Buzz: Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper. HoverNotes: Chrome extension that watches lecture and course videos with you and generates AI notes saved as Markdown. 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 Buzz when transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline matters most, and HoverNotes when capturing code and diagrams from technical youtube lectures matters most. Run both through a week of actual calls to see which suits your workflow.
Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper.
Chrome extension that watches lecture and course videos with you and generates AI notes saved as Markdown.
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
HoverNotes is an AI-powered note-taking tool delivered as a Chrome extension, designed for students and learners who study from recorded lectures and online course videos. Rather than relying on audio transcription alone, HoverNotes analyzes video frames as you watch, so it can capture on-screen context such as code snippets, mathematical equations, and diagrams alongside spoken content. The extension generates AI notes while you watch and saves them as plain Markdown files directly to your local file system, which makes them easy to use with tools like Obsidian or other Markdown-based knowledge bases. Users can also capture single-click screenshots embedded with clickable timestamps that jump back to the exact moment in the video. HoverNotes works across common video learning platforms including YouTube, Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Bilibili, and university lecture portals. It runs on a freemium model with a limited monthly allotment of AI note generation on the free plan and paid tiers for heavier use. The tool is best suited to self-directed learners studying from video, and its local-Markdown approach appeals to people who want full ownership of their notes. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); HoverNotes is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Buzz | HoverNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Offline transcription and translation using OpenAI's Whisper | Chrome extension that generates AI notes while watching videos |
| Standout feature | Real-time transcription from microphone input | Video frame analysis to capture on-screen code, equations, and diagrams |
| Team usage | Speaker identification and speech separation for noisy audio | Notes saved locally as Markdown files for use in Obsidian and similar tools |
| Integrations | Exports to TXT, SRT, and VTT | One-click timestamped screenshots that link back to the video moment |
| Languages & capture | Watch folder for automatic transcription and a command-line interface | Support for YouTube, Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Bilibili, and lecture portals |
| Best-fit workflow | GPU acceleration via CUDA, Apple Silicon, and Vulkan | Freemium plan with paid tiers for more usage |
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.
HoverNotes
Choose HoverNotes if you need taking notes from coursera and udemy course videos — strengths include captures visual on-screen content, not just audio, for technical lectures.
Buzz
HoverNotes
It depends on your workflow. Buzz is strong for transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline, while HoverNotes is strong for taking notes from coursera and udemy course videos. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades and HoverNotes 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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