Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. toruno: Ricoh's Japanese meeting recording service combining transcription, audio recording, and screen capture for online and in-person meetings. 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 toruno when organizations wanting screen context preserved alongside the transcript matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required.
Ricoh's Japanese meeting recording service combining transcription, audio recording, and screen capture for online and in-person meetings.
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
toruno is a meeting recording service from Ricoh Company, Ltd. in Japan that captures meetings as a combination of transcription, audio recording, and screen capture, so users can later review who said what and what was shown on screen. It works with web meetings on platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom as well as on-site meetings. toruno offers several capture methods: a Windows desktop application that performs real-time transcription during live meetings, an iPhone app for recording on-site discussions, and a web interface for uploading existing audio or video files. After capture, it can generate AI summaries with customizable templates to turn raw transcripts into structured meeting minutes. Japanese transcription is the primary focus, and a business/AI summary plan also supports transcription of other languages such as English and Chinese. The service includes enterprise-grade security and administration features, including two-factor authentication, IP restrictions, and per-user permission management over transcriptions, plus integration with kintone. It is aimed at Japanese businesses that want a searchable, shareable record of meetings and negotiations. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); toruno is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | toruno |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | Combined transcription, audio recording, and screen capture of meetings |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Real-time transcription via Windows desktop app, plus iPhone and file-upload capture |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | AI-generated summaries with customizable minutes templates |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Japanese-first transcription with English and Chinese support on higher plans |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Enterprise security: two-factor authentication and IP restrictions |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Per-user permission management over transcriptions |
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.
toruno
Choose toruno if you need japanese teams needing searchable records of meetings and business negotiations — strengths include screen capture alongside transcript preserves visual context from meetings.
Alter
toruno
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while toruno is strong for japanese teams needing searchable records of meetings and business negotiations. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and toruno 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.
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