Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Mentalyc: Mentalyc is a HIPAA-compliant AI documentation tool that records or transcribes therapy sessions and generates clinical progress notes for mental health professionals. 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 Mentalyc when documenting psychiatric and assessment notes such as mse and biopsychosocial assessments matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required.
Mentalyc is a HIPAA-compliant AI documentation tool that records or transcribes therapy sessions and generates clinical progress notes for mental health professionals.
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
Mentalyc is an AI documentation platform built for therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, PMHNPs, social workers, and other behavioral health professionals. It captures sessions in several ways: recording telehealth or in-person sessions with client consent, uploading an audio file, dictating a recap, or typing a short summary. The session audio is transcribed, and according to the company audio is processed and deleted while transcripts are stripped of identifying details. From this input it auto-generates clinical notes in multiple formats, including SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, PIRP, PIE, intake notes, MSE, biopsychosocial assessments, and supervision/consultation notes. Beyond notes, it produces treatment plans with measurable goals and tracks client progress over time. Mentalyc is web-based and accessed through a browser after signup, and it can sync with EHR systems such as SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Jane App or run as a standalone tool. It states it is HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant and does not use customer data to train AI models.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Mentalyc is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Mentalyc |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Transcribes recorded, uploaded, dictated, or typed sessions into structured notes |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Generates multiple note formats (SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, PIRP, PIE, MSE, intake, supervision) |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Automated treatment plans with measurable goals |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Progress tracking across sessions without client questionnaires |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | EHR integrations with SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Jane App |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant with audio deleted after processing and de-identified transcripts |
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.
Mentalyc
Choose Mentalyc if you need generating progress notes from recorded or in-person therapy sessions — strengths include purpose-built for mental health documentation with many clinical note formats.
Alter
Mentalyc
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Mentalyc is strong for generating progress notes from recorded or in-person therapy sessions. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Mentalyc 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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