Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Reduct: Transcription and text-based video editing platform that can capture live Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams calls and make hours of recordings searchable by text. 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 Reduct when reviewing and pulling quotes from qualitative research and ux interview recordings 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.
Transcription and text-based video editing platform that can capture live Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams calls and make hours of recordings searchable by text.
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
Reduct is a transcription and collaborative video platform built around the idea of working with audio and video as searchable text. It transcribes large volumes of recordings and lets teams find, annotate, highlight, redact, edit, and share specific moments by interacting with the transcript rather than scrubbing through a timeline, an approach the company describes as a kind of find-in-page search for video. Reduct's Live Capture feature can join Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams calls when a meeting link is provided, recording and transcribing the conversation so that meetings, interviews, and research sessions become text that the whole team can search and reference. The platform includes a text-based video editor, translation, and redaction tools for sensitive content. Reduct is used by qualitative and UX researchers, legal and public-defense teams, film and production groups, marketers, and educators who need to review long recordings, pull out quotes and clips, and collaborate on the contents of interviews and meetings. It is positioned for teams handling substantial amounts of recorded conversation rather than individual quick transcripts. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Reduct is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Reduct |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Transcription of large volumes of audio and video into searchable text |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Live Capture that joins and records Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams calls |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Text-based video editing by selecting and cutting transcript text |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Annotation, highlighting, and clip-sharing tools for collaboration |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Redaction tools for removing sensitive content from recordings |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Translation of 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.
Reduct
Choose Reduct if you need capturing and transcribing live zoom, meet, or teams meetings and interviews — strengths include makes long recordings navigable by searching and editing transcript text.
Alter
Reduct
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Reduct is strong for capturing and transcribing live zoom, meet, or teams meetings and interviews. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Reduct 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.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Alter and Reduct.
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