Is Descript or Shadow better for AI meeting notes?

It depends on your workflow. Descript is strong for editing podcasts and videos by editing the transcript, while Shadow is strong for capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining. Both transcribe and summarize meetings.

How do Descript and Shadow compare on price?

Descript is a free tier with paid upgrades and Shadow 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 Shadow?

Often yes: teams combine tools when one handles capture and another handles analysis.

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Descript vs Shadow

Descript: Video/podcast editor with transcription and meeting recording Shadow: A bot-free, Mac-based AI meeting assistant that transcribes and summarizes calls locally without joining as a participant. Here's where each one pulls ahead on pricing, features, and the meetings it suits best.

How Hosiqo compares and tests tools

Final recommendation

Shortlist Descript when editing podcasts and videos by editing the transcript matters most, and Shadow when privacy-conscious teams that prefer on-device transcription matters most. Try them side by side on real calls before deciding — needs vary by team.

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

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Shadow

CustomAI Meeting Assistants

A bot-free, Mac-based AI meeting assistant that transcribes and summarizes calls locally without joining as a participant.

Bot-free capture that records system audio without joining the meeting as a participant

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 Shadow

Shadow is a bot-free AI meeting assistant for macOS that captures meetings by listening to your computer's audio in the background rather than joining the call as a visible participant. Because transcription runs locally on the Mac, the audio does not need to leave the device for that core processing step, which the company positions as a privacy advantage. Shadow can automatically detect when a meeting starts, transcribe the conversation with speaker identification, and turn the discussion into structured notes, summaries, and follow-up items. It also captures on-screen content alongside the spoken audio, so material shared during a call (slides, dashboards, or shared windows) can be reflected in the output. The tool works across common conferencing platforms including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex, Slack, and Discord. Users can configure customizable prompts (described as Skills) to generate notes, summaries, or drafted emails, and connect outputs to other tools via webhooks. It is aimed at professionals and teams who want meeting capture without adding another bot to the call. Pricing varies by plan. Check the official website for current pricing.

Best suited for

Capturing notes and summaries across multiple conferencing platforms without a bot joining
Privacy-conscious teams that prefer on-device transcription
Reviewing both what was said and what was shown during screen-shared meetings

Feature	Descript	Shadow
Core capability	Automatic transcription of imported or recorded audio and video	Bot-free capture that records system audio without joining the meeting as a participant
Standout feature	Text-based editing where editing the transcript edits the media	On-device (local) transcription on macOS
Team usage	One-click caption and subtitle generation	Speaker identification during transcription
Integrations	Multitrack audio and video editing	Captures on-screen content in addition to spoken audio
Languages & capture	Screen and audio recording built in	Customizable prompts/Skills to generate notes, summaries, and emails
Best-fit workflow	Automatic transcription of imported or recorded audio and video	Webhook integration to connect outputs to other tools

Descript vs Shadow

About Descript

About Shadow

Pricing comparison

Feature table

Best for

Pros & cons

FAQ

Is Descript or Shadow better for AI meeting notes?

How do Descript and Shadow compare on price?

Can I use both Descript and Shadow?

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