CaptionKit: CaptionKit is an AI-powered platform that generates real-time captions and multilingual translations for live spoken sessions, built primarily for churches and faith-based services. 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 CaptionKit when providing live captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees during services or events 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.
CaptionKit is an AI-powered platform that generates real-time captions and multilingual translations for live spoken sessions, built primarily for churches and faith-based services.
Open-source, local-first conversation memory layer that records and transcribes meetings, diarizes speakers, and stores searchable notes as markdown for AI agents.
CaptionKit is a browser-based platform that produces live, AI-generated captions and translations during spoken sessions, designed primarily for churches and other faith-based organizations serving deaf, hard-of-hearing, and multilingual audiences. A host starts a captioning session from the web dashboard, and the system transcribes speech in 65+ languages and translates it into 85+ languages, including a bilingual English and Spanish mode. Attendees follow along by joining a shared web link or QR code, or through the free iOS and Android apps; captions can also be displayed on screen as lower-third overlays or full-screen scrolling text. It integrates with common presentation and streaming software including ProPresenter, OBS, vMix, FreeShow, and Worship Extreme, and supports automation via cURL and Bitfocus Companion. Accuracy can be improved with boosted keywords for names and uncommon terms, and the platform records session history. No installation is required, making it suited to live in-person or streamed events where on-screen accessibility and language access matter.
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
CaptionKit 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 | CaptionKit | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Real-time AI speech-to-text captioning in 65+ languages | Local transcription with whisper.cpp or Parakeet, no cloud audio upload |
| Standout feature | Live translation into 85+ languages, including bilingual English/Spanish mode | Speaker diarization to attribute who said what |
| Team usage | Attendee access via web link, QR code, or free iOS and Android apps | Plain-markdown output with YAML frontmatter stored on your own disk |
| Integrations | On-screen display options (lower-third overlays, full-screen scrolling captions) | MCP server exposing tools so AI agents can query meeting history |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with ProPresenter, OBS, vMix, FreeShow, and Worship Extreme | Cross-meeting search, relationship tracking, and action-item extraction |
| Best-fit workflow | Boosted keywords to improve accuracy for names and uncommon terms | macOS desktop app plus cross-platform CLI and dictation hotkey mode |
CaptionKit
Choose CaptionKit if you need providing live captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees during services or events — strengths include browser-based with no installation required for hosts or attendees.
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.
CaptionKit
Minutes
It depends on your workflow. CaptionKit is strong for providing live captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees during services or events, 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.
CaptionKit 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.
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