Alter: macOS-native AI meeting assistant that records and transcribes calls locally with built-in Whisper and Parakeet models, no bots required. Whisper Memos: iPhone and Apple Watch voice recorder that transcribes memos and meetings and emails you a formatted transcript with an AI summary. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Alter when freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot matters most, and Whisper Memos when recording meetings and extracting action items via custom summary prompts 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.
iPhone and Apple Watch voice recorder that transcribes memos and meetings and emails you a formatted transcript with an AI summary.
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
Whisper Memos is an AI voice-recording app for iPhone and Apple Watch, created by independent developer Vojtech Rinik, that records spoken memos and delivers them back as nicely formatted email transcripts within seconds. You can start a recording from a one-tap iPhone lock-screen widget or hands-free from an Apple Watch complication, making it suited to quick capture of rambling thoughts, meeting notes, lectures, or journal entries. Under the hood it offers multiple transcription engines, including OpenAI Whisper, ElevenLabs, and Cohere, and supports many languages with automatic paragraphing. Every voice note can get an automatic AI summary, and you can create custom summary tabs with your own prompts, for example to extract action items from meeting notes or to reorganize thoughts by topic. The app supports importing audio files in formats such as MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, and FLAC. An Agents system routes different memos to different destinations, and integrations cover Notion, Trello, Things 3, Todoist, Day One, Evernote, Reflect, and Drafts, plus thousands more via Zapier or Mail Drop. It markets itself explicitly as a dictaphone, an audio recorder for meetings, and a voice journaling app, and has been covered by outlets like Six Colors and MacSparky. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Whisper Memos is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Alter | Whisper Memos |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription using built-in Whisper and Parakeet models | One-tap iPhone lock-screen and hands-free Apple Watch recording |
| Standout feature | Bot-free capture of system audio and microphone across any meeting or call app | Multiple transcription engines (OpenAI Whisper, ElevenLabs, Cohere) |
| Team usage | Automatic speaker identification performed locally | Automatic AI summaries with custom prompt-based summary tabs |
| Integrations | AI summaries, action items, and chat-with-your-meeting Q&A | Transcripts delivered as formatted email with automatic paragraphs |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with Notion, Slack, Linear, Asana, Jira and other tools | Audio file import (MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, FLAC) |
| Best-fit workflow | Offline operation with recordings and transcripts stored locally | Integrations with Notion, Things 3, Todoist, Day One, and Zapier |
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.
Whisper Memos
Choose Whisper Memos if you need dictating quick notes or ideas hands-free and receiving them by email — strengths include frictionless capture from lock screen or apple watch.
Alter
Whisper Memos
It depends on your workflow. Alter is strong for freelancers and consultants privately capturing client calls without a visible bot, while Whisper Memos is strong for dictating quick notes or ideas hands-free and receiving them by email. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Alter is a free tier with paid upgrades and Whisper Memos 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 Whisper Memos.
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