Eclipse vs. Case CATalyst: Price, Platform, and Fit in 2026

Eclipse, from Advantage Software, and Case CATalyst, from Stenograph, are established professional CAT applications for realtime translation, editing, dictionary management, and transcript production. The right choice depends less on broad reputation and more on your writer, computer, dictionary, collaborators, support needs, and total cost over several years. If you are new to the category, start with what CAT software does.

At a glance

Each row summarizes what the vendor’s own pages said on October 9, 2026. The sections below give the detail and the sources.

Current license prices

Both vendors publish professional license prices on their official stores. On October 9, 2026, Eclipse Steno was listed at $4,499, and Case CATalyst Pro was listed at $4,299, before taxes or optional products and services. Each listing includes one year of updates and technical support with a new professional license.¹²

The first-year price is not the whole cost. Advantage publishes its Anytime Support renewal for Eclipse Steno at $799 for one year or $72.95 per month under a 12-month plan, its 2026 rates, effective January 1, 2026.³ Stenograph’s downloads policy says integer-version updates are available to licensed users with an active warranty or support agreement,⁴ but its public CATalyst Pro product page does not state a later renewal price.² Ask each vendor for a written multi-year total that covers the license, updates, support, required add-ons, and any computer or writer changes.

AEclipse Steno: $4,499

BAnytime Support: $799 a year

CCase CATalyst Pro: $4,299

DRenewal price not stated

Operating system and hardware

Both core applications run on Windows. Advantage’s official Eclipse page recommends Windows 10 Professional or above. It says Eclipse runs on a Mac with Windows 10, through Boot Camp or Parallels, recommends Boot Camp, and does not recommend running Eclipse with Parallels. It also says Apple M1 Macs are not compatible.¹ Stenograph’s CATalyst system requirements, updated April 15, 2026, require Windows 11 and state that CATalyst is not compatible with Mac computers.⁵

Do not treat a browser-based realtime viewer as proof that the CAT application itself runs on that device. Verify the reporter workstation, writer drivers, ports, audio setup, and any remote-viewing workflow separately.

Dictionary and transcript interchange

Interchange is possible, but it deserves a real migration test. Stenograph documents both RTF/CRE import and RTF/CRE export for jobs, notes, and dictionaries. Advantage’s official Eclipse Basics materials cover dictionary work and job production to RTF, TXT, and PDF.⁶ Its public Eclipse product page does not describe RTF/CRE or dictionary conversion from another system,¹ so ask Advantage how it handles your files.

RTF/CRE can carry substantial content between CAT systems, but formatting and system-specific behavior may not transfer perfectly.⁷⁸ Export representative dictionaries and completed jobs, then compare translation, conflicts, page layout, indexes, exhibits, ASCII, PDF, and realtime output before moving deadline work.

Workflow and ecosystem

Stenograph sells both Case CATalyst and its current writer family, which can simplify a single-vendor hardware and software setup.² Advantage emphasizes Eclipse customization, realtime features, team editing, and web-based Bridge viewing.¹ Those are different ecosystems, not a universal ranking.

Test the workflow that actually earns your income. Include the writer connection, scopist or proofreader handoff, audio, realtime viewers, signatures, backups, and every client deliverable. An agency’s ability to accept a PDF or ASCII is not the same as a collaborator being able to edit your native job files.

Support models

The published support schedules differ. Advantage describes Anytime Support as available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.³ Stenograph’s Case CATalyst warranty support lists business-hour coverage Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time.⁹ Confirm the support tier included with your purchase, renewal terms, remote assistance, and after-hours coverage before relying on either model for deadline work.

AAdvantage: 24 hours, 365 days

BStenograph: Monday through Friday

C7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A practical decision checklist

1. Run both tools with your writer and a copy of your working dictionary.
2. Reproduce a completed transcript and every required delivery format.
3. Test realtime locally and with the exact viewers your clients use.
4. Include support, updates, add-ons, and hardware in a three-year cost comparison.
5. Keep verified native and interchange backups before changing production systems.