Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Listen Labs: Enterprise AI customer research platform that recruits participants, runs AI-moderated interviews, and delivers executive-ready insight reports. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Alter when freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot matters most, and Listen Labs when enterprise concept and prototype testing with recruited participants 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.
Enterprise AI customer research platform that recruits participants, runs AI-moderated interviews, and delivers executive-ready insight reports.
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
Listen Labs is an AI-first customer research platform that automates the qualitative research workflow end to end, from study design and participant recruitment through AI-moderated interviews to insight delivery. Its AI interviewer conducts personalized, in-depth conversations with each participant, asking follow-up questions and understanding context without a human moderator, and the platform supports video, audio, and text formats in 100-plus languages with automatic translation and transcription. Studies can incorporate stimuli such as videos, images, and Figma prototypes, and recruitment draws on a global network of tens of millions of qualified participants, with the option to integrate existing recruitment providers or bring your own audience. Once interviews complete, Listen Labs automatically packages results into executive-ready outputs, surfacing key themes and takeaways, generating personas, and producing highlight reels and slide decks, with turnaround measured in hours rather than the weeks typical of traditional research. The company is venture-backed and reports use by large consumer and technology brands, positioning the platform for enterprises looking to replace or supplement surveys and traditional market research with scalable AI-led interviews. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Listen Labs is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Listen Labs |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | AI interviewer running personalized video, audio, and text interviews |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Global participant recruitment with bring-your-own-audience option |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Stimulus testing with videos, images, and Figma prototypes |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Automated key themes, takeaways, and persona generation |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Executive-ready reports with highlight reels and slide decks |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Support for 100+ languages with translation and transcription |
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.
Listen Labs
Choose Listen Labs if you need replacing or supplementing surveys with scalable ai-led customer interviews — strengths include end-to-end automation from recruitment to executive-ready deliverables.
Alter
Listen Labs
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Listen Labs is strong for replacing or supplementing surveys with scalable ai-led customer interviews. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Listen Labs 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 Listen Labs.
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