Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Monologue: Monologue is an AI voice dictation app for Mac and iOS that turns speech into polished, app-aware text and can record, transcribe, and summarize meetings, calls, and voice notes. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Alter when freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot matters most, and Monologue when recording and transcribing personal voice notes, calls, and meetings, then generating summaries 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.
Monologue is an AI voice dictation app for Mac and iOS that turns speech into polished, app-aware text and can record, transcribe, and summarize meetings, calls, and voice notes.
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
Monologue, built by Every (Every Media Inc), is an AI-powered voice dictation app for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Instead of typing, you speak and Monologue produces clean, finished text: it strips filler words and repetitions, adds punctuation, and uses a language model to infer intent and match your tone. Its standout trait is app-aware formatting, the output adapts to where you are, short conversational messages in iMessage, structured paragraphs in email, and organized lists or headings in Notes. On iOS a custom keyboard works across every app, with Live Activity support in the Dynamic Island, and preferences, modes, and a personal dictionary sync across devices. Beyond dictation, a Notes feature lets you record freeform thoughts, calls, and meetings, then transcribe and summarize them, and route captured notes to tools like Notion via an API, CLI, and MCP integrations. It supports 100+ languages and mixed-language speech. The company states audio and transcripts are not retained on its servers, with offline transcription available. It targets professionals across many fields who want faster, hands-free writing.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Monologue is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Monologue |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | App-aware smart formatting that adapts output to the app in use (iMessage, email, Notes, code) |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | AI cleanup that removes filler words and repetitions, adds punctuation, and matches tone |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Notes feature to record, transcribe, and summarize meetings, calls, and voice memos |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | iOS custom keyboard plus sync of modes, dictionary, and preferences across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Auto Dictionary that learns names, acronyms, and personal vocabulary |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | API, CLI, and MCP integrations for routing notes to tools like Notion |
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.
Monologue
Choose Monologue if you need drafting emails, messages, and documents hands-free by speaking instead of typing — strengths include deep apple-ecosystem integration with a system-wide ios keyboard and cross-device sync.
Alter
Monologue
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Monologue is strong for drafting emails, messages, and documents hands-free by speaking instead of typing. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Monologue is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Sure. Running both makes sense when their strengths don't overlap and the budget allows.
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