Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. VidNotes: VidNotes is an AI tool that transcribes videos, meeting recordings, and lectures, then generates summaries, key points, flashcards, and a chat interface in 30+ languages. 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 VidNotes when professionals extracting action items and decisions from zoom, meet, or teams recordings matters most. Trial each on a few real meetings before you commit — the better fit usually shows fast.
On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload.
VidNotes is an AI tool that transcribes videos, meeting recordings, and lectures, then generates summaries, key points, flashcards, and a chat interface in 30+ languages.
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
VidNotes is an AI-powered transcription and note-taking tool that turns videos, lectures, podcasts, and meeting recordings into structured, searchable text. Users either upload a local file (MP4, MOV, MKV, and more) or paste a link from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or Vimeo, including exported recordings from Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and webinars. Under the hood it runs the audio through OpenAI's Whisper model for speech-to-text, then a large language model produces a summary, key points, timestamped notes, auto-generated flashcards, and extracted action items in the same language as the source. A chat feature lets users ask questions about the content and receive answers with citations, and transcripts and notes can be exported as TXT, PDF, Markdown, or SRT captions. It supports English plus 30+ additional languages and handles mixed languages and varied accents. Aimed at students, researchers, content creators, and professionals, VidNotes is available in the browser, as a Chrome extension, and as iOS and Android apps. The app is published by Silpho LLC.
Best suited for
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); VidNotes is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Basil AI | VidNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | 100% on-device transcription with no cloud upload | Speech-to-text transcription via OpenAI's Whisper, with timestamps |
| Standout feature | Speaker diarization to separate participants automatically | AI summaries, key points, and extracted action items from meetings and videos |
| Team usage | AI-generated summaries, minutes, and key takeaways | Auto-generated flashcards with spaced-repetition review |
| Integrations | Support for recording live meetings and uploading audio/video files | Chat interface that answers questions about a video with citations |
| Languages & capture | Multi-language support and offline (airplane-mode) operation | Supports file uploads plus YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Vimeo, and meeting recordings (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams) |
| Best-fit workflow | Export to text, PDF, CSV, and JSON, plus Apple Notes/iCloud/Files | Export to TXT, PDF, Markdown, and SRT captions across web, Chrome extension, iOS, and Android |
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.
VidNotes
Choose VidNotes if you need students turning recorded lectures into summaries and flashcards for study — strengths include works across web, chrome extension, ios, and android, with no download required for browser use.
Basil AI
VidNotes
It depends on your workflow. Basil AI is strong for transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device, while VidNotes is strong for students turning recorded lectures into summaries and flashcards for study. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades and VidNotes 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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