claimed speaker identification, timestamp exports, or speaker labels; those claims are not present here.
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
Hedy is the clean meeting value: Free includes 5 hours per month, Pro is $12.99/mo, and Lifetime is $299 one-time. Willow Voice is cheaper for teams at $12/seat/mo with a 3-seat minimum, but its Free plan is only 2,000 words per week, about 15 minutes of speech. Ottex has the broadest low-cost path with free local AI, free BYOK, $0.2/hour PAYG, Pro at $14/mo, and Team at $24/seat/mo.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Hedy
Willow Voice
Free tier
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Forever free with local models and BYOK providers.
PartialSource: hedy.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Up to 5 hours per month; Real-time AI insights (first 30 min/session)
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.
$12.99/moSource: hedy.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Pro adds unlimited sessions, recording import, cross-session organization, Zapier, and API integrations.
$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).
$299 one-timeSource: hedy.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026All future updates included
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.
No public claim
No public claim
Education discount
NoSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Same pricing for everyone.
No public claim
No public claim
Platforms
Hedy wins coverage with 5 surfaces: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and web. Willow Voice covers 3 surfaces: Mac, Windows, and iOS. Ottex is the narrowest at 2 surfaces, Mac and iOS, and the input does not state a native-versus-Electron quality difference for any of the three.
See the evidence — 6 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Hedy
Willow Voice
Platforms
Mac, iOSSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, WebSource: hedy.ai/downloads — 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.
YesSource: hedy.ai/post — checked Jun 2026Vendor describes a native macOS application.
PartialSource: willowvoice.com/download — checked Jun 2026Mac download appears native; Windows download URL references Electron builds.
Meetings & team memory
Hedy wins meeting capture because it supports meetings, bot-free capture for Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, in-person conversations, and imported audio/video. Willow Voice does not support meetings or file transcription, so it is the wrong pick for recording calls. Ottex also supports meetings and file transcription, but it is limited to Mac and iOS.
See the evidence — 17 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Hedy
Willow Voice
Meeting recordingThe call is captured at all
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026With speaker separation.
YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Hedy records live sessions and meeting conversations.
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.
YesSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Jun 2026Feature page says no bot joins calls.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Speaker separation
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
No public claim
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Calendar detection
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Calendar-based meeting detection.
YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Google Calendar is listed in the help center and news page.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Cross-meeting search
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026
YesSource: hedy.ai/features — checked Jun 2026Pro users can group sessions and ask questions across conversations weeks ago.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Shared team memory
PartialSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Public share links, not a full team workspace.
YesSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Sharing sessions and topics is listed in the help center.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
From meeting to finished work
Hedy wins live meeting help with real-time questions, blind-spot alerts, talking points, summaries, to-dos, and follow-up recaps. Willow Voice is for dictation cleanup, not meeting summaries, action items, or follow-up drafts. Ottex goes further on finished work by turning dictation and meetings into follow-up emails, Linear tickets, CRM updates, PRDs, and docs.
See the evidence — 11 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Hedy
Willow Voice
Decisions, owners, action itemsLeave the meeting with next steps clear
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Decisions with owners extracted.
YesSource: play.google.com/store — checked Jun 2026Google Play listing says Hedy can find decisions across past conversations.
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.
YesSource: hedy.ai/pricing — checked Jun 2026Auto-recap emails are listed for sharing insights.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
CRM update / ticket draft
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Structured for the target app.
No public claim
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.
YesSource: hedy.ai/post — checked Jun 2026Hedy 3 added in-meeting note-taking that powers AI suggestions.
NoSource: willowvoice.com/pricing — checked Jun 2026Not supported.
Dictation & transcription AI
Willow Voice wins against Hedy for dictation because it supports system-wide insertion, custom vocabulary, tone/style cleanup, and 100+ languages, while Hedy explicitly is not a system-wide dictation tool and has 30 languages. Ottex matches Willow Voice on 100+ languages and adds local models, BYOK, mixed-language speech, personal vocabulary, and per-app output rules. Hedy is the meeting coach, not the dictation pick
See the evidence — 13 claims across 3 toolsverified Jun 2026Show tableHide table
Ottex
Hedy
Willow Voice
Engines
Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3.Source: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026Hosted routing, BYOK, or fully local.
Two local and two cloud speech recognition providersSource: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Users can choose between private on-device transcription and cloud-based speech recognition.
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: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Local speech recognition and local AI processing can run on-device and offline.
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: hedy.ai/help — checked Jun 2026Speech recognition provider can be changed in Settings > Speech & AI.
No public claim
Languages & mixed speechWork that crosses languages mid-sentence
YesSource: ottex.ai — checked Jun 2026100+ languages · Mid-sentence language switching.
YesSource: apps.apple.com/us — checked Jun 202630+ languages · App Store listing says Hedy supports multilingual conversations while returning insights in the preferred language.
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.
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.
Hedy vs Willow Voice: which should I pick?
Pick Hedy if your real job is meetings: live coaching, bot-free capture, summaries, to-dos, and follow-up recaps. Pick Willow Voice if your real job is dictation into apps, especially across Mac, Windows, and iPhone in 100+ languages.
Is Hedy free?
Hedy has a Free plan with up to 5 hours per month and real-time AI insights for the first 30 minutes per session. That is a usable trial for occasional meetings, but Pro at $12.99/mo or Lifetime at $299 is the real path for unlimited meeting length and sessions.
Is Willow Voice free?
Willow Voice has a Free plan, but the cap is 2,000 words per week, which is only about 15 minutes of dictation. For a genuinely free option, consider Ottex, which offers free local AI or free use with your own key.
How much does Hedy cost compared with Willow Voice?
Hedy costs $12.99/mo for Pro or $299 one-time for Lifetime after its 5-hour monthly free tier. Willow Voice costs $15/mo for Individual, while Team is $12/seat/mo with a 3-seat minimum.
Is Hedy safe?
Hedy has the stronger stated privacy story here: local speech recognition by default, optional local AI, optional cloud sync, and GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 Type I claims. Willow Voice may be the better dictation product, but the input does not give it the same local or compliance claims.
Is it worth switching from Hedy to Willow Voice?
Switch from Hedy to Willow Voice only if you need system-wide dictation that inserts polished text wherever your cursor is. Stay with Hedy if meetings, bot-free capture, live coaching, imported media, or follow-up recaps are the reason you bought it.
Does Hedy or Willow Voice work on Windows or Android?
Both Hedy and Willow Voice work on Windows. Hedy also works on Android and web, while Willow Voice is limited to Mac, Windows, and iOS.
