Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Nota: Nota is an AI note-taking and voice app for Apple devices that transcribes speech in real time and uses AI to refine, summarize, and reshape your notes. 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 Nota when capturing voice brain dumps and ideas on the go, including from an apple watch matters most. Test each on your own meetings; the right choice tends to become obvious quickly.
On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload.
Nota is an AI note-taking and voice app for Apple devices that transcribes speech in real time and uses AI to refine, summarize, and reshape your notes.
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
Nota, made by Hue Network, Inc., is a note-taking and voice-capture app built for the Apple ecosystem. It lets you record voice memos, brain dumps, meetings, and conversations and transcribes them in real time, with multilingual transcription support (the website cites 45 languages). Beyond voice, you can type in a clean editor, sketch with Apple Pencil, or scan documents, whiteboards, business cards, and receipts using OCR. Built-in AI assists let you rewrite, expand, summarize, clarify, polish, and reshape selected text, and users can choose between available models (Gemini, Claude, or OpenAI) or bring their own key. It runs across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, with dictation supported directly from the watch. A free tier offers unlimited local notes, voice capture, AI, and drawing on-device with no account required; a Pro subscription adds cloud sync across devices, higher AI usage limits, more transcription time, and collaboration features. It is aimed at founders, creatives, operators, and anyone who wants flexible thought capture.
Best suited for
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Nota is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Basil AI | Nota |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | 100% on-device transcription with no cloud upload | Real-time multilingual voice transcription (cited at 45 languages) |
| Standout feature | Speaker diarization to separate participants automatically | AI assists to rewrite, expand, summarize, clarify, and reshape notes |
| Team usage | AI-generated summaries, minutes, and key takeaways | Multiple capture modes: voice, typing, Apple Pencil sketching, and OCR scanning |
| Integrations | Support for recording live meetings and uploading audio/video files | Choice of AI models (Gemini, Claude, OpenAI) with bring-your-own-key option |
| Languages & capture | Multi-language support and offline (airplane-mode) operation | Cross-device support across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch |
| Best-fit workflow | Export to text, PDF, CSV, and JSON, plus Apple Notes/iCloud/Files | Cloud sync and collaboration on the Pro tier |
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.
Nota
Choose Nota if you need recording and transcribing in-person meetings and conversations — strengths include free tier works fully on-device with no account required.
Basil AI
Nota
It depends on your workflow. Basil AI is strong for transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device, while Nota is strong for recording and transcribing in-person meetings and conversations. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades and Nota 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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