The best veterinary dictation software and AI scribes (2026)
Veterinary dictation software compared: AI scribes that write SOAP notes from the exam, and Mac dictation for writing records yourself. Prices, platforms, trade-offs.
If you want an AI to listen to the exam and draft the SOAP note for you, pick a veterinary scribe: ScribbleVet, CoVet, Talkatoo or VetRec. If you'd rather write the record yourself, just faster and by voice, on a Mac, use Sayburst: hold a key in your practice software, talk, and the text lands at the cursor, with your audio staying on the Mac.
Many practices end up with both: a scribe in the exam room, and dictation for everything a scribe doesn't cover, like referral letters, callbacks, client emails and the case you're finishing at 7 p.m. We make Sayburst, so weigh our ranking accordingly. Scribe prices and trials come from each company's own site, checked October 31, 2026.
Scribe or dictation?
The two categories solve different problems.
- An AI scribe records the appointment (you, the client, sometimes the tech), then writes a structured note from it. You review and edit. Best when the note mostly restates what was said in the room.
- Dictation turns your own words into text as you speak them. Nothing is recorded in the exam room, and the record says exactly what you said. Best when you think in your own phrasing, or the note has findings nobody said out loud.
Ask yourself one thing: is the hard part getting the conversation into the record, or getting your thoughts into it? The first is a scribe's job. The second is dictation's.
At a glance
| Tool | Type | Runs on | Price | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sayburst | Dictation into any Mac app | Mac (Apple silicon) | $29 once (1 Mac), $49 (3 Macs) | 7 days, no card |
| ScribbleVet | AI scribe | iOS, Android, web | $40/mo (150 notes); $150–200/mo per DVM unlimited | 14 days, no card |
| CoVet | AI scribe | See site | $45.83/mo or $99/mo per user | 2 weeks |
| Talkatoo | AI scribe plus desktop dictation | Desktop and mobile apps | Per DVM; see pricing page | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| VetRec | AI scribe | iOS, Android, web | Per vet; see pricing page | 14 days |
| macOS / Windows dictation | Built-in dictation | Mac, Windows | Free | n/a |
The picks
Sayburst
Best for Vets who write their own records and letters on a Mac · Price $29 once (1 Mac), $49 (up to 3 Macs)
Sayburst is dictation for the whole Mac. Click into the record in your browser-based practice software, hold fn, speak, let go. The text appears at the cursor, cleaned up. It works the same in Mail for the client update, in Word for a referral letter, or in Messages to the clinic group.
Here's an assessment dictated in the Notes mode, which turns spoken lists into bullets:
"Bella, eight year old spayed lab, um, vomiting times three since yesterday. Bullet point appetite reduced. Bullet point no, no known access to toxins per owner. Bullet point abdomen soft, mild discomfort cranially. Plan, bloods and, uh, maropitant one milligram per kilo sub Q."
What lands in the record:
Bella, 8-year-old spayed Lab, vomiting times 3 since yesterday.
- Appetite reduced
- No known access to toxins per owner
- Abdomen soft, mild discomfort cranially
Plan: bloods and maropitant 1 mg/kg SQ.
Fillers and the stuttered "no, no" are gone, and the plan line uses two replacements set up once in Settings: "milligram per kilo" becomes "mg/kg" and "sub Q" becomes "SQ". Add drug names, breeds, clients and your own abbreviations to the vocabulary and Sayburst spells them your way. If the optional on-device writer would ever change a number you said, like a dose, Sayburst types the cleaned transcript instead.
Speech recognition and cleanup run on the Mac, and audio is never uploaded. That's a privacy point, not a compliance one: your practice and your software vendor still decide what's allowed in your records.
Why it's first: one tool for every record, letter and message you write, no per-DVM subscription, and nothing recorded in the exam room.
Trade-offs: it doesn't listen to the appointment or write the SOAP note for you. Mac only (Apple silicon, macOS 14 or later); no Windows or iPad app. No PIMS integration: it types into whatever field your cursor is in. If your PIMS is a Windows desktop program, Sayburst can't reach it.
Dictate your next record on your Mac. Free for 7 days, no card.
Download SayburstScribbleVet
Best for An exam-room scribe with a simple per-note entry plan · Price Essential $40/mo (150 notes); unlimited plan $200/mo per DVM, $150/mo yearly
Record the appointment on your phone or the web app, tap Scribble, and ScribbleVet drafts the SOAP note in about a minute, filtering out the small talk. It can send the note to your PIMS with one click and write a recap email for the client. Extras include dental charts, discharge "Care Cards" and Plumb's drug monographs.
The Essential plan is $40 a month for 150 notes, which suits part-time and relief vets. The top plan has unlimited notes, with support staff added free. The 14-day trial needs no credit card.
CoVet
Best for Practices that want templates and a free tier for support staff · Price Essentials $45.83/mo ($550/yr); Unlimited $99/mo ($1,188/yr)
CoVet calls itself a veterinary AI copilot: it captures the visit and generates SOAP notes, visit summaries and referral letters, structured around your clinic's own templates. Essentials allows 100 generations a month; Unlimited removes the cap and adds AI chat. Support staff working for a paid user get a free seat, which matters for tech-heavy workflows. Two-week free trial on every plan.
Talkatoo
Best for Scribe, call summaries and desktop dictation in one subscription · Price Per DVM; plans listed on talkatoo.com/pricing
Talkatoo started as veterinary dictation and now does a lot more: Auto Records writes records from exam conversations, Call Summary summarizes phone calls, Auto Follow-Up drafts texts to clients after appointments, and an AI assistant drafts procedure reports and discharge instructions. Desktop Dictation is included in both plans, so you can also speak into your PIMS or email.
Its pricing page lists two plans per DVM (SOAP Notes and Ultimate, which adds custom templates) with techs and support staff included, but it didn't show dollar figures when we checked. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
VetRec
Best for Multi-role clinics with techs and front desk on board · Price Per vet; check vetrec.io/pricing for your region
VetRec records visits and calls and drafts clinical notes, with 30+ specialty templates, a records recap and one-click transfer to practice software. Plans include unlimited visits for one DVM and unlimited seats for techs and front desk. It runs in the browser and has iOS and Android apps, with a 14-day free trial. The price on its pricing page displayed in a regional currency for us, so check it from your own location.
Built-in dictation (macOS, Windows)
Best for Occasional short notes, free · Price Free
Every Mac has Apple Dictation (System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation), and Windows has voice typing on WinH, which Microsoft says needs an internet connection. Both type into any field. Neither removes fillers or learns drug names, and you'll say punctuation out loud, so they're fine for a two-line callback note and tiring for a full record. On a Windows workstation, this is your free starting point; Sayburst doesn't run there.
How we chose
We picked tools a vet can actually buy today and verified each one's price, trial and platforms on its own site. We didn't test the scribes in a clinic, so we describe them from what the vendors publish. We ranked by how well each fits a common job:
- Who produces the words? The conversation (scribe) or you (dictation).
- Where does it run? Phone app, browser, desktop app, or every app on your Mac.
- How does it get into the record? One-click transfer to supported PIMS, copy and paste, or typing at the cursor.
- What does a year cost per vet? Scribes are monthly per DVM; Sayburst is a single purchase.
Getting more out of voice in practice
- Build your vocabulary first. Before your first real record, add the 30 words you use daily: drugs (maropitant, meloxicam, gabapentin), breeds, your clinic's abbreviations, the names of the vets you refer to. Our guide to custom vocabulary for dictation shows what to add.
- Use replacements for boilerplate. Map "normal TPR" or "standard dental discharge" to the full paragraph you'd otherwise paste.
- Dictate right after the exam. Two minutes of talking in the treatment room beats reconstructing it from memory at the end of the day.
- Review before you sign. Whether a scribe or dictation wrote it, the record is yours. Read the doses twice.
- Ask before recording clients. If you use a scribe, check your practice's policy and local rules on recording consultations.
Human medicine has the same split between scribes and dictation; our medical dictation software roundup covers it, and dictation vs transcription explains why recording first and typing later is a different job from speaking straight into the record.
The short answer
For exam-room notes written from the conversation, try ScribbleVet or CoVet; both have free trials and published prices. If Talkatoo's mix of scribe, call summaries and dictation fits your clinic, ask for a quote. For writing records, letters and client emails yourself on a Mac, with nothing recorded and no monthly fee, Sayburst is the fastest way from your voice to the page.
Hold fn, talk, and clean text lands where your cursor is. Free for 7 days.
Download SayburstQuestions people ask
What is the difference between a veterinary AI scribe and dictation software?
An AI scribe listens to the whole appointment and drafts a SOAP note from the conversation. Dictation software types what you say, so you speak the note yourself. Scribes save the most time for exam-room notes; dictation gives you full control over every word.
What does Talkatoo do for veterinarians?
Talkatoo writes medical records from exam conversations, summarizes phone calls, drafts follow-up texts, and includes desktop dictation for typing into your practice software or email. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee; its pricing page lists plans per DVM.
Which veterinary scribe software has a free trial?
ScribbleVet, VetRec and CoVet each list a 14-day or two-week free trial on their sites, and ScribbleVet's needs no credit card. Sayburst has a 7-day free trial with no card.
Can I dictate into my practice management software on a Mac?
Yes, if the software runs on your Mac or in a browser on it. Sayburst types into any field you can type in, including web-based practice software. It has no official integration with any PIMS; it inserts text where your cursor is.