Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Polar Notes: AI note taker for students that turns lectures, audio, slides, PDFs, and videos into notes and study packs. 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 Basil AI when transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device matters most, and Polar Notes when converting youtube videos, slides, and pdfs into a study pack matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload.
AI note taker for students that turns lectures, audio, slides, PDFs, and videos into notes and study packs.
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
Polar Notes (PolarNotes AI) is an AI note-taking tool built for students and teachers that converts lectures and course materials into organized study resources. Users can record or upload a lecture, paste a YouTube link, or import slides and PDFs, and the app automatically transcribes audio when needed and analyzes the content to produce summarized notes, key concepts, section headings, and short overviews. From the same source material it can generate a study pack that includes study guides, flashcards, and assessment questions, and results can be exported to Google Docs or PDF with study sets organized in one place. Polar Notes emphasizes privacy and offline access on iOS, keeping notes stored locally on the device unless the user chooses to back them up or share them, which lets students review notes without an internet connection. It also supports multilingual transcription, making it usable for international students and teachers recording in different languages. The tool is delivered as an iOS app with an accompanying web experience and free online tools, and is aimed at learners who want lecture and document content distilled into exam-ready study material rather than verbatim meeting records. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Polar Notes is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Basil AI | Polar Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | 100% on-device transcription with no cloud upload | Record or upload lectures, paste YouTube links, and import slides or PDFs |
| Standout feature | Speaker diarization to separate participants automatically | Automatic audio transcription and AI-generated summarized notes with headings |
| Team usage | AI-generated summaries, minutes, and key takeaways | Study pack generation including study guides, flashcards, and quiz questions |
| Integrations | Support for recording live meetings and uploading audio/video files | Export to Google Docs and PDF with organized study sets |
| Languages & capture | Multi-language support and offline (airplane-mode) operation | Offline access on iOS with notes stored locally by default |
| Best-fit workflow | Export to text, PDF, CSV, and JSON, plus Apple Notes/iCloud/Files | Multilingual transcription for international students and teachers |
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.
Polar Notes
Choose Polar Notes if you need turning recorded lectures into summarized notes and flashcards — strengths include turns multiple source types into exam-ready study material.
Basil AI
Polar Notes
It depends on your workflow. Basil AI is strong for transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device, while Polar Notes is strong for turning recorded lectures into summarized notes and flashcards. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades and Polar Notes 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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