Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Grain: Grain is an AI notetaker and conversation intelligence platform that records, transcribes, and summarizes video calls and Slack huddles, with or without meeting bots. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Alter when freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot matters most, and Grain when recording and summarizing client or team meetings for action items 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.
Grain is an AI notetaker and conversation intelligence platform that records, transcribes, and summarizes video calls and Slack huddles, with or without meeting bots.
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
Grain is an AI meeting assistant and conversation intelligence platform that automatically records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings, generating AI notes, action items, and shareable video clips. It supports Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams (plus Slack huddles), and can capture audio without a meeting bot via bot-free desktop capture, or join calls with a recording bot. Transcription covers 100+ languages. On higher tiers, Grain syncs meeting notes and insights to CRMs including HubSpot and Salesforce, making it useful for sales and customer success teams tracking deal conversations. The Business tier also adds AI coaching, custom AI follow-up emails, trackers, and team interaction metrics. The Free plan includes unlimited meetings with a 45-minute recording limit, AI notes and action items, 30-day meeting history, and unlimited free viewer seats; paid seats unlock unlimited meeting duration, history, and uploads.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Grain is from $15/mo (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Grain |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | AI meeting notes & action items |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Multi-language transcription (100+ languages) |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Shareable video clips & highlight reels |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | CRM sync (HubSpot & Salesforce) |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Bot-free desktop capture |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | AI meeting notes & action items |
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.
Grain
Choose Grain if you need sales and customer success teams capturing call insights synced to a crm — strengths include records and transcribes meetings with or without a bot, including bot-free desktop (computer-audio) capture.
Alter
Grain
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Grain is strong for sales and customer success teams capturing call insights synced to a crm. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Grain is from $15/mo. 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 Grain.
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Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Attention: AI conversation intelligence platform that records and transcribes sales calls, scores them against frameworks, and automates CRM updates and follow-ups. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Attio Call Intelligence: Attio's native call intelligence records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings and syncs every conversation to the Attio CRM automatically. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. AudioNotes: AI note taker for voice, audio, video, and text that records meetings and memos and turns them into structured notes and summaries. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
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