Kensi vs Willow
AI-powered voice dictation for Mac, Windows, and iPhone with smart formatting.
Last updated August 2026
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 by feature
All 12 voice-to-text capabilities compared
| 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
Pricing at a glance
Kensi
Permanent free tier, no credit card
Willow
2,000 free words (no credit card)
Bottom line: $3/mo less with Ambient mode, Ask mode, and per-app vocabulary included
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
- 850+ terms across 32 packs 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
Kensi vs Willow asked
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.
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.
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. Ask is included on Cloud, Privacy, and Everything; Live Notes is available across Kensi plans.
Ready to try Kensi?
Permanent free tier with 3,000 words each week. Download and start dictating in under a minute.
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