Voxtype vs Speech Note | Linux Speech-to-Text Comparison
Description: Compare Voxtype and Speech Note for Linux speech-to-text. Push-to-talk daemon vs GUI transcription suite.

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# Voxtype vs Speech Note

A daemon vs a GUI app. Push-to-talk dictation vs multi-purpose transcription tool.

## At a Glance

Aspect | Voxtype | Speech Note
--- | --- | ---
Interface | Daemon (CLI) | GUI application
Engines | Whisper | VOSK, Whisper, Coqui, more
Cursor Injection | Yes (ydotool) | No (clipboard only)
Recording Feedback | Audio + Notifications | Visual (in-app only)
GPU Acceleration | Vulkan, CUDA, Metal, ROCm | No
Text Processing | Word replacements, spoken punctuation | No

## Critical Differences

### Cursor Injection vs Clipboard

Voxtype types text directly at your cursor. Hold key, speak, release—text appears where you're working.

Speech Note copies text to clipboard. You must switch to your target application and paste every time. For inline dictation while writing, this adds significant friction.

### Recording Feedback

Voxtype plays audio cues and sends desktop notifications. Works even when you're not looking.

Speech Note shows recording status in its GUI window only. If minimized or behind other windows, you won't see it.

## Different Tools for Different Jobs

### Voxtype: The Dictation Daemon

Laser-focused on one thing: hold a key, speak, release, text appears at your cursor. Always running, always ready.

### Speech Note: The Transcription Suite

A full-featured application for:

- Speech-to-text (multiple engines)
- Text-to-speech
- Translation
- File transcription
- Note-taking

## When to Use Each

Use Case | Best Tool
--- | ---
Dictating emails while writing | Voxtype
Quick notes in any application | Voxtype
Transcribing audio files | Speech Note
Comparing STT engines | Speech Note
Text-to-speech needs | Speech Note
Translation workflows | Speech Note

## Engine Options

### Voxtype (Whisper only)

Uses whisper.cpp for offline inference. One engine, optimized integration, excellent accuracy out of the box.

### Speech Note (Multiple engines)

- VOSK: Lightweight, fast, lower accuracy
- Whisper: High accuracy, resource-intensive
- Faster Whisper: GPU-accelerated Whisper
- Coqui STT: Open source alternative

Speech Note lets you experiment to find what works best for your voice and hardware.

## Workflow Comparison

### Voxtype Workflow

    [Hold Right Ctrl] → [Speak] → [Release] → Text appears at cursor

Never leave your application. Never move your hands from keyboard.

### Speech Note Workflow

    [Switch to Speech Note] → [Click Listen] → [Speak] → [Copy] → [Switch back] → [Paste]

Or use global keyboard shortcuts (requires accessibility settings).

## Installation

### Voxtype

    curl -LO https://github.com/peteonrails/voxtype/releases/download/v0.2.1/voxtype_0.2.1-1_amd64.deb
    sudo dpkg -i voxtype_0.2.1-1_amd64.deb
    voxtype setup model
    voxtype setup systemd
    systemctl --user enable --now voxtype

### Speech Note

    flatpak install flathub net.mkiol.SpeechNote
    flatpak run net.mkiol.SpeechNote

### The Recommendation

Want inline dictation while you work? Voxtype

Want a GUI for transcription, TTS, and translation? Speech Note

Want both capabilities? Install both. They complement each other perfectly.

## Links

- Voxtype
- Speech Note on GitHub
- Speech Note on Flathub