Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Vibe: Open-source, cross-platform desktop app that transcribes meeting and interview recordings offline using Whisper, keeping all data on your device. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Basil AI when transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device matters most, and Vibe when developers embedding local transcription via the cli or http api 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.
Open-source, cross-platform desktop app that transcribes meeting and interview recordings offline using Whisper, keeping all data on your device.
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
Vibe is a free, open-source transcription application created by the developer thewh1teagle and distributed under the MIT license. It lets users transcribe audio and video files entirely offline on their own machine using OpenAI's Whisper models, so recordings of meetings, interviews, lectures, and calls never have to leave the device. Vibe runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with GPU acceleration available for NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel hardware, and it supports a very wide range of languages. It includes speaker diarization so different participants can be separated in the transcript, and it can export results in multiple formats including SRT, VTT, TXT, HTML, PDF, JSON, and DOCX. For automation and integration, Vibe also exposes a command-line interface and an HTTP API with Swagger documentation, making it usable inside larger pipelines. Built with the Tauri framework on top of whisper.cpp, it is actively maintained with frequent releases. Vibe is best suited to privacy-conscious individuals, developers, and teams who want a no-subscription, local-first way to turn recorded conversations into editable text. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Vibe is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Basil AI | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | 100% on-device transcription with no cloud upload | Offline transcription powered by OpenAI Whisper (whisper.cpp) |
| Standout feature | Speaker diarization to separate participants automatically | Cross-platform: macOS, Windows, and Linux |
| Team usage | AI-generated summaries, minutes, and key takeaways | Speaker diarization to separate participants |
| Integrations | Support for recording live meetings and uploading audio/video files | Multiple export formats (SRT, VTT, TXT, HTML, PDF, JSON, DOCX) |
| Languages & capture | Multi-language support and offline (airplane-mode) operation | Command-line interface and HTTP API for automation |
| Best-fit workflow | Export to text, PDF, CSV, and JSON, plus Apple Notes/iCloud/Files | GPU acceleration for NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel |
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.
Vibe
Choose Vibe if you need transcribing recorded meetings or interviews privately on a laptop — strengths include free and open source under the mit license.
Basil AI
Vibe
It depends on your workflow. Basil AI is strong for transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device, while Vibe is strong for transcribing recorded meetings or interviews privately on a laptop. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades and Vibe 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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