Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Braina: Braina is a Windows AI assistant and speech-to-text software that handles voice dictation, voice commands, and transcription of recorded audio and video files including meetings and interviews. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Alter when freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot matters most, and Braina when voice dictation for notes and documents on a windows pc matters most. Test each on your own meetings; the right choice tends to become obvious quickly.
macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required.
Braina is a Windows AI assistant and speech-to-text software that handles voice dictation, voice commands, and transcription of recorded audio and video files including meetings and interviews.
Alter is a native macOS application that records, transcribes, and analyzes meetings directly on the user's Mac without sending a bot into the call. Instead of joining a meeting as a visible participant, Alter captures audio from the system output and microphone, so it works across Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype, Discord, and in-person conversations. Transcription runs through on-device models, with a choice of an optimized Parakeet model for major languages or Whisper for broader language coverage, and speaker identification is performed locally. Because processing happens on the device, recordings and transcripts stay on the Mac and the app can operate without an internet connection. Beyond raw transcripts, Alter generates summaries and action items, lets users chat with their meetings, and connects to tools such as Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, and Jira. It targets solopreneurs, freelancers, consultants, and other professionals who want private, bot-free meeting capture on macOS. The product is actively developed and operating in 2025 and 2026. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Braina (short for "Brain Artificial") is a Windows desktop AI assistant and speech-to-text application developed by Brainasoft. For meeting-related work, it transcribes pre-recorded audio and video files (WAV, MP3, M4A, MP4) into text, handling content such as meetings, interviews, lectures, and broadcasts. Transcription runs locally on the user's computer, supports multiple speakers without voice training, and can output plain text, text with timestamps, and subtitle formats (SRT and WebVTT). It also offers live voice dictation into any application across many languages, plus voice commands for controlling the PC. Beyond transcription, Braina provides an interface to local and cloud large language models, note-taking with persistent memory, reminders, and document chat. It runs primarily on Windows, with companion iOS and Android apps that can remotely control a connected PC over Wi-Fi. It is aimed at professionals, students, and researchers who want desktop dictation and offline file transcription rather than an automated bot that joins live meetings.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Braina is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Braina |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Transcribe recorded audio and video files (WAV, MP3, M4A, MP4) to text |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Offline multi-speaker transcription with no voice training required |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Output to plain text, timestamped text, SRT and WebVTT subtitles |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Live voice dictation into any application across many languages |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Voice commands for PC control plus note-taking and reminders |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Interface to local and cloud large language models |
Alter
Choose Alter if you need freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot — strengths include local processing keeps recordings and transcripts on the user's own mac.
Braina
Choose Braina if you need transcribing recorded meetings and interviews into text or subtitles — strengths include transcription runs locally on your own computer for privacy.
Alter
Braina
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Braina is strong for transcribing recorded meetings and interviews into text or subtitles. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Braina is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
You can — some teams pair them when each covers a different part of the meeting workflow.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Alter and Braina.
Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Amber Notes: EU-focused AI meeting notetaker by Dutch company Amberscript, with EU-only data hosting, multilingual transcription and an Ask Amber chat. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
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