Is Descript or Minutes better for AI meeting notes?

It depends on your workflow. Descript is strong for editing podcasts and videos by editing the transcript, 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.

How do Descript and Minutes compare on price?

Descript 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.

Can I use both Descript and Minutes?

Sure. Running both makes sense when their strengths don't overlap and the budget allows.

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Descript vs Minutes

Descript: Video/podcast editor with transcription and meeting recording Minutes: Open-source, local-first conversation memory layer that records and transcribes meetings, diarizes speakers, and stores searchable notes as markdown for AI agents. Below, they line up on price, capture method, and how each fits a real meeting stack.

How Hosiqo compares and tests tools

Final recommendation

Shortlist Descript when editing podcasts and videos by editing the transcript 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.

Descript

CustomAI Meeting Assistants

Video/podcast editor with transcription and meeting recording

Automatic transcription of imported or recorded audio and videoMultitrack audio and video editingOne-click caption and subtitle generation

Details Visit

Minutes

CustomAI Meeting Assistants

Open-source, local-first conversation memory layer that records and transcribes meetings, diarizes speakers, and stores searchable notes as markdown for AI agents.

Cross-meeting search, relationship tracking, and action-item extraction

About Descript

Descript is an audio and video editing platform built around text-based editing, where the spoken content of a recording is automatically transcribed and the resulting transcript becomes the primary way to edit the media. When users import or record audio and video, Descript generates a transcript that they can read, search, and edit, with changes to the text reflected in the underlying recording. The platform also offers one-click caption and subtitle generation so the transcribed words can be displayed on screen and styled to match a project. In addition to transcription and captions, Descript provides features for podcast and video production, including multitrack editing, screen recording, and AI-assisted tools. Because editing the transcript edits the media, it is especially useful for podcasters, video creators, and teams who want to cut filler, rearrange segments, or repurpose content without working frame by frame. Descript is aimed at content creators, marketers, educators, and teams who want transcription, captions, and editing combined in a single workflow. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.

Best suited for

Editing podcasts and videos by editing the transcript
Generating captions and subtitles for published content
Producing searchable transcripts from recorded sessions

About Minutes

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

Building a private, searchable memory of meetings and voice notes that AI agents can query
Recording and transcribing calls locally for users who refuse cloud meeting tools
Tracking commitments and decisions across many conversations over time

Feature	Descript	Minutes
Core capability	Automatic transcription of imported or recorded audio and video	Local transcription with whisper.cpp or Parakeet, no cloud audio upload
Standout feature	Text-based editing where editing the transcript edits the media	Speaker diarization to attribute who said what
Team usage	One-click caption and subtitle generation	Plain-markdown output with YAML frontmatter stored on your own disk
Integrations	Multitrack audio and video editing	MCP server exposing tools so AI agents can query meeting history
Languages & capture	Screen and audio recording built in	Cross-meeting search, relationship tracking, and action-item extraction
Best-fit workflow	Automatic transcription of imported or recorded audio and video	macOS desktop app plus cross-platform CLI and dictation hotkey mode

Descript vs Minutes

About Descript

About Minutes

Pricing comparison

Feature table

Best for

Pros & cons

FAQ

Is Descript or Minutes better for AI meeting notes?

How do Descript and Minutes compare on price?

Can I use both Descript and Minutes?

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