Buzz: Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper. MeetingNotes: Chrome extension that joins browser-based Meet, Zoom, and Teams calls to provide real-time transcription and a structured AI summary afterward. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Buzz when transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline matters most, and MeetingNotes when quickly turning a finished call into a structured summary with action items matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
Popular open-source desktop app that transcribes and translates audio offline on your own computer using OpenAI's Whisper.
Chrome extension that joins browser-based Meet, Zoom, and Teams calls to provide real-time transcription and a structured AI summary afterward.
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
MeetingNotes (at meetingnotes.net) is an AI meeting notes Chrome extension that integrates with Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams to capture meetings as they happen. Once installed and granted the required permissions, the extension records meeting content and provides real-time transcription, then produces a clear, structured AI summary as soon as the meeting ends so users do not have to take notes manually. Beyond raw transcripts, it highlights key insights and decisions and supports extracting action items, aiming to reduce the time spent reviewing long recordings. The product also offers an AI chat capability so users can ask questions and find specific topics or pain points within their captured meetings. As a lightweight browser-based tool, it targets individuals and small teams who want automatic notes across the major web conferencing platforms without standing up a heavier meeting-intelligence suite. The official site presents it as a real-time transcription and summary product with installation through the Chrome Web Store, and it is currently operating in 2025-2026. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); MeetingNotes is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Buzz | MeetingNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Offline transcription and translation using OpenAI's Whisper | Chrome extension for Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams |
| Standout feature | Real-time transcription from microphone input | Real-time transcription during the meeting |
| Team usage | Speaker identification and speech separation for noisy audio | Structured AI summary generated automatically after the meeting |
| Integrations | Exports to TXT, SRT, and VTT | Highlights of key insights, decisions, and action items |
| Languages & capture | Watch folder for automatic transcription and a command-line interface | AI chat to search and ask questions across captured meetings |
| Best-fit workflow | GPU acceleration via CUDA, Apple Silicon, and Vulkan | Installed and run directly from the Chrome Web Store |
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.
MeetingNotes
Choose MeetingNotes if you need solo professionals who want automatic notes across meet, zoom, and teams — strengths include lightweight, browser-based setup with no separate desktop app.
Buzz
MeetingNotes
It depends on your workflow. Buzz is strong for transcribing recorded meetings, interviews, podcasts, or lectures offline, while MeetingNotes is strong for solo professionals who want automatic notes across meet, zoom, and teams. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Buzz is a free tier with paid upgrades and MeetingNotes is a free tier with paid upgrades. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest plans and free-tier limits.
Sure. Running both makes sense when their strengths don't overlap and the budget allows.
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