Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Natively: A free, open-source desktop AI meeting assistant offering real-time transcription, structured notes, and on-call answers with local processing and bring-your-own-key support. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Basil AI when transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device matters most, and Natively when running a fully local, offline meeting assistant via ollama for sensitive discussions matters most. Run both through a week of actual calls to see which suits your workflow.
On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload.
A free, open-source desktop AI meeting assistant offering real-time transcription, structured notes, and on-call answers with local processing and bring-your-own-key support.
Basil AI (Basil Private AI Note Taker) is a privacy-first AI transcription and note-taking application that processes all audio locally on Apple devices using Apple's on-device speech and machine-learning frameworks. Because recordings, transcripts, and summaries never leave the device and no cloud servers are involved, Basil is positioned for privacy-conscious professionals handling sensitive conversations, including lawyers conducting client meetings and other client-services practitioners where confidentiality matters. The app records live meetings and can also process uploaded audio and DRM-free video files, then generates transcripts with speaker diarization plus AI summaries and key takeaways. It supports a large set of languages and can work offline, including in airplane mode. Outputs can be exported to formats such as text, PDF, CSV, and JSON, and integrated with Apple's ecosystem (Apple Notes, iCloud Drive, Files). Basil is distributed on the Apple App Store by TONSOR LLC and is available as a universal app across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision, with recent iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS versions required. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Natively is an open-source AI meeting assistant maintained by the Natively-AI-assistant project and actively developed through 2025 and 2026. It runs as a desktop application on macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows, capturing meeting audio directly on the device rather than joining calls as a visible participant. Built with a Rust-based audio pipeline, it provides low-latency real-time transcription and generates structured, searchable meeting notes that include action items, decisions, and key moments, alongside an on-demand AI assist triggered by a keyboard shortcut. It offers several meeting modes for different contexts and works alongside major platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Natively is bring-your-own-key and supports providers including Google Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, and Groq, plus a fully local option through Ollama so transcription and analysis can stay offline on the user's machine; meeting data is stored locally by default. As an indie, community-driven tool it positions itself as a free alternative to paid commercial assistants, though it relies on user-supplied API keys for cloud models and is still evolving. Verify current features and any policies on the official site. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Natively is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Basil AI | Natively |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | 100% on-device transcription with no cloud upload | Real-time transcription with a low-latency Rust-based audio pipeline |
| Standout feature | Speaker diarization to separate participants automatically | Structured, searchable meeting notes with action items and decisions |
| Team usage | AI-generated summaries, minutes, and key takeaways | On-demand AI assist via keyboard shortcut during calls |
| Integrations | Support for recording live meetings and uploading audio/video files | Bring-your-own-key support for Gemini, OpenAI, Claude, and Groq |
| Languages & capture | Multi-language support and offline (airplane-mode) operation | Fully local/offline option through Ollama with local data storage by default |
| Best-fit workflow | Export to text, PDF, CSV, and JSON, plus Apple Notes/iCloud/Files | Works alongside Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams without a visible bot |
Basil AI
Choose Basil AI if you need transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device — strengths include strong privacy posture since data never leaves the device.
Natively
Choose Natively if you need capturing real-time transcripts and structured notes from calls without a visible bot — strengths include free and open source with active development.
Basil AI
Natively
It depends on your workflow. Basil AI is strong for transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device, while Natively is strong for capturing real-time transcripts and structured notes from calls without a visible bot. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades and Natively is a free tier with paid upgrades. 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.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Basil AI and Natively.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. BeAware Conference Captioning: AI real-time captioning and translation app for live in-person and hybrid events, with on-screen overlays and multilingual attendee access. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Bee: Wearable AI device that captures spoken conversations and turns them into transcripts, summaries, and reminders. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Beey: Web app for automatic transcription, subtitle creation, translation, and live transcription. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Berrycast: A screen recorder and AI meeting notes tool with a Chrome extension and desktop app that records, transcribes, and summarizes calls. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Bliro: Bot-free AI meeting assistant that transcribes online and in-person conversations from device audio without recording audio or video. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Bluedot: Bot-free note taker for Meet, Zoom, Teams plus mobile recording The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. BoardBreeze: AI software that converts board meeting recordings into compliant, formatted minutes capturing motions, votes, and action items. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Boardable: Board meeting platform for nonprofits with AI-generated minutes, an in-meeting assistant, and AI insights that turn discussion into action items. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Bold: Bot-free AI notetaker by Bold App Studios that records meetings on-device, transcribes with speaker detection, and writes summaries with action items. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Boostlingo: Language access platform whose AI Pro engine delivers live AI captioning, translation, and transcription for meetings, webinars, and events. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. BriefMe: Italian mobile app that records conversations, transcribes them automatically, and generates AI summaries with key points, decisions, and action items. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Briefly: AI meeting summaries with CRM and Slack delivery The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.