Aiko: On-device AI transcription app for Mac, iOS, and visionOS that converts lecture and meeting audio to text privately. Parabol: Free, open-source agile meeting tool for retrospectives, sprint poker, and standups with automated meeting summaries and AI topic grouping. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Aiko when transcribing recorded lectures into searchable text for studying matters most, and Parabol when facilitating sprint poker estimation sessions matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
On-device AI transcription app for Mac, iOS, and visionOS that converts lecture and meeting audio to text privately.
Free, open-source agile meeting tool for retrospectives, sprint poker, and standups with automated meeting summaries and AI topic grouping.
Aiko is a native transcription app for macOS, iOS, and visionOS, developed by Sindre Sorhus, that converts speech to text from meetings, lectures, and recordings entirely on-device. It uses OpenAI's Whisper model running locally, so audio never leaves the user's device, which makes it appealing for students and professionals with privacy requirements. Aiko transcribes both audio and video files in common formats such as .m4a, .wav, .mp3, .mp4, and .mov, and supports around 100 languages. Transcriptions can be exported in multiple formats, including JSON, CSV, and SRT subtitles, and the app includes a word-replacement feature to automatically correct recurring errors. It also integrates with Apple Shortcuts for automation workflows. Because Aiko prioritizes accuracy over speed, it does not perform live transcription while recording and currently does not include speaker detection, so it is best for transcribing recorded lectures, interviews, and meetings after the fact. The app is offered as a Universal Purchase with a free trial via TestFlight, making it a low-cost, privacy-first option for turning lecture and meeting recordings into searchable text. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Parabol is a free, open-source platform built for facilitating agile meetings, with a particular focus on sprint retrospectives alongside estimation (sprint poker) and team check-ins. Its retrospective experience follows a structured reflect, group, vote, discuss, and action workflow compatible with popular formats like Start/Stop/Continue, 4Ls, and Mad/Sad/Glad, plus custom templates. Facilitators get multiplayer drag-and-drop cards, live task editing, timers, dynamic agenda items, discussion threads, emoji reactions, and a large library of retrospective formats and icebreaker questions. At the end of each retro, Parabol automatically generates a meeting summary that rolls up notes and tasks, posts them to a team timeline, and delivers them to attendees via email or Slack so next steps are clear. Its AI capabilities include automatic naming of grouped card clusters and AI topic summaries to speed up synthesis during retros. Parabol integrates with Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Slack, and Mattermost, and because the codebase is publicly available on GitHub, teams can self-host or review how it works. It is used by hundreds of thousands of people across distributed and remote teams. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Aiko is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Parabol is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Aiko | Parabol |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Fully on-device transcription powered by a local Whisper model | Structured retrospective workflow (reflect, group, vote, discuss, action) |
| Standout feature | Support for roughly 100 languages | Automated meeting summaries delivered via email and Slack |
| Team usage | Transcription of audio and video files in formats like m4a, wav, mp3, mp4, and mov | AI auto-naming of grouped cards and AI topic summaries |
| Integrations | Export to multiple formats including JSON, CSV, and SRT subtitles | Sprint poker estimation and team standup/check-in templates |
| Languages & capture | Word-replacement feature to auto-correct common errors | Large library of retrospective formats and icebreaker questions |
| Best-fit workflow | Apple Shortcuts integration and Universal Purchase across Mac, iOS, and visionOS | Integrations with Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Slack, and Mattermost |
Aiko
Choose Aiko if you need transcribing recorded lectures into searchable text for studying — strengths include strong privacy because nothing leaves the device.
Parabol
Choose Parabol if you need running sprint retrospectives for remote and distributed agile teams — strengths include free and open-source with the option to self-host.
Aiko
Parabol
It depends on your workflow. Aiko is strong for transcribing recorded lectures into searchable text for studying, while Parabol is strong for running sprint retrospectives for remote and distributed agile teams. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Aiko is a free tier with paid upgrades and Parabol is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Often yes: teams combine tools when one handles capture and another handles analysis.
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