Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Kanari AI: Kanari AI is a MENA-focused speech technology company whose Fenek AI platform automatically transcribes, translates, and subtitles Arabic-dialect and English audio and video, including meeting recordings. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Alter when freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot matters most, and Kanari AI when generating editable transcripts and shareable exports for content and research teams 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.
Kanari AI is a MENA-focused speech technology company whose Fenek AI platform automatically transcribes, translates, and subtitles Arabic-dialect and English audio and video, including meeting recordings.
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
Kanari AI is a speech-technology company founded in 2020, headquartered in Pasadena, California, with offices in Doha, Dubai, and Bangalore. It specializes in automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech, and natural language processing for Arabic dialects and English. Its consumer-facing product, Fenek AI, is a web-based transcription, translation, and subtitling platform that lets users upload audio and video files, including online meeting recordings, and convert them to editable text. It is notable for handling all major Arabic dialects, as well as mixed Arabic-and-English speech within the same sentence. Within the platform, users can edit transcripts, share and download files in multiple formats, generate subtitles for video, and create team workspaces to collaborate across projects. Kanari AI also offers its speech recognition and text-to-speech models through a web portal and an API available on request, serving media, education, government, and healthcare. It is built primarily for Arabic-speaking individuals, content teams, and organizations in the MENA region needing dialect-aware transcription and captioning.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Kanari AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Kanari AI |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Automatic transcription of audio and video files, including online meeting recordings |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Support for all major Arabic dialects and mixed Arabic-English speech in the same sentence |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Translation and subtitle/caption generation for video |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Transcript editing with sharing and multi-format export |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Team workspaces for collaborative, multi-project work |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Speech recognition and text-to-speech also available via web portal and API |
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.
Kanari AI
Choose Kanari AI if you need transcribing and subtitling arabic-dialect media, interviews, and meeting recordings — strengths include strong dialectal arabic coverage, including code-switching between arabic and english.
Alter
Kanari AI
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Kanari AI is strong for transcribing and subtitling arabic-dialect media, interviews, and meeting recordings. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Kanari AI 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.
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