Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. IceCubes: Bot-free Chrome and Edge extension that reads a meeting platform's own captions to transcribe and summarize Meet, Zoom, and Teams calls. 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 IceCubes when sales reps who want call summaries automatically tied to crm records matters most. Run both through a week of actual calls to see which suits your workflow.
macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required.
Bot-free Chrome and Edge extension that reads a meeting platform's own captions to transcribe and summarize Meet, Zoom, and Teams calls.
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
IceCubes is an AI meeting assistant distributed as a browser extension for Chrome and Edge that captures meetings without sending a bot participant into the call. Instead of joining as a separate attendee, the extension reads the transcript directly from the conferencing platform's built-in closed-captioning service and maps speaker names from the meeting interface, then layers AI processing on top. It works with the web clients of Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, and supports additional platforms through web tab sharing. After a meeting, IceCubes produces AI summaries, extracts action items, and surfaces conversation insights, with custom 'Smart Tags' for pulling out specific information the user cares about. For revenue teams it adds sales-oriented features such as matching meetings to contacts, deals, and accounts in Salesforce and HubSpot, plus coaching and qualification frameworks. Because it relies on native captions rather than a visible recorder, it is positioned as avoiding the disruption and IT-policy friction of bot-based notetakers. The product is actively maintained, offers a free transcription tier without a credit card, and is operating in 2025-2026. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); IceCubes is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | IceCubes |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Chrome and Edge browser extensions |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Bot-free capture by reading the platform's own closed captions |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Speaker identification mapped from the meeting UI |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | AI summaries, action items, and custom Smart Tags |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Supports Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams web clients |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | CRM matching to contacts, deals, and accounts in Salesforce and HubSpot |
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.
IceCubes
Choose IceCubes if you need teams that need notes without a bot joining due to it or compliance constraints — strengths include no visible recording bot, reducing meeting disruption and policy friction.
Alter
IceCubes
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while IceCubes is strong for teams that need notes without a bot joining due to it or compliance constraints. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and IceCubes is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Alter and IceCubes.
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