Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Notably: Notably is an AI-powered qualitative research platform that transcribes interview recordings and analyzes notes, transcripts, and other research data into themes and insights. 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 Notably when synthesizing qualitative data into themes and insights for market research and agencies 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.
Notably is an AI-powered qualitative research platform that transcribes interview recordings and analyzes notes, transcripts, and other research data into themes and insights.
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
Notably is an end-to-end qualitative research platform built for analyzing and synthesizing research data rather than capturing live meetings. Teams import diverse inputs—video and audio interview recordings, written notes, usability test recordings, and survey exports—into a centralized research repository. Its interview transcription feature imports cloud recordings and transcribes video and audio so researchers can analyze the spoken content. Notably's AI then automates much of the synthesis: it generates highlights and tags, surfaces themes, produces insight summaries, and can run sentiment analysis across an entire study. A library of customizable AI templates supports stages of the research process, from thematic analysis to persona creation, user journeys, and reporting with AI-generated visuals. Notably is aimed at UX and product researchers, market researchers, agencies, design strategists, academics, and consultants who already have collected data and want faster time-to-insight. Notably does not recruit participants, run surveys, or conduct interviews itself; it focuses on analysis and the research repository. It is a web-based, end-user SaaS product.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Notably is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Notably |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Interview transcription from imported video and audio recordings |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | AI-generated highlights and tags on transcripts |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Automatic theme extraction and insight summaries |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Sentiment analysis across an entire study |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Customizable AI research templates (thematic analysis, personas, journeys) |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Centralized qualitative research repository with interactive reports |
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.
Notably
Choose Notably if you need transcribing and analyzing user interview recordings for ux and product research — strengths include strong ai automation reduces manual tagging and synthesis time.
Alter
Notably
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Notably is strong for transcribing and analyzing user interview recordings for ux and product research. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Notably is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Alter and Notably.
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