Cleft Notes: AI voice-note app that turns spoken thoughts and meeting audio into structured, organized notes. Meetingnotes: Free, open-source macOS AI notetaker that records mic and system audio locally, transcribes, and summarizes meetings using your own OpenAI API key. 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 Cleft Notes when capturing post-meeting recaps and action items by voice matters most, and Meetingnotes when individuals who prefer paying per-use api costs over subscriptions matters most. Trial each on a few real meetings before you commit — the better fit usually shows fast.
AI voice-note app that turns spoken thoughts and meeting audio into structured, organized notes.
Free, open-source macOS AI notetaker that records mic and system audio locally, transcribes, and summarizes meetings using your own OpenAI API key.
Cleft Notes is an AI-powered voice-note app that captures spoken thoughts, meeting recaps, and other audio and converts them into structured, readable notes. Users record by speaking, and the app transcribes the audio and reshapes it into organized output, offering formats such as bulleted and headed notes, flowing paragraphs without bullets, or a cleaned-up verbatim transcript. It performs transcription on-device, which allows it to work offline and supports a privacy-focused approach, with encrypted cloud sync and local file storage that users control. Cleft integrates with a range of productivity tools, including Notion, Apple Notes, Obsidian, Todoist, and automation via Zapier, so notes can flow into existing workflows. The app is available across the Apple ecosystem, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and CarPlay, making it convenient to capture thoughts hands-free. While it is broadly a voice-to-notes tool, it is commonly used to capture meeting summaries and post-meeting recaps, and it is aimed at professionals and individuals who think out loud and want spoken input turned into well-formatted notes rather than raw recordings. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Meetingnotes is a free, open-source AI meeting notetaker for macOS created and maintained by developer Owen Gretzinger. It is designed for professionals who want private meeting notes without recurring subscription costs. The app captures both microphone and system audio directly on the user's Mac, so it works across any meeting platform without adding a bot to the call. It then provides a live transcript and generates AI-enhanced summaries that combine the transcript with any manual notes the user takes during the meeting. Transcription and summarization run through the user's own OpenAI API key, meaning users pay only for the API usage they consume rather than a flat subscription, and meeting data stays stored locally on the device. The source code is published on GitHub under the LGPL-3.0 license, so it can be inspected, modified, and contributed to. The project lists integrations such as Slack and Notion, with additional features in development. Meetingnotes is best for engineers and individuals who want a lightweight, transparent, bring-your-own-key meeting notetaker that keeps their data on their own machine. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Cleft Notes 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 | Cleft Notes | Meetingnotes |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | On-device transcription that works offline | Captures both microphone and system audio on macOS |
| Standout feature | Multiple output formats: organized, no-bullets, or verbatim | No meeting bot required to join calls |
| Team usage | Encrypted cloud sync with user-controlled local storage | Live transcription plus AI-generated summaries |
| Integrations | Integrations with Notion, Apple Notes, Obsidian, Todoist, and Zapier | Bring-your-own OpenAI API key cost model |
| Languages & capture | Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and CarPlay | Local storage of meeting data |
| Best-fit workflow | Hands-free voice capture of thoughts and meeting recaps | Open-source codebase on GitHub (LGPL-3.0) |
Cleft Notes
Choose Cleft Notes if you need capturing post-meeting recaps and action items by voice — strengths include on-device transcription enables offline use and privacy.
Meetingnotes
Choose Meetingnotes if you need engineers wanting a free, transparent meeting notetaker — strengths include free and open source with a transparent codebase.
Cleft Notes
Meetingnotes
It depends on your workflow. Cleft Notes is strong for capturing post-meeting recaps and action items by voice, while Meetingnotes is strong for engineers wanting a free, transparent meeting notetaker. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Cleft Notes 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.
Yes. Many teams run more than one meeting assistant when the workflows are complementary.
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