Shadow vs Spokenly vs Ottex AI
An honest, side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, privacy, and technology. Find out which dictation tool fits your workflow.
Quick Overview
Ottex AI
Pricing
Free (BYOK, Local models), or pay-as-you-go (Ottex Provider)
Privacy
Excellent - Choose between Local models and BYOK. You control where data goes.
Key Strength
Free for personal use with BYOK/local models (vs $8-15/mo competitors), Gemini 3 Flash (99
Shadow
Pricing
$8/mo
Privacy
Great - Content not accessed except for processing
Key Strength
Shadow lets you build your own AI workflows to handle meeting follow-up tasks your way
Spokenly
Pricing
$8/mo, $80/yr
Privacy
Excellent - Local models: 100% private. Online models: backend processing. API keys: direct provider connection, no audio to app server.
Key Strength
Allows opening apps and apple shortcuts with your voice
Pricing
Technology
| Feature | Ottex AI | Shadow | Spokenly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transcription Engines | Cloud: Whisper, Gemini 3 Flash, Voxtral. Local: Whisper, Parakeet v3 | Whisper | Whisper, Apple SpeechAnalyzer, Deepgram, Scribe (ElevenLabs), Whisper v3/Turbo (Fireworks), GPT-4o-transcribe (OpenAI) |
| Processing Options | Cloud (BYOK), Local | 100% Local | 100% Local, Cloud (Included), Cloud (add API key) |
| Model Selection | |||
| Apple Silicon Optimized | |||
| Memory Management | Excellent (~50MB) |
Dictation
| Feature | Ottex AI | Shadow | Spokenly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dictation Type | Realtime, Post-Dictation | Realtime | Realtime, Post-Dictation, File based |
| Speed | <500msLocal <500ms
Cloud 500ms–2s with Gemini 3 Flash | >2 seconds | <500ms |
| System-Wide Insertion | |||
| Trigger Options | Hotkey, Shortcut | Hotkey (non-configurable), Autopilot | Hotkey, Shortcut |
| Language Auto Detection | 100+ languages with Gemini 3 Flash. Mid-sentence language switching. Best multilingual quality available. | ||
| Context Awareness | Screenshot-based context analysis. Work modes per app (email, notes, code). Custom instructions per context. | ||
| Dictation History | |||
| Search | Search |
Text Processing
AI & Automation
Features
Accessibility
Privacy
| Feature | Ottex AI | Shadow | Spokenly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy Policy | Excellent - Choose between Local models and BYOK. You control where data goes. | Great - Content not accessed except for processing | Excellent - Local models: 100% private. Online models: backend processing. API keys: direct provider connection, no audio to app server. |
Why Ottex AI is the smart choice
While Shadow and Spokenly have their strengths, Ottex AI gives you the best of both worlds: enterprise-grade accuracy via Gemini 3 Flash, complete privacy with Local models and BYOK, and zero subscription lock-in.
Best Value
Free forever with local models or your own API keys. Optional $9/mo premium is cheaper than competitors.
Multilingual King
Gemini 3 Flash supports 100+ languages with 99.1% accuracy and mid-sentence switching.
Inline AI
Don't just dictate. Command. "Fix grammar", "Make professional", "Translate" — all while you speak.
Free for personal use • No credit card required