> Canonical: https://kensi.ai/compare/willow

# Kensi vs Willow

*AI-powered voice dictation for Mac, Windows, and iPhone with smart formatting.*

> **Kensi vs Willow:** A side-by-side comparison of Kensi and Willow for voice-to-text dictation — covering features, pricing, privacy, and platform support.


## Feature Score


- **Kensi:** 12/12
- **Willow:** 6.5/12

## The Bottom Line


Willow is a strong AI dictation app with cross-platform support, smart formatting, and context awareness. It shares several features with Kensi including AI correction and iOS support. Kensi differentiates with Ambient mode for meetings, deeper screen context with @-mention resolution, Ask mode for content generation, per-app vocabulary with bundle ID matching, and a lower starting price ($2/mo vs $15/mo).

## Feature Comparison


| Feature | Kensi | Willow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| On-device speech recognition | Yes | Partial |
| AI/LLM text correction | Yes | Yes |
| Screen context awareness | Yes | Partial |
| Works in any app | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient/background mode | Yes | No |
| Custom personas | Yes | Partial |
| Privacy-first (no cloud required) | Yes | Partial |
| Works fully offline | Yes | Partial |
| Rewrite/edit mode | Yes | Partial |
| Ask/generate mode | Yes | No |
| Technical vocabulary | Yes | Partial |
| iOS support | Yes | Yes |

## Pricing Comparison


### Willow

- **Model:** Subscription
- **Starting price:** $15/mo
- **Free offering:** 2,000 free words (no credit card)
- **Notes:** Team plan $10/mo/seat. Enterprise custom pricing.

### Kensi

- Voice: $2/mo · On-device STT
- Cloud: $12/mo · AI correction + all modes
- Privacy: $18/mo · Fully offline AI
- Everything: $22/mo · Cloud + Privacy

### Cost Comparison

- Willow: **$15/mo**
- Kensi Cloud: **$12/mo**
- $3/mo less with Ambient mode, Ask mode, and per-app vocabulary included

## Strengths


### Willow Strengths

- AI correction with smart formatting, punctuation, and filler word removal
- Context awareness — reads what you’re working on for better accuracy
- Cross-platform: Mac, Windows, and iOS with AI keyboard
- Custom vocabulary for company names, industry terms, and jargon
- Quiet/whisper mode for dictation in silent environments
- 100+ language support

### Kensi Strengths

- On-device speech recognition — audio never leaves your device
- Screen context awareness with @-mention resolution
- 80+ technical term mappings with per-app vocabulary
- Fully offline AI tier (Privacy plan)
- Ambient mode for always-on meeting transcription

## Which Tool Fits You?


### Choose Willow if you...

- Want cross-platform dictation across Mac, Windows, and iOS
- Need AI correction with smart formatting and filler removal
- Work in quiet environments and need whisper mode

### Choose Kensi if you...

- Need always-on meeting transcription (Ambient mode)
- Want deep screen context with @-mention resolution
- Need Ask/generate mode for content creation
- Want per-app vocabulary with bundle ID matching

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How does Kensi compare to Willow?

Both apps offer AI-powered dictation with correction and formatting. Willow supports Mac, Windows, and iOS with context awareness and custom vocabulary. Kensi adds Ambient mode for meeting transcription, deeper screen context with @-mention resolution, Ask mode, per-app vocabulary with bundle ID matching, and starts at $2/mo vs Willow’s $15/mo.

### Does Willow work offline?

Willow offers an optional offline mode with a local model for Mac and iOS, but it uses a smaller model than the cloud version. Kensi’s Privacy tier ($18/mo) runs both transcription and AI correction fully on-device with no quality compromise.

### Is Willow cheaper than Kensi?

Willow starts at $15/mo (with 2,000 free words to try). Kensi starts at $2/mo for Voice, $12/mo for Cloud with AI correction. Kensi includes Ambient mode and Ask mode at every tier.


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## Try Kensi Free

Free during alpha. No account required. Download and start dictating in under a minute.

[Try Kensi Free](https://github.com/ulpi-io/kensi/releases)


## More Comparisons

See how Kensi stacks up against every alternative.

- [Kensi vs Wispr Flow](/compare/wispr-flow.md)
- [Kensi vs VoiceOS](/compare/voiceos.md)
- [Kensi vs Superwhisper](/compare/superwhisper.md)
- [Kensi vs Talon Voice](/compare/talon-voice.md)
- [Kensi vs Dragon NaturallySpeaking](/compare/dragon.md)