Letterly vs Speechcap: notes-as-output, or live dictation.
Letterly and Speechcap both start with your voice. They go in different directions. Letterly's job is restructuring — record a voice memo, get a polished email or a structured to-do list back, in one of 25+ rewrite shapes. Speechcap's job is typing — hold a key, speak, watch the words appear in whatever app you're focused on. The choice is what you want at the end of the pipeline.
Side-by-side
| Letterly | Speechcap | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS · Android · Web · macOS · Windows (soon) | Mac · Windows beta |
| Pricing | Free tier + paid tiers (not public) | Free 2,000 words/month · Pro from $3/month |
| Primary job | Restructure voice recordings into formats | Type voice into the app you're using, live |
| Rewrite formats | 25+ (email, X post, to-do, formal, etc.) | 6 transforms (Improve / Formal / Friendly / Grammar / Email / Translate) |
| Live system-wide dictation | Limited (own app focus) | Yes — any text field |
| Push-to-talk hotkey | No (record button in app) | Yes (default activation) |
| On-device transcription | Not disclosed (likely cloud) | On-device Whisper on Pro |
| AI cleanup on-device | Not disclosed (likely cloud) | On-device Granite 4 Micro on Pro |
| Languages | 90+ | 89 production-grade languages |
| Cross-device sync | Yes | Cloud-synced vocabulary; history on-device |
Where Letterly is honestly better
Cross-platform reach
Letterly runs on iOS, Android, Web, and macOS, with Windows coming. Speechcap is Mac-first; Windows is in beta and iOS isn't on the roadmap yet. If you record on a phone and refine on a laptop, Letterly is built for that flow.
25+ rewrite shapes
Letterly's whole pitch is the menu of output formats: email, X post, formal memo, friendly message, to-do list, structured note, plus 19+ more. Speechcap's transforms are 6 (Improve / Formal / Friendly / Grammar / Email / Translate). For users who want very specific output shapes, Letterly's menu is broader.
Voice notes → email workflow
Speak a 3-minute brain dump into Letterly. It restructures into a polished email. Speechcap doesn't run this workflow — it types as you speak, in real time. For long-form thinking that needs to become a formatted output, Letterly is built for it.
AI tool integrations
Letterly explicitly integrates with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Perplexity, Gemini, Codex — the transcript flows into your AI of choice. Speechcap types into any app and gets out of the way; it's an input device, not an integration.
Where Speechcap is honestly better
On-device transcription AND cleanup
Letterly doesn't disclose where transcription or cleanup runs — and the pattern across competitors that don't say is that it's cloud. Speechcap Pro runs both stages on-device. For sensitive work, Speechcap is the architectural answer; Letterly is a policy answer.
Push-to-talk into any app
Speechcap registers a global hotkey. Hold a key in Notion, in iMessage, in Cursor, in Terminal — speak, release, the text is typed. Letterly is a separate app; you record in Letterly, then paste the output. For high-frequency short dictation (Slack messages, code comments, calendar invites), the hotkey workflow is dramatically faster.
In-flight transforms mid-pipeline
Speechcap's transforms run before the text hits the page. Letterly's run after the recording is complete — you finish the recording, pick a format, get the rewritten output. For drop-in-Slack speed, in-flight wins; for thoughtful long-form rewriting, Letterly's post-hoc menu wins.
Native macOS app with deep system integration
Speechcap is a native Mac app — registers system hotkeys, types via the standard text injection API, runs Whisper on the Neural Engine. Letterly is cross-platform first; the Mac app is a port of a primarily-mobile experience.
Who should pick which
- You record long voice notes and want them restructured.
- You need 25+ output shapes (X post, formal email, to-do list, memo).
- You record on phone and finish on laptop.
- You want explicit integrations with Claude / ChatGPT / Cursor.
- You type all day and want voice replacement, not a separate app.
- Most of your dictation is short, in-flow Slack/email/code.
- You want both transcription and cleanup on-device.
- You're on Mac and want native system integration.
- You're a non-native English speaker — the cleanup is tuned for you.
Sources & further reading
- Letterly — Official site ↗Reference for platform coverage, rewrite formats, and integrations.
Frequently asked questions
Is Letterly a dictation app like Speechcap?
Not exactly. Letterly records voice notes inside its own app and restructures them into formatted outputs (emails, X posts, to-do lists, formal memos — 25+ shapes). Speechcap is a system-wide dictation tool: hold a key in any app, speak, the text is typed where your cursor is. They overlap on "voice in" but solve different output problems.
Can Letterly type into Slack or Notion directly?
Not in the same way Speechcap does. Letterly records in its app; you copy the output and paste it. Speechcap registers a global macOS hotkey and types directly into Slack, Notion, Gmail, Cursor, Terminal — anywhere your cursor is. For high-frequency short dictation, the hotkey workflow saves an entire copy-paste step.
Does Letterly run on-device like Speechcap?
Letterly doesn't publicly disclose where transcription or AI cleanup runs. The pattern across cross-platform AI products is cloud — local on-device transcription requires per-platform engineering that single-team apps usually save for later. Speechcap Pro is explicit and verifiable: both stages run on your Mac, audio never reaches a server.
Which is better for sensitive work?
Speechcap. On-device Whisper plus on-device Granite 4 Micro cleanup means your audio and transcript both stay on the Mac. Letterly is cross-platform first; assume audio is uploaded for processing unless they publish otherwise.
Can I use both?
Yes — they don't conflict. Many users use Speechcap as the daily-driver dictation tool (Slack, email, code) and Letterly when they have a long voice note that needs to become a specific output format. Different jobs, no overlap in hotkeys or workflow.