Dictum vs Nabla: AI Medical Scribe Comparison

Quick comparison

Primary use case

Nabla positions itself as an AI copilot that sits alongside the clinician during visits, assisting with real-time documentation as the encounter unfolds. Dictum focuses on generating structured documentation from encounters or dictation — you record the visit or dictate a summary afterward, and the tool produces the clinical note.

The copilot framing means Nabla emphasizes in-visit interaction, while Dictum treats the encounter recording as input for multiple document outputs. Both approaches reduce charting time, but they feel different in day-to-day use.

Documentation outputs

Both tools produce SOAP notes, patient summaries, and referral letters. Dictum adds extensive custom template support across specialties, allowing clinicians to define section headings, subsection structure, and output formatting for any note type.

Nabla also supports template customization. If your practice requires highly specific note formats — procedure notes, specialty-specific layouts, or non-standard section ordering — compare the template flexibility of each tool against your actual documentation needs.

Workflow flexibility

Both Dictum and Nabla support ambient capture during patient encounters. Dictum also provides a dedicated post-visit dictation mode, which is useful for clinicians who prefer to summarize the encounter after the patient leaves or in situations where recording the conversation directly is not appropriate.

Dictum adds offline recording capability, allowing encounters to be captured without an internet connection and processed later. This matters for rural clinics, home visits, or hospital areas with unreliable connectivity.

Mobile and platform access

Dictum is available on iOS, Android, and the web. Nabla is primarily available on iOS and the web. Check nabla.com for current Android availability.

If your team uses Android devices or you need a native Android app for clinical documentation, this distinction affects everyday usability. Both tools offer web-based access as an alternative to the mobile apps.

Pricing

Dictum offers a free plan with five sessions per month. Paid plans start at $29.99/month. See the full breakdown on the Dictum pricing page.

For Nabla's current pricing, check nabla.com. When comparing costs, consider what documentation types, session limits, and platform access are included at each tier rather than looking at the monthly number alone.

Security

Dictum follows a zero audio retention policy: recordings are processed in real time and are not stored on servers after transcription. Patient data is not used for model training, and a Business Associate Agreement is available. For more detail, see the Dictum HIPAA compliance page.

For Nabla's security practices, data handling, and BAA availability, check their website directly. Security implementations and compliance posture change over time, so verify current details with each vendor before making a purchasing decision.

Where Dictum may be a better fit

Dictum may work better for clinicians who need one or more of the following:

• Offline recording for environments with unreliable internet access
• Android support for mobile clinical documentation
• Transparent pricing with a permanent free tier and published plan costs
• Full template customization, including the ability to create specialty-specific or practice-specific note formats from scratch

Where Nabla may be a better fit

Nabla may work better for clinicians who:

• Prefer a copilot-style interface that assists during the encounter rather than generating notes after the fact
• Are already using Nabla's ecosystem or integrated tools and want to stay within a single platform
• Value EHR integrations beyond copy/paste for their specific EHR system

Methodology

This comparison reflects publicly available information as of May 2026. Product features, pricing, and compliance information can change. Always verify current details with each vendor before making a purchasing decision.