Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. TORTUS: TORTUS is an ambient AI clinical assistant that listens to patient consultations and automatically transcribes them into structured clinical notes, letters, and coding suggestions. 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 TORTUS when transcribing and documenting telephone triage and clinical hub calls matters most. Trial each on a few real meetings before you commit — the better fit usually shows fast.
macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required.
TORTUS is an ambient AI clinical assistant that listens to patient consultations and automatically transcribes them into structured clinical notes, letters, and coding suggestions.
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
TORTUS is a regulated, healthcare-specific ambient voice AI built with the NHS. It acts as an AI scribe that listens to clinician-patient consultations, transcribes the conversation using speaker-diarized speech-to-text, and uses large language models to draft structured clinical notes, referral letters, patient summaries, and suggested clinical coding (including SNOMED) within seconds for clinician review. Audio is captured with on-device, locally encrypted processing, and the company states no patient audio is retained at rest. The platform supports both face-to-face and telephone consultations, with telephony integrations such as X-on Surgery Connect and Avaya. It integrates with major electronic health record systems including Epic, EMIS Health, TPP SystmOne, Oracle Health, Access Rio, and Medicus to enable clinician-approved write-back. It is registered as a UK Class I medical device and holds ISO 13485, ISO 27001, and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications. TORTUS is aimed at clinicians and healthcare organizations such as NHS Trusts, hospitals, ambulance services, outpatient clinics, and GP practices. The company reports use across more than 2.5 million consultations.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); TORTUS is custom pricing (contact sales). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | TORTUS |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Ambient voice capture of face-to-face and telephone consultations |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Real-time transcription with speaker diarization and local encryption |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Auto-generated clinical notes, referral letters, and patient summaries |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Suggested clinical coding including SNOMED |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | EHR integrations (Epic, EMIS, TPP SystmOne, Oracle Health, Access Rio, Medicus) with clinician-approved write-back |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Hallucination detection to validate notes against the source context |
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.
TORTUS
Choose TORTUS if you need generating clinical documentation from gp and outpatient consultations — strengths include purpose-built and regulated for clinical use (uk class i medical device, iso 13485 / iso 27001 certified).
Alter
TORTUS
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while TORTUS is strong for generating clinical documentation from gp and outpatient consultations. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and TORTUS is custom pricing. 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.
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