BB Recorder: A 100% local, no-bot meeting recorder for Mac and iOS that records, transcribes, and summarizes entirely on-device, built by the BuildBetter team. Natively: A free, open-source desktop AI meeting assistant offering real-time transcription, structured notes, and on-call answers with local processing and bring-your-own-key support. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist BB Recorder when regulated or privacy-sensitive teams that cannot send audio to the cloud matters most, and Natively when running a fully local, offline meeting assistant via ollama for sensitive discussions matters most. Trial each on a few real meetings before you commit — the better fit usually shows fast.
A 100% local, no-bot meeting recorder for Mac and iOS that records, transcribes, and summarizes entirely on-device, built by the BuildBetter team.
A free, open-source desktop AI meeting assistant offering real-time transcription, structured notes, and on-call answers with local processing and bring-your-own-key support.
BB Recorder is a local-first meeting recorder built by the team behind BuildBetter, designed for people who want meeting capture without any data leaving their device. Rather than dropping a bot into a video call, BB Recorder captures the computer's system audio directly, links to the user's calendar, and turns rough conversation audio into clean transcripts and summaries. Its defining characteristic is that recording, transcription, summarization, and even live AI chat about the meeting can all run locally using on-device models, so there is no server holding the audio or transcripts. The company frames this as making a data breach architecturally impossible because there is no cloud store to compromise, and it points to SOC 2 and HIPAA considerations along with an AI transparency policy. BB Recorder is positioned as a genuinely free, unlimited option for Mac, with no trial tiers or required registration when using local models, and a companion iOS app extends capture to the iPhone. It is aimed at privacy-sensitive professionals, regulated teams, and anyone who wants automatic meeting notes without a visible bot or a cloud transcription pipeline. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Natively is an open-source AI meeting assistant maintained by the Natively-AI-assistant project and actively developed through 2025 and 2026. It runs as a desktop application on macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows, capturing meeting audio directly on the device rather than joining calls as a visible participant. Built with a Rust-based audio pipeline, it provides low-latency real-time transcription and generates structured, searchable meeting notes that include action items, decisions, and key moments, alongside an on-demand AI assist triggered by a keyboard shortcut. It offers several meeting modes for different contexts and works alongside major platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Natively is bring-your-own-key and supports providers including Google Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, and Groq, plus a fully local option through Ollama so transcription and analysis can stay offline on the user's machine; meeting data is stored locally by default. As an indie, community-driven tool it positions itself as a free alternative to paid commercial assistants, though it relies on user-supplied API keys for cloud models and is still evolving. Verify current features and any policies on the official site. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
BB Recorder is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Natively is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | BB Recorder | Natively |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | No-bot capture of system audio directly on the device | Real-time transcription with a low-latency Rust-based audio pipeline |
| Standout feature | Fully on-device recording, transcription, and summarization | Structured, searchable meeting notes with action items and decisions |
| Team usage | Local AI chat to ask questions about a captured meeting | On-demand AI assist via keyboard shortcut during calls |
| Integrations | Calendar linking to associate recordings with scheduled meetings | Bring-your-own-key support for Gemini, OpenAI, Claude, and Groq |
| Languages & capture | Available for macOS and iOS | Fully local/offline option through Ollama with local data storage by default |
| Best-fit workflow | Built by the BuildBetter team with an AI transparency policy | Works alongside Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams without a visible bot |
BB Recorder
Choose BB Recorder if you need regulated or privacy-sensitive teams that cannot send audio to the cloud — strengths include local-only processing keeps meeting audio and transcripts off external servers.
Natively
Choose Natively if you need capturing real-time transcripts and structured notes from calls without a visible bot — strengths include free and open source with active development.
BB Recorder
Natively
It depends on your workflow. BB Recorder is strong for regulated or privacy-sensitive teams that cannot send audio to the cloud, while Natively is strong for capturing real-time transcripts and structured notes from calls without a visible bot. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
BB Recorder is a free tier with paid upgrades and Natively is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary.
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