Audio dictation has been around long before the generative AI boom. Software like Dragon NaturallySpeaking has been the go-to for many. Now with AI in the mix, transcription tools (which turn the spoken word into documents and commands) like Otter.ai are making waves.
The app we’ll be looking at in this article is VoiceType, which promises to answer all your transcription needs while integrating with other apps. But does it deliver? Let’s find out.
The Tech Behind the Scenes
VoiceType, like most AI transcription software, relies heavily on OpenAI’s Whisper to get the job done. These models can be downloaded for more powerful PCs and run open-source, allowing all tech companies access to their capabilities.
Over and above this basic voice capture are the features you pay for. Services like formatting, audio cleanup, and post-processing are all additions that individual LLMs and companies will charge you extra for. The offerings vary, and so do their payment options. Some bundle features, while others allow for API integration and charge per feature.
VoiceType AI and What They Offer
With the groundwork laid, let’s see what VoiceType promises and offers:
Features
VoiceType has a laundry list of features that it boasts make it superior to others. These include:
- App integration on your machine, including work apps (Slack, Teams, Gmail) and more social ones (X, Instagram, WhatsApp)
- The ability to dictate in 35 languages
- Context sensitivity, according to the app you’re currently using
- High accuracy, solid formatting, and faster transcription than typing
- End-to-end encryption (E2EE) to keep your content safe
On the face of it, these are great features. It’s important to note, though, that almost all these (except for the context sensitivity) are built-in features to OpenAI’s Whisper. This doesn’t stop them from being useful, but it does mean that you can find a lot of other transcription tools out there that can promise the same things.
Slightly more suspicious is the fact that VoiceType freely boasts its user stats and words transcribed while advertising its E2EE encryption. Both realities can’t be true, and it is something to consider.
The Pitfalls of Transcription
Being run with Whisper means that VoiceType is susceptible to the same flaws as its parent software. Heavy accents will struggle to produce fully accurate dictation. AI transcription tools aren’t yet as perfect as the companies using them would have us believe, and it’s clear there’s still a long way to go in this department.
The Price
The pricing of VoiceType is a matter of particular contention. Regular prices are $29.00 per month, $14.89 per month per year, and $875.00 for lifetime access. At the time of writing, these prices are currently slashed as a special offer ($19.50 per month and $475.00 for a lifetime).
That said, when looking at the competition and the capabilities on offer, it seems that VoiceType’s asking price is a little steep. There is no free tier, simply a three-day trial, and other competitors offer better rates for more capabilities.
VoiceInk has an active contributing user base to the tool’s overall success and has a lifetime price of only $25 per single device. Granted, it’s only dictation, but the difference is stark. Similarly, Otter’s Pro tier for individuals or small teams is $8.33 per month.
APIs are generally much cheaper per feature than the overall asking price of VoiceType. This is not to say their service offering isn’t solid, just not different enough to justify the current asking price.
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