Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Vexa: API-first, open-source meeting transcription platform that deploys bots to capture real-time, speaker-labeled transcripts for developers. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Alter when freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot matters most, and Vexa when streaming live, speaker-labeled transcripts into applications 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.
API-first, open-source meeting transcription platform that deploys bots to capture real-time, speaker-labeled transcripts for developers.
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
Vexa is an API-first, open-source meeting transcription and intelligence platform aimed primarily at developers and technical teams who want to build meeting features into their own products. Rather than being a polished end-user notetaking app, Vexa provides a developer toolkit: it deploys bots that join meetings via a URL, capture audio, and stream back real-time, speaker-diarized transcripts with low latency over WebSocket, alongside REST interfaces for programmatic bot control. Captured data can be stored and queried for retrieval and export, enabling teams to build live transcription, searchable meeting repositories, or downstream analysis on top of the platform. Vexa currently supports Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, with Zoom support indicated as planned, and its codebase is available on GitHub under an Apache 2.0 license, with both self-hosted and managed cloud deployment options. Because it exposes meeting capture and transcription as programmable infrastructure, Vexa is suited to engineering teams in areas like sales, recruiting, and other domains that need to embed meeting intelligence into custom workflows rather than rely on a standalone consumer app. It is best for developers who want control over how transcripts are captured, stored, and used. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Vexa is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Vexa |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | API-first design with REST and WebSocket interfaces |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Real-time, speaker-diarized transcription with low latency |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Deployable bots that join meetings via URL to capture audio |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Open-source (Apache 2.0) with self-hosted or managed cloud options |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Data storage with query and export capabilities |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Supports Google Meet and Microsoft Teams (Zoom planned) |
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.
Vexa
Choose Vexa if you need building custom meeting-intelligence features into a product — strengths include programmable infrastructure for embedding meeting transcription into products.
Alter
Vexa
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Vexa is strong for building custom meeting-intelligence features into a product. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Vexa 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 Vexa.
Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Amber Notes: EU-focused AI meeting notetaker by Dutch company Amberscript, with EU-only data hosting, multilingual transcription and an Ask Amber chat. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
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Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Attio Call Intelligence: Attio's native call intelligence records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings and syncs every conversation to the Attio CRM automatically. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
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