Compare
Mac apps for dictation and meeting notes, compared
I make Smalt, so read this with that in mind. I've tried to be fair: every fact about another app comes from its own website, checked on 21 October 2026, and each one is better than Smalt at something.
At a glance
| App | Price | Dictation | Meeting notes | Transcribed | Platforms | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smalt | Free | Yes | Yes, no bot | On your Mac | Mac | Calls and dictation on one Mac, with answers from your files |
| Granola | $0, $14, $35 a month | No | Yes, no bot | Cloud | Mac, Windows, mobile | Teams sharing notes |
| Wispr Flow | Free tier; $12–15 a month | Yes | Yes, no bot | Cloud | Mac, Windows, mobile | Dictation on every device |
| Otter.ai | Free tier; from $8.33 a month | No | Yes, bot or desktop | Cloud | Web, desktop, mobile | Sales teams with a CRM |
| MacWhisper | Free; €64 once | Yes | Yes, no bot | On your Mac | Mac | Files, podcasts, subtitles |
| Superwhisper | Free tier; $84.99 a year or $249.99 once | Yes | Yes (Pro, Mac) | Local or cloud | Mac, Windows, mobile | Configurable AI modes |
| VoiceInk | $25–49 once | Yes | Not offered | On your Mac | Mac | Open-source local dictation |
| Spokenly | Free; $29 once; $9.99 a month | Yes | Yes (Mac), no bot | Local or cloud | Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS | Free local dictation |
| Talat | $89 a year or $189 once | Yes | Yes, no bot | On your Mac | Mac (15+), Windows | Local notes with speaker names |
Where Smalt is different
- Answers during the call. When someone asks a question your documents can answer, a card shows the answer while they're still talking. Built in with your own keys, or through Claude Code and Claude Desktop over MCP.
- Nothing uploaded by default. Speech is transcribed on your Mac and the audio is thrown away. Summaries run on your Mac with Apple Intelligence on macOS 26.
- Free. On every Mac you own, with no account. Optional AI features use your own keys, billed by the provider you pick.
Where Smalt falls short
- Mac only, Apple Silicon only.
- 25 European languages, not 100.
- No speaker names, only Me and Others.
- No sharing, no integrations, no file transcription, no translation.
Detailed comparisons
- Smalt vs GranolaMeeting notes in the cloud or on your Mac.
- Smalt vs Wispr FlowDictation and notes, on device or in the cloud.
- Smalt vs Otter.aiA bot in the call, or no bot at all.
- Smalt vs MacWhisperTwo on-device Mac apps, different jobs.
Sources: Granola, Wispr Flow, Otter, MacWhisper, Superwhisper, VoiceInk, Spokenly, Talat, all checked 21 October 2026. Prices in the currency each vendor shows. Something wrong or out of date? Write to feedback@getsmalt.com and I'll fix it.