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. Plaud: AI note-taking platform that records conversations and meetings, then transcribes them and generates summaries and action items, via dedicated hardware recorders and a desktop/mobile app. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.
How Hosiqo compares and tests toolsFinal recommendation
Shortlist Daisy when recording and transcribing meetings privately on a mac without cloud upload matters most, and Plaud when capturing action items and decisions from conversations matters most. Run both through a week of actual calls to see which suits your workflow.
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.
AI note-taking platform that records conversations and meetings, then transcribes them and generates summaries and action items, via dedicated hardware recorders and a desktop/mobile app.
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
Plaud is an AI note-taking platform that turns conversations and meetings into transcripts, structured summaries, and action items. It pairs dedicated hardware recorders (Plaud Note, Note Pro, and the NotePin wearables) with iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and web apps. Its desktop app captures audio natively from online meetings in Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams (and other conferencing apps) without joining as a bot, and can auto-detect when a meeting starts. Plaud transcribes in 112+ languages and offers 10,000+ summary templates. The Starter (free) plan includes 300 transcription minutes per month. Paid tiers add the "Ask Plaud" natural-language search across recordings plus Zapier, Google Calendar, and a beta MCP server integration. Plaud states it holds ISO 27001/27701, SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA compliance, and describes itself as trusted by over 2 million users globally.
Best suited for
Daisy is a free tier with paid upgrades (freemium); Plaud is from $0/mo (freemium). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Daisy | Plaud |
|---|---|---|
| Core capability | Local recording of mic and system audio from any source via ScreenCaptureKit | AI transcription |
| Standout feature | On-device transcription with WhisperKit and speaker diarization via Pyannote | Meeting summaries & action items |
| Team usage | Structured AI notes with action items and follow-ups | Online meeting capture |
| Integrations | Multiple summarization backends: Apple Intelligence, Anthropic, OpenAI, and MCP | Ask Plaud search |
| Languages & capture | Local MCP server so Claude Desktop, Cursor, and similar tools can read meetings | Summary templates |
| Best-fit workflow | Exports to Notion, Linear, Attio, Slack, or custom webhooks | AI transcription |
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.
Plaud
Choose Plaud if you need recording and summarizing in-person and online meetings — strengths include free starter plan includes 300 transcription minutes per month.
Daisy
Plaud
It depends on your workflow. Daisy is strong for recording and transcribing meetings privately on a mac without cloud upload, while Plaud is strong for recording and summarizing in-person and online meetings. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.
Daisy is a free tier with paid upgrades and Plaud is from $0/mo. 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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