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. ownscribe: Local-first command-line tool that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings on macOS entirely on-device, with natural-language search across notes. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.
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 ownscribe when keeping fully on-device transcripts and summaries for privacy-sensitive discussions matters most. Run both through a week of actual calls to see which suits your workflow.
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.
Local-first command-line tool that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings on macOS entirely on-device, with natural-language search across notes.
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
ownscribe is a local-first meeting transcription and summarization command-line tool that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings entirely on the user's own machine without sending data to external servers. It is MIT-licensed and actively maintained, with v0.12.0 released in June 2026, and is written primarily in Python with a Swift component for system audio capture. On macOS 14.2 and later it captures system audio through Core Audio, and it transcribes with WhisperX to produce word-level timestamps, with optional speaker diarization via PyAnnote. For summaries it ships with a built-in local model (Phi-4-mini) and can also connect to Ollama or OpenAI-compatible backends, offering multiple templates tailored to meetings, lectures, and brief summaries. A standout feature is its natural-language search: the ask command lets users query across their stored meeting notes to retrieve relevant information. Quality-of-life features include silence-based auto-stop so recordings end cleanly when a meeting goes quiet. Because it is a CLI distributed through GitHub and runs entirely on local hardware, ownscribe targets developers and privacy-focused users who prefer scriptable, terminal-driven workflows over a graphical meeting notetaker while keeping all audio and transcripts on-device. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
CaptionKit is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); ownscribe is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | CaptionKit | ownscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Real-time AI speech-to-text captioning in 65+ languages | Local-first recording, transcription, and summarization via CLI |
| Standout feature | Live translation into 85+ languages, including bilingual English/Spanish mode | System audio capture on macOS 14.2+ through Core Audio |
| Team usage | Attendee access via web link, QR code, or free iOS and Android apps | WhisperX transcription with word-level timestamps |
| Integrations | On-screen display options (lower-third overlays, full-screen scrolling captions) | Optional speaker diarization via PyAnnote |
| Languages & capture | Integrations with ProPresenter, OBS, vMix, FreeShow, and Worship Extreme | Local summarization with a built-in Phi-4-mini model, plus Ollama and OpenAI-compatible backends |
| Best-fit workflow | Boosted keywords to improve accuracy for names and uncommon terms | Natural-language search across meeting notes with the ask command |
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.
ownscribe
Choose ownscribe if you need developers capturing and summarizing meetings from the terminal on a mac — strengths include runs entirely on-device with no data sent to external servers.
CaptionKit
ownscribe
It depends on your workflow. CaptionKit is strong for providing live captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees during services or events, while ownscribe is strong for developers capturing and summarizing meetings from the terminal on a mac. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
CaptionKit is a free tier with paid upgrades and ownscribe 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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