Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Substrata: AI sales intelligence platform that analyzes the social and emotional signals behind conversations to help dealmakers read buyer intent. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Alter when freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot matters most, and Substrata when coaching sellers on social dynamics in high-stakes conversations 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.
AI sales intelligence platform that analyzes the social and emotional signals behind conversations to help dealmakers read buyer intent.
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
Substrata is an AI sales coaching and deal intelligence platform that takes a different angle from typical conversation intelligence tools: rather than focusing on transcription and summaries, it analyzes the social and emotional signals beneath sales conversations. Its core function is to model buyer psychology, attitudes, and momentum across interactions to help professional dealmakers understand intent and power dynamics. A central component is SoundWave, a real-time conversational analytics engine that listens to sales calls and analyzes voice tone, pace, pauses, interruptions, and the push-pull of social dynamics, surfacing the why behind what is being said rather than just the words. Substrata applies this signal analysis across conversations and email exchanges to gauge buyer sentiment and engagement, giving sellers and revenue leaders a read on how deals are actually progressing. The platform is aimed at B2B revenue professionals and leaders, and is positioned for smaller and mid-sized dealmaking teams that want behavioral insight into negotiations and high-value conversations. It has been recognized as a high performer across sales coaching, AI sales assistant, conversation intelligence, sales analytics, and revenue operations categories. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Substrata is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Substrata |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | SoundWave real-time analysis of tone, pace, pauses, and interruptions |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Behavioral analysis of buyer attitudes, intent, and power dynamics |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Email signal analysis for sentiment and engagement |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Deal momentum tracking across conversations |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Coaching insights focused on social and emotional cues |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | SoundWave real-time analysis of tone, pace, pauses, and interruptions |
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.
Substrata
Choose Substrata if you need reading buyer intent and sentiment during negotiations — strengths include analyzes social and emotional subtext beyond plain transcription.
Alter
Substrata
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Substrata is strong for reading buyer intent and sentiment during negotiations. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Substrata 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 Substrata.
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