Sotto vs Whisper Notes (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Whisper Notes grades higher than Sotto: 2.8 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Sotto grades higher on features. Whisper Notes grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Sotto
Mac dictation and voice assistant with local models, bought once
Whisper Notes
Offline transcription for iPhone and Mac, bought once
Which one is for you
Pick Sotto if
- Fits if you want to pay once and dictate on up to 3 Macs
- Works for people who want to run dictation on local models and connect their own tools
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows, Linux or a phone, as it's Mac only
- Not for you if you run macOS 14 or earlier, since it needs macOS 15
- Tight if you want to test it first: no free tier or trial
- Watch out: cloud transcription and AI providers need your own API keys, billed by them
- Watch out: Apple Silicon gives the best performance
Pick Whisper Notes if
- Fits if you want offline transcription on an iPhone, iPad or Mac for a one-off price
- Works for people on a Mac who want Fn-key voice typing
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as the vendor says none is planned
- Not for you if you have an older phone: the iPhone app needs iPhone 12 or later on iOS 18
- Tight if you dictate a lot on the free Mac app: 5,000 words a week
- Watch out: the $7.99 App Store app and the $14 Mac licence are separate purchases
- Not for you if you want voice typing on iPhone, as it's in the Mac website app only
How we grade them
| 2.0GPASottoFair | 2.8GPAWhisper NotesGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$49 once for up to 3 Macs, less than a year of the category's middle subscription ($8.49 a month). | A$7.99 once on the App Store and $14 once for the Mac licence, each under a year of the category's middle subscription ($8.49 a month). |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free tier and no trial. The licence arrives by email as a key. | BThe Mac app from the website is free for 5,000 words a week. The iPhone app is a paid purchase. |
| Features | BSystem-wide dictation, local models, an assistant, a local REST API and CLI, and bring-your-own provider. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core job. | COffline transcription, file and meeting import, exports, on-device summaries and Shortcuts, but voice typing and the assistant belong to the website Mac app only. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. There are models to choose and, for cloud use, API keys to connect. | BNo store rating on record. An app you install and use, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, and it needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later. No other platform is listed. | CApple only: iPhone, iPad and Mac. The vendor says no Windows or Android version is planned. |
| Best for | a one-off Mac dictation app with local models | offline transcription and Mac voice typing |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Sotto and Whisper Notes. How we grade
Where they differ
- Whisper Notes also covers meeting notes.
At a glance
| Sotto | Whisper Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49 one-time, for up to 3 Macs | $7.99 one-time on the App Store; Mac app from the website $14 one-time |
| Free plan | None | Mac app from the website: Fn voice typing and Whisper Large V3 Turbo, free for 5,000 words a week. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Kitze | Whisper Notes |
| Price read from | sotto.to | whispernotes.app |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Sotto
- Mac only; it needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later, and Apple Silicon gives the best performance.
- There is no free tier or trial listed; the license is $49 and arrives by email as a key.
- Cloud transcription and AI providers need your own API keys and are billed by those providers.
- The license covers up to 3 Macs.
Whisper Notes
- Apple devices only: the vendor says there is no Windows or Android version and none is planned.
- The iPhone app needs iPhone 12 or later on iOS 18; the Mac website app needs Apple silicon.
- Voice typing and the AI assistant belong to the Mac app from the website, not the App Store build.
- The $7.99 App Store price and the $14 Mac website license are separate purchases.
Key features
Sotto
- System-wide dictation
- Hold a key and speak; the text lands in the app you are using. The vendor lists 90+ languages with per-language hotkeys.
- Local models
- Whisper and NVIDIA Parakeet models run on the Mac, and after a one-time download dictation works with no internet connection.
- Sotto Assistant
- A voice assistant with 77 built-in Mac tools such as Calendar, Mail and Notes, which can also call your own MCP servers.
- Local REST API and CLI
- The Mac can serve transcription to scripts and other devices over Wi-Fi or Tailscale, with per-device tokens and a sotto command-line tool.
- Bring your own provider
- Optional cloud transcription and AI providers, including OpenAI, Groq and Deepgram, can be used with your own API keys.
- Meetings and automation
- Records system audio, transcribes watched folders, exposes Shortcuts actions and reads text aloud.
Whisper Notes
- Fully offline transcription
- Recordings and transcripts are processed on the device with Whisper and Parakeet models, and the vendor says they never leave it.
- Fn voice typing on Mac
- Hold Fn in any app, speak and release; the text appears. This comes with the Mac app from the vendor's website.
- Import files and meetings
- Transcribes imported audio and video and, on Mac, records Zoom, Teams and Google Meet calls, with on-device speaker labels.
- Export options
- Exports text with timestamps, SRT subtitles or Markdown; Mac also exports VTT.
- On-device summaries
- The Mac website app can summarize a transcript and answer questions about it using a downloaded local model; iPhone uses Apple Intelligence on supported devices.
- Shortcuts actions
- iPhone exposes actions in the Shortcuts app to start or stop a recording and transcribe a file.
Plans
Sotto
Sotto for macOS$49
one-time, for up to 3 Macs
Lifetime license with all future updates; includes the assistant, API server and every model option.
Whisper Notes
iPhone & iPad$7.99
one-time, App Store purchase
Unlimited transcriptions, 100+ languages and free updates; also covers the Mac App Store build.
Mac (website) Free$0
for 5,000 words a week
Mac app from the website with Fn voice typing and Whisper Large V3 Turbo, capped at 5,000 words a week.
Mac (website) license$14
one-time
Removes the weekly word limit on the Mac app from the website.
Ways to pay less
Sotto
- Lifetime license
One-time license, no subscription
Sotto's pricing page says one payment covers use on up to 3 Macs with all future updates and no annual renewal.
Whisper Notes
- Lifetime license
One-time purchase, no subscription
The vendor sells the iPhone app for $7.99 once and the website Mac app for $14 once, with updates included.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Sotto or Whisper Notes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Sotto starts at $49 one-time, for up to 3 Macs, and Whisper Notes starts at $7.99 one-time on the App Store; Mac app from the website $14 one-time.
Which has a free plan, Sotto or Whisper Notes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Whisper Notes has a free plan. Sotto does not.
Which platforms do Sotto and Whisper Notes run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Whisper Notes lists an iOS app. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.