Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Nota: Nota is an AI note-taking and voice app for Apple devices that transcribes speech in real time and uses AI to refine, summarize, and reshape your notes. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Alter when freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot matters most, and Nota when capturing voice brain dumps and ideas on the go, including from an apple watch 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.
Nota is an AI note-taking and voice app for Apple devices that transcribes speech in real time and uses AI to refine, summarize, and reshape your 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
Nota, made by Hue Network, Inc., is a note-taking and voice-capture app built for the Apple ecosystem. It lets you record voice memos, brain dumps, meetings, and conversations and transcribes them in real time, with multilingual transcription support (the website cites 45 languages). Beyond voice, you can type in a clean editor, sketch with Apple Pencil, or scan documents, whiteboards, business cards, and receipts using OCR. Built-in AI assists let you rewrite, expand, summarize, clarify, polish, and reshape selected text, and users can choose between available models (Gemini, Claude, or OpenAI) or bring their own key. It runs across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, with dictation supported directly from the watch. A free tier offers unlimited local notes, voice capture, AI, and drawing on-device with no account required; a Pro subscription adds cloud sync across devices, higher AI usage limits, more transcription time, and collaboration features. It is aimed at founders, creatives, operators, and anyone who wants flexible thought capture.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Nota is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Nota |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Real-time multilingual voice transcription (cited at 45 languages) |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | AI assists to rewrite, expand, summarize, clarify, and reshape notes |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Multiple capture modes: voice, typing, Apple Pencil sketching, and OCR scanning |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Choice of AI models (Gemini, Claude, OpenAI) with bring-your-own-key option |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Cross-device support across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Cloud sync and collaboration on the Pro tier |
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.
Nota
Choose Nota if you need recording and transcribing in-person meetings and conversations — strengths include free tier works fully on-device with no account required.
Alter
Nota
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Nota is strong for recording and transcribing in-person meetings and conversations. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Nota is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Often yes: teams combine tools when one handles capture and another handles analysis.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Alter and Nota.
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