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. Cockatoo: AI transcription and note-taking service that records and transcribes meetings and lectures, then turns them into structured notes and summaries. Which one wins depends on your platform mix, budget, and how hands-off you want notes to be.
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 Cockatoo when turning lecture and podcast recordings into summaries and study notes 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.
AI transcription and note-taking service that records and transcribes meetings and lectures, then turns them into structured notes and summaries.
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
Cockatoo is an AI transcription and note-taking service available through the web and an iOS app that converts spoken audio and video into text and structured notes. Users can record meetings and lectures directly or upload existing audio and video files in a wide range of formats, after which Cockatoo automatically generates a transcript with punctuation and capitalization, identifies speakers, and produces summaries with key takeaways and action items. Beyond transcription, the product offers voice typing, an AI chat agent for asking questions about content, full document translation across many languages, and video transcription with subtitles and captions. Transcripts and notes can be searched and exported to formats including PDF, DOCX, TXT, SRT, and audio, and the app syncs to the cloud. Cockatoo supports more than one hundred languages and is designed for individuals and professionals who need affordable, accurate transcription of recordings such as meetings, interviews, lectures, podcasts, and other spoken content. The service is operated by Cockatoo Inc. and is actively running in 2025 and 2026 at cockatoo.com. 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); Cockatoo 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 | Cockatoo |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device voice transcription that works offline (audio stays on the device) | Record or upload audio and video, then transcribe to structured text |
| Standout feature | Notes saved as plain-text/Markdown files synced via iCloud | AI summaries with key takeaways and action items |
| Team usage | Works with Obsidian, iA Writer, and other text editors | Automatic speaker detection and punctuation |
| Integrations | Background recording, silence detection, and Siri shortcuts | AI chat agent and full document translation across 100+ languages |
| Languages & capture | Can transcribe Apple Voice Memos and other local audio/video files | Video transcription with subtitles and captions |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional AI cleanup, summaries, and action-item extraction | Export to PDF, DOCX, TXT, SRT, and audio with cloud sync |
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.
Cockatoo
Choose Cockatoo if you need transcribing recorded meetings and interviews into searchable, structured notes — strengths include handles both live recording and bulk upload of existing audio and video files.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown
Cockatoo
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 Cockatoo is strong for transcribing recorded meetings and interviews into searchable, structured notes. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown is a free tier with paid upgrades and Cockatoo 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 Cockatoo.
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.
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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. 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. 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.
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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