Ava: AI live captioning and transcription app for accessibility, providing real-time captions for conversations and video meetings. Kai for Chrome: A Chrome extension that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely on-device in the browser, with no bot, no account, and no upload. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Ava when real-time captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing participants matters most, and Kai for Chrome when generating quick meeting summaries and action items without any setup matters most. Test each on your own meetings; the right choice tends to become obvious quickly.
AI live captioning and transcription app for accessibility, providing real-time captions for conversations and video meetings.
A Chrome extension that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely on-device in the browser, with no bot, no account, and no upload.
Ava is a live captioning and transcription service built primarily for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, as well as for organizations that need accessible meetings and conversations. The app captures audio from in-person conversations and from video conferencing tools, then generates real-time captions on a phone, computer, or in the meeting interface. Ava combines automatic speech recognition with an optional professional scribe service for higher-accuracy, ADA-compliant captioning, giving users a choice between fast AI captions and human-assisted transcription. Features include color-coded speaker identification so users can follow who said what, support for many languages, and stored transcripts and summaries after a conversation ends. Through its Ava Connect integration, the service connects with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, and it is available across mobile (iOS and Android), web, and desktop (Windows and Mac). Ava is aimed at individuals who need accessibility support in daily conversations and meetings, as well as at educational institutions, healthcare providers, corporations, and event venues that must provide compliant real-time captioning without committing to a traditional CART contract. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Kai is a Chrome extension that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely within the browser, running the full pipeline on the user's own device. Built by Morgen, the team behind the Morgen calendar app, it captures audio from any meeting or audio tab in Chrome, including Google Meet, the Zoom web client, and Microsoft Teams, without sending a bot into the call and without requiring an account or sign-up. Recording is triggered with a keyboard shortcut from the meeting tab. Audio capture happens in an offscreen document inside the extension and is transcribed locally using a Whisper speech-to-text model running via WebGPU or WebAssembly, so the audio never leaves the machine. At the end of a call, a local language model produces a clean summary with decisions, topics, and action items, including who is responsible. A side-panel interface lets users follow the transcript live during the meeting, and notes can optionally be emailed to a team in one click, at which point only the final text is shared. This makes Kai well suited to individuals who want fast, private, browser-based meeting notes without installing a desktop app or adding a visible bot, with an initial focus on English-language meetings. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Ava is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Kai for Chrome is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Ava | Kai for Chrome |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Integration with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams | Fully on-device transcription in the browser via Whisper on WebGPU or WebAssembly |
| Standout feature | Real-time live captions for in-person and online conversations | Bot-free capture from Google Meet, Zoom web, Teams, and any Chrome audio tab |
| Team usage | Color-coded speaker identification | No account or sign-up required to start transcribing |
| Integrations | Optional professional scribe service for higher accuracy | Keyboard-shortcut recording with a live transcript side panel |
| Languages & capture | Mobile, web, and desktop apps | Local summaries with decisions, topics, and assigned action items |
| Best-fit workflow | Saved transcripts and conversation summaries | One-click optional email sharing of finished notes |
Ava
Choose Ava if you need real-time captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing participants — strengths include strong accessibility focus for deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
Kai for Chrome
Choose Kai for Chrome if you need privately transcribing google meet, zoom web, or teams calls inside chrome — strengths include audio and transcription stay on-device for strong privacy.
Ava
Kai for Chrome
It depends on your workflow. Ava is strong for real-time captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing participants, while Kai for Chrome is strong for privately transcribing google meet, zoom web, or teams calls inside chrome. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Ava is a free tier with paid upgrades and Kai for Chrome 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.
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