Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown: An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault. Buzz: Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown when capturing and transcribing meeting notes hands-free into a markdown file matters most, and Buzz when generating subtitles for video content in multiple formats matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault.
Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown is a voice-first note-taking app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that captures spoken thoughts and transcribes them into editable text. Transcription runs on-device using Apple's speech engine, so it works offline and audio never leaves the device. Each note is stored as a standard plain-text or Markdown (.md) file synced through iCloud, which lets it work with Obsidian, iA Writer, and other text editors rather than locking notes inside a proprietary cloud. The app supports background recording, silence detection, and Siri shortcuts for hands-free capture, and it can transcribe Apple Voice Memos or other local audio and video files. An optional paid AI tier adds cleanup, summaries, and action-item extraction, plus template-based rewriting. Core recording, transcription, editing, iCloud sync, Siri, and offline mode are free. It is aimed at journalers, Obsidian users, and people capturing meeting notes, ideas, or quick thoughts when speaking is faster than typing. Developed by Saravanan Pitchaimani; listed in the App Store Productivity category.
Best suited for
Buzz is a widely used open-source desktop application that transcribes and translates audio offline on the user's personal computer, powered by OpenAI's Whisper. It is MIT-licensed and actively maintained, with v1.4.4 released in March 2026, and it has grown a large community with roughly 19.7k GitHub stars. Buzz runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with installation options including Flatpak, Snap, and PyPI. It supports both importing existing audio and video files and real-time transcription from microphone input, and it can export results in formats such as TXT, SRT, and VTT for subtitling and documentation. The app includes an advanced transcript viewer with search and playback controls, a watch folder for automatically transcribing new files, and a command-line interface for automation. It offers GPU acceleration through CUDA for Nvidia cards, Apple Silicon support, and Vulkan for many other GPUs, which makes faster transcription practical even on laptops. Buzz also provides speaker identification and speech separation for noisy audio, plus a plugin system that adds capabilities like AI-generated summaries. Because all processing happens locally, recordings and transcripts remain on the user's machine rather than being uploaded to a cloud service. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown | Buzz |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device voice transcription that works offline (audio stays on the device) | Offline transcription and translation using OpenAI's Whisper |
| Standout feature | Notes saved as plain-text/Markdown files synced via iCloud | Real-time transcription from microphone input |
| Team usage | Works with Obsidian, iA Writer, and other text editors | Speaker identification and speech separation for noisy audio |
| Integrations | Background recording, silence detection, and Siri shortcuts | Exports to TXT, SRT, and VTT |
| Languages & capture | Can transcribe Apple Voice Memos and other local audio/video files | Watch folder for automatic transcription and a command-line interface |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional AI cleanup, summaries, and action-item extraction | GPU acceleration via CUDA, Apple Silicon, and Vulkan |
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown
Choose Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown if you need capturing and transcribing meeting notes hands-free into a markdown file — strengths include privacy-focused: transcription happens on-device and notes are stored as files you own.
Buzz
Choose Buzz if you need transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline — strengths include fully offline so audio and transcripts stay on the user's computer.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown
Buzz
It depends on your workflow. Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown is strong for capturing and transcribing meeting notes hands-free into a markdown file, while Buzz is strong for transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown is a free tier with paid upgrades and Buzz 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.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown and Buzz.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown: An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault. Braina: Braina is a Windows AI assistant and speech-to-text software that handles voice dictation, voice commands, and transcription of recorded audio and video files including meetings and interviews. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown and Braindump are both AI meeting assistants for recording, transcription, and summaries, compared here on pricing, features, and workflow fit. Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown: An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault. Braindump: Braindump is an AI voice-notes mobile app that records spoken thoughts and meetings, transcribes them, and auto-organizes them into structured, searchable notes. They overlap on ai-meeting-assistants, so the right pick depends on team size, budget, and which meeting workflows you automate.
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Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown: An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault. BrightHire: Interview intelligence platform that records, transcribes, and structures job interviews for hiring teams. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown: An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault. Bubbles: Async video and AI meeting notes with action items Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown: An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault. BuildBetter: A no-bot meeting recorder (BB Recorder) that captures and processes calls locally on Mac, with optional cloud upload for team collaboration. We compare them on cost, capture approach, and day-to-day fit so you can choose faster.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown: An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault. CFAI: CFAI is a Windows desktop AI note taker that transcribes meetings and calls locally on-device with Faster Whisper, so audio never leaves the user's computer. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown: An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault. CLOVA Note: South Korean AI meeting-minutes service by Naver that records meetings, transcribes speech, separates speakers, and generates summaries and action items. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
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123 Notetaker AI: Microsoft Teams marketplace app from BlueSky Apps that shows live transcription in the Teams sidebar and emails AI meeting notes afterward. Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown: An iOS/iPadOS/Mac app that records voice and transcribes it on-device into editable Markdown notes saved as plain-text files in iCloud or an Obsidian vault. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.