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. Minutes: Open-source, local-first conversation memory layer that records and transcribes meetings, diarizes speakers, and stores searchable notes as markdown for AI agents. The right pick comes down to team size, budget, and the workflows you want to automate.
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 Minutes when recording and transcribing calls locally for users who refuse cloud meeting tools matters most. Test each on your own meetings; the right choice tends to become obvious quickly.
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.
Open-source, local-first conversation memory layer that records and transcribes meetings, diarizes speakers, and stores searchable notes as markdown for AI agents.
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
Minutes, built by Mat Silverstein, is an open-source, privacy-first conversation memory layer that captures meetings, calls, voice memos, and dictation and turns them into searchable, AI-accessible notes. It transcribes audio locally using whisper.cpp or Parakeet so audio never has to leave the machine, performs speaker diarization to separate voices, and extracts decisions and action items, writing everything to the user's own disk as plain markdown files with structured YAML frontmatter. Because the output lives in a local folder (for example ~/meetings/), the notes can sync across devices through iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive and can be read directly by AI tools. A central design goal is integration with AI assistants: Minutes runs an MCP server exposing a large set of tools so coding and chat agents such as Claude, Codex, Gemini CLI, and others can query past conversations, track relationships across meetings, and surface what was promised to whom. It ships as a macOS desktop app with a menu-bar recorder and AI assistant, plus a cross-platform command-line interface, and includes a dictation hotkey mode. The project is MIT licensed, installable via Homebrew, and actively maintained with frequent releases, making it a fully self-hostable option for people who want durable, private, searchable meeting memory rather than a cloud subscription. 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); Minutes 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 | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device voice transcription that works offline (audio stays on the device) | Local transcription with whisper.cpp or Parakeet, no cloud audio upload |
| Standout feature | Notes saved as plain-text/Markdown files synced via iCloud | Speaker diarization to attribute who said what |
| Team usage | Works with Obsidian, iA Writer, and other text editors | Plain-markdown output with YAML frontmatter stored on your own disk |
| Integrations | Background recording, silence detection, and Siri shortcuts | MCP server exposing tools so AI agents can query meeting history |
| Languages & capture | Can transcribe Apple Voice Memos and other local audio/video files | Cross-meeting search, relationship tracking, and action-item extraction |
| Best-fit workflow | Optional AI cleanup, summaries, and action-item extraction | macOS desktop app plus cross-platform CLI and dictation hotkey mode |
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.
Minutes
Choose Minutes if you need building a private, searchable memory of meetings and voice notes that ai agents can query — strengths include fully local-first and mit licensed, keeping conversation data private and portable.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown
Minutes
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 Minutes is strong for building a private, searchable memory of meetings and voice notes that ai agents can query. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown is a free tier with paid upgrades and Minutes 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.
More head-to-head comparisons involving Brain Dump: Voice to Markdown and Minutes.
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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