Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Spokenly: Spokenly is a system-wide AI dictation app for Mac and iPhone that converts speech to text using offline Whisper and Parakeet models or bring-your-own-key cloud engines. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Basil AI when transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device matters most, and Spokenly when privacy-conscious offline speech-to-text for sensitive or confidential work 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.
Spokenly is a system-wide AI dictation app for Mac and iPhone that converts speech to text using offline Whisper and Parakeet models or bring-your-own-key cloud engines.
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
Spokenly is an AI dictation and speech-to-text app for Mac and iPhone (with Windows listed by the developer). You press a shortcut, speak, and your words are inserted at the cursor in any application — browsers, email, chat, notes, or IDEs. It can run entirely offline on Apple Silicon using local models such as OpenAI's Whisper and NVIDIA's Parakeet, or connect to cloud engines including OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq, Anthropic, and Google through a bring-your-own-key model. Transcription supports 100+ languages with automatic language detection and automatic punctuation, and every transcription is saved to a history. The app also offers AI text processing with custom prompts, a Local Only Mode that blocks network requests for privacy, and an MCP server so AI coding agents like Claude Code and Cursor can trigger voice input. It is built primarily for professionals and developers who want fast, private, accurate dictation rather than a passive meeting recorder. The app is developed by an independent developer, Vadim Akhmerov, and is in active development.
Best suited for
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Spokenly is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Basil AI | Spokenly |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | 100% on-device transcription with no cloud upload | Offline local transcription on Apple Silicon using Whisper and NVIDIA Parakeet models |
| Standout feature | Speaker diarization to separate participants automatically | Bring-your-own-key cloud engines (OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq, Anthropic, Google) |
| Team usage | AI-generated summaries, minutes, and key takeaways | System-wide dictation that inserts text at the cursor in any app |
| Integrations | Support for recording live meetings and uploading audio/video files | Speech-to-text in 100+ languages with automatic detection and punctuation |
| Languages & capture | Multi-language support and offline (airplane-mode) operation | Local Only Mode that blocks network requests for full privacy |
| Best-fit workflow | Export to text, PDF, CSV, and JSON, plus Apple Notes/iCloud/Files | MCP server integration for AI coding agents like Claude Code and Cursor |
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.
Spokenly
Choose Spokenly if you need dictating emails, messages, and notes by speaking instead of typing — strengths include genuinely free unlimited on-device transcription on apple silicon, with voice staying local.
Basil AI
Spokenly
It depends on your workflow. Basil AI is strong for transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device, while Spokenly is strong for dictating emails, messages, and notes by speaking instead of typing. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades and Spokenly 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 Spokenly.
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.