Daisy: Local-first, open-source macOS meeting recorder and AI notes app that transcribes on-device and exposes meetings to AI tools through a local MCP server. Grain: Grain is an AI notetaker and conversation intelligence platform that records, transcribes, and summarizes video calls and Slack huddles, with or without meeting bots. This comparison weighs them on pricing, features, and everyday workflow fit.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Daisy when recording and transcribing meetings privately on a mac without cloud upload matters most, and Grain when recording and summarizing client or team meetings for action items matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.
Local-first, open-source macOS meeting recorder and AI notes app that transcribes on-device and exposes meetings to AI tools through a local MCP server.
Grain is an AI notetaker and conversation intelligence platform that records, transcribes, and summarizes video calls and Slack huddles, with or without meeting bots.
Daisy, from Addicted Studio, is a local-first meeting recorder and AI notes application for macOS that records meetings on the Mac, transcribes them on the device, and then exposes the captured conversations as a local MCP server for AI tools. It captures both microphone and system audio from any source, including Zoom, Google Meet, Telegram, and other apps, using ScreenCaptureKit, and performs on-device transcription with WhisperKit plus speaker identification via Pyannote diarization, so audio never leaves the Mac unless the user explicitly enables a cloud LLM provider. Beyond raw transcription, Daisy generates structured notes with action items and follow-ups and supports multiple summarization backends including Apple Intelligence, Anthropic, and OpenAI, as well as MCP. Because it runs a local MCP server, tools such as Claude Desktop and Cursor can read recorded meetings directly, and Daisy can export results to Notion, Linear, Attio, Slack, or arbitrary webhooks. It offers several capture modes covering meeting recording, voice dictation, and quick voice notes. Daisy is a native Mac application (not Electron) for Apple Silicon, is fully open source on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 license, and emphasizes privacy with no telemetry, tracking, or required account. The project maintains a product site at mydaisy.io with installation, FAQ, and support documentation. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.
Best suited for
Grain is an AI meeting assistant and conversation intelligence platform that automatically records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings, generating AI notes, action items, and shareable video clips. It supports Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams (plus Slack huddles), and can capture audio without a meeting bot via bot-free desktop capture, or join calls with a recording bot. Transcription covers 100+ languages. On higher tiers, Grain syncs meeting notes and insights to CRMs including HubSpot and Salesforce, making it useful for sales and customer success teams tracking deal conversations. The Business tier also adds AI coaching, custom AI follow-up emails, trackers, and team interaction metrics. The Free plan includes unlimited meetings with a 45-minute recording limit, AI notes and action items, 30-day meeting history, and unlimited free viewer seats; paid seats unlock unlimited meeting duration, history, and uploads.
Best suited for
Daisy is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Grain is from $15/mo (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Daisy | Grain |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Local recording of mic and system audio from any source via ScreenCaptureKit | AI meeting notes & action items |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription with WhisperKit and speaker diarization via Pyannote | Multi-language transcription (100+ languages) |
| Team usage | Structured AI notes with action items and follow-ups | Shareable video clips & highlight reels |
| Integrations | Multiple summarization backends: Apple Intelligence, Anthropic, OpenAI, and MCP | CRM sync (HubSpot & Salesforce) |
| Languages & capture | Local MCP server so Claude Desktop, Cursor, and similar tools can read meetings | Bot-free desktop capture |
| Best-fit workflow | Exports to Notion, Linear, Attio, Slack, or custom webhooks | AI meeting notes & action items |
Daisy
Choose Daisy if you need recording and transcribing meetings privately on a mac without cloud upload — strengths include fully local-first with audio kept on-device unless a cloud llm is explicitly enabled.
Grain
Choose Grain if you need sales and customer success teams capturing call insights synced to a crm — strengths include records and transcribes meetings with or without a bot, including bot-free desktop (computer-audio) capture.
Daisy
Grain
It depends on your workflow. Daisy is strong for recording and transcribing meetings privately on a mac without cloud upload, while Grain is strong for sales and customer success teams capturing call insights synced to a crm. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Daisy is a free tier with paid upgrades and Grain is from $15/mo. 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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