Comparison

DictationRec vs AltBot

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DictationRec

Record dictations and meetings with simultaneous speech recognition. Share transcribed text and audio files via email or AirDrop. Supports multiple languages and offers live or delayed recognition modes.

Highlights
  • Real-time speech recognition
  • Simultaneous audio recording
  • Multiple language support
  • Live and shift recognition modes
  • File sharing via email/AirDrop
  • Organized folder for past dictations
Features
Read full description

This app records dictation/meeting contents and simultaneously takes speech recognition of them and displays them sequentially. You can share recognition results by email for instance. Because the recognition engine is Apple's formal voice recognition engine that is available on iOS10, it supports different local languages in different countries including Japan. Attention: This app requires internet connection through WiFi or communication environment with carriers. How to use is as follows. (1) Recognition language selection: γ€€γ€€Speech recognition of the language corresponding to the locale of the terminal is possible immediately after startup it is. Tap the "Settings" button on the upper right to move to the setting screen. By selecting any language from the language picker, speech recognition of that language becomes possible. (2) Recognition mode selection: There are two recognition modes, live mode and shift mode.It works in live mode at first. Tap the mode change switch to change the recognition mode. (3) Live mode: γ€€γ€€γ€€Tap the "Start microphone" button to perform recognition sequentially. What you say is instantly displayed as text. A recording file is created at the same time. You can adjust the microphone input volume with the Vol slider. (This may not be possible depending on the model.) Tap the "Finish" button to save the recording file and text file of recognition results. γ€€γ€€Tap the "Play" button to play the recorded file. You can specify the recording start position with the slider. (4) Shift mode: By tapping the "Start Microphone" button, a divided recording file is created at intervals of about 1 minute, and the contents of the file are recognized with a 1-minute delay and sequentially displayed as text. γ€€When you tap the "Finish" button, the recording file for each minute and the text file of the recognition results are saved. You can specify the file number and play the corresponding audio file from the speaker. (5) Folder: γ€€γ€€γ€€Tap the folder button to display a list of dictations/minutes created in the past. Tap any of them to view the final result of the dictation/minutes. Recording playback is also possible. By tapping the "Share" button, you can share audio files and recognition result files by email, AirDrop, etc. (6) Erase: γ€€γ€€γ€€Tap the "Clear" button to clear the displayed text. It also deletes all the files that were divided and recorded in shift mode. After erasing, audio cannot be played back even if the file number is specified.

About

AltBot

Read full description

AltBot is a friendly and helpful local chatbot assistant designed specifically for iOS users. Unlike other chatbots that rely on external servers or internet connectivity, AltBot runs entirely locally on your device. This means local responses, improved privacy, and reduced dependence on the internet. Whether you need assistance with simple tasks, bounce ideas, or just want to engage in friendly conversation, AltBot is here to help. AltBot - Your local chatbot companion. NOTE: Line any other Large Language Model, it could provide inaccurate/misleading information. It uses Qwen3.5-4B language model as its baseline. NOTE 2: Run this app on devices with 8GB+ RAM for the best experience, otherwise it will take a long time to respond. Recommended models: - iPhone 15 Pro - iPad Air 5th gen or later - iPad Pro with M1 or later Here are the differences between AltBot and AltBot Lite: - AltBot displays tokens as they are loaded - AltBot can stop token loading - AltBot can save/clear the chat session - AltBot uses Qwen3.5-4B (released Feb 2026) - AltBot supports English, EspaΓ±ol & FranΓ§ais - AltBot Lite uses Mistral-7B (released Sep 2023) - AltBot will receive future updates, AltBot Lite remains in v1.1.

Screenshots

DictationRec4 screens
AltBot4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DictationRec at $0.99 against AltBot's $19.99. DictationRec also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). AltBot's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

DictationRec costs $0.99 and AltBot $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DictationRec ships an update every 3 months, AltBot monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and June 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 5 level
DictationRec versus AltBot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDictationRecAltBot
Price$0.99 β€” better$19.99
Positive reviews14.3% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size9 MB3.2 GB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperHIROFUMI MARUOQuantaliz PTY LTD

In-app purchases

None

DictationRec

No in-app purchases

None

AltBot

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DictationRec free?
DictationRec costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is AltBot free?
AltBot costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do DictationRec or AltBot have ads?
Neither DictationRec nor AltBot shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DictationRec or AltBot?
DictationRec ships an update every 3 months, and AltBot monthly. Most recently, DictationRec was updated on September 10, 2026 and AltBot on June 3, 2026.

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