Basil AI: On-device AI note taker for Apple devices that transcribes and summarizes meetings entirely offline, with no cloud upload. Whisper Memos: iPhone and Apple Watch voice recorder that transcribes memos and meetings and emails you a formatted transcript with an AI summary. 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 Whisper Memos when recording meetings and extracting action items via custom summary prompts 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.
iPhone and Apple Watch voice recorder that transcribes memos and meetings and emails you a formatted transcript with an AI summary.
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
Whisper Memos is an AI voice-recording app for iPhone and Apple Watch, created by independent developer Vojtech Rinik, that records spoken memos and delivers them back as nicely formatted email transcripts within seconds. You can start a recording from a one-tap iPhone lock-screen widget or hands-free from an Apple Watch complication, making it suited to quick capture of rambling thoughts, meeting notes, lectures, or journal entries. Under the hood it offers multiple transcription engines, including OpenAI Whisper, ElevenLabs, and Cohere, and supports many languages with automatic paragraphing. Every voice note can get an automatic AI summary, and you can create custom summary tabs with your own prompts, for example to extract action items from meeting notes or to reorganize thoughts by topic. The app supports importing audio files in formats such as MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, and FLAC. An Agents system routes different memos to different destinations, and integrations cover Notion, Trello, Things 3, Todoist, Day One, Evernote, Reflect, and Drafts, plus thousands more via Zapier or Mail Drop. It markets itself explicitly as a dictaphone, an audio recorder for meetings, and a voice journaling app, and has been covered by outlets like Six Colors and MacSparky. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Whisper Memos is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Basil AI | Whisper Memos |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | 100% on-device transcription with no cloud upload | One-tap iPhone lock-screen and hands-free Apple Watch recording |
| Standout feature | Speaker diarization to separate participants automatically | Multiple transcription engines (OpenAI Whisper, ElevenLabs, Cohere) |
| Team usage | AI-generated summaries, minutes, and key takeaways | Automatic AI summaries with custom prompt-based summary tabs |
| Integrations | Support for recording live meetings and uploading audio/video files | Transcripts delivered as formatted email with automatic paragraphs |
| Languages & capture | Multi-language support and offline (airplane-mode) operation | Audio file import (MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, FLAC) |
| Best-fit workflow | Export to text, PDF, CSV, and JSON, plus Apple Notes/iCloud/Files | Integrations with Notion, Things 3, Todoist, Day One, and Zapier |
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.
Whisper Memos
Choose Whisper Memos if you need dictating quick notes or ideas hands-free and receiving them by email — strengths include frictionless capture from lock screen or apple watch.
Basil AI
Whisper Memos
It depends on your workflow. Basil AI is strong for transcribing confidential client meetings where data must stay on-device, while Whisper Memos is strong for dictating quick notes or ideas hands-free and receiving them by email. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Basil AI is a free tier with paid upgrades and Whisper Memos 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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