Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Otolio: Japanese AI meeting-minutes service (formerly Smart Scribe) that transcribes and automates the full minutes workflow for businesses. 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 Otolio when sales teams preparing for and following up on client meetings 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.
Japanese AI meeting-minutes service (formerly Smart Scribe) that transcribes and automates the full minutes workflow for businesses.
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
Otolio, formerly known as Smart Scribe (スマート書記), is a Japanese AI meeting-minutes service operated by Epicbase, Inc. It is designed for corporate use and automates the entire meeting documentation process rather than only producing a transcript. Users can record in-person meetings or capture audio from web conferencing tools, after which Otolio automatically transcribes the audio and generates summarized, cleaned-up minutes. Features include speaker visualization, registration of specialized terminology for improved accuracy on industry-specific vocabulary, and filler-word removal. The platform organizes recording, transcription, minutes generation, and follow-up tasks within a single interface, and offers specialized agents oriented toward meeting minutes and toward sales preparation and follow-up. Security is positioned as a core concern for Japanese enterprises: Otolio is ISO 27001 certified, uses encryption, and states that it does not perform unauthorized machine learning on user data. A mobile app supports transcription, audio playback, and file upload. Otolio is aimed at Japanese organizations that hold frequent internal meetings, sales calls, one-on-ones, and executive sessions and want to reduce the administrative burden of writing minutes. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Otolio is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Otolio |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Automatic transcription of in-person and web-conference audio |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | AI summarization and cleanup of meeting minutes |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Speaker visualization and specialized terminology registration |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Filler-word removal for cleaner transcripts |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Dedicated minutes and sales agents in one interface |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Mobile app for transcription, playback, and file upload |
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.
Otolio
Choose Otolio if you need japanese companies automating internal meeting minutes — strengths include built for the japanese market with strong handling of japanese minutes workflows.
Alter
Otolio
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Otolio is strong for japanese companies automating internal meeting minutes. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Otolio 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 Otolio.
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